Preface
Today we touch on a brilliant subject (sorry for the cheesy pun), that subject is weapon lights. These bright illuminating tools when used together with a firearm can give incredible dexterity when in potentially dangerous situations. I say that because the implication with weapon lights is that they are mainly used for shooting in the dark. An activity, that is not a typical sport shooting condition. Unless you consider defensive shooting a sport. Of course there are some sporting purposes where weapon lights can come in handy, but lets get into the beam of this topic; today’s subject is the Nightstick LGL-160-T Turbo weapon light.
The Nightstick LGL-160-T
Among the various lights made by Nightstick, the LGL-160-T is designed for long guns. Like other popular models the LGL-160-T can be mounted in a variety of ways, and can be used in conjunction with a remote pressure pad.
With 800 Lumens, the LGL-160-T gives a bright beam of white light. This can be very important when the moon is out, and you need to put a shot where it counts. You can use either dual CR123 batteries like most comparable units, or the single rechargeable 18650 LI-ion battery.
The impressive kit that comes with the light, includes various mounting options for both picatinny rail mounting and M-Lok mounting. There is also included brackets for offset 45-degree mounting. And a push-button end-cap can be used or a remote pressure switch pad. They even include a couple cable management blocks to help tie down the wires and pressure pad.
Features and Specifications
Features
- LED technology
- Features both tail cap and 6″ Remote Pressure Switches
- Momentary or constant-on function
- Standard and offset Picatinny rail mounts
- Sharp focused beam for distance illumination
- Aircraft-grade 6061-T6 aluminum housing w/Type III hard-anodized finish
- Beam distance rated at 632 meters
- IP-X7 Waterproof
- Impact & chemical resistant
- Serialized for personal identification
- 2 CR123 batteries (included)
Specifications
- High Lumens: 800
- High Candela: 100,000
- Drop Rating: 2 m
- Water Rating: IP-X7 Waterproof
- High Runtime (h): 2
- Case Material: 6061-T6 Aluminum
- Body Color: Black
- Quantity of Batteries: 2
- Package Contents: Weapon light with standard Picatinny mount w/thumb screw and tail cap switch, Remote pressure switch (6ā cable), 45Āŗ offset Picatinny mount w/thumb screw, pressure switch rail mount, wire management clamp, (2) CR123 batteries, 2.5mm Allen wrench, Alcohol prep pad, Adhesive-backed Velcro mounting strip, Instruction manual
- Warranty: Limited Lifetime Warranty
Dimensions
- Length: 5.3 in (135 mm)
- Width: 9 in (23 mm)
- Depth: 0.9 in (23mm)
- Weight: 6.3 oz (179 g)
- Diameter: 0.9 in (23 mm)
- Head Diameter: 1.4 in (36mm)
Mounting the Nightstick LGL-160
Using just the included tools, it was easy to mount the LGL-160-T in a variety of configurations on multiple firearms. I definitely prefer the M-Lok mounting system, as I don’t care for the large thumb-wheel of the picatinny mounts. For that matter, even on lower priced products these are unnecessary. And on expensive products they are unforgivable. The low-profile of the M-Lok mounts have far fewer snag points.
This is also where the tediousness of every person’s individual preference dictates how buttons are mounted and cables are run. Who am I to say whether one way is better than another? I suppose if it works for you then rock what you’ve got.
Shooting Illuminated
Shooting with the Nightstick LGL-160-T made me appreciate my mounting location even more. The two o’clock position on my rifle’s handguard positioned it perfectly to keep light obscured from my aiming eye. The Trijicon MRO kept any reflective light off the suppressor or handguard obscured.
My target area on the other hand was not obscured, the bright white light greatly improved identification of the target area. It also doubles as an aiming crutch. At closer distances the white circle of light was the same size as the view through my sight. This meant that I could simply put my target in the middle of the white circle and pull the trigger.
The remote pressure pad was nice for operating the light. It gives the choice between short bursts of illumination, or you can push the larger button and with a click you get sustained light. The pad can be mounted in a variety of ways using the M-Lok or picatinny options.
Pros and Cons
With an impressive beam of white light, the Nightstick LGL-160-T makes shooting in the dark much more detailed. The included mounting kit was a huge plus, allowing many different ways to mount and configure it. It also come in at a significantly lower price than some competitors, and a comparable price to others. You can also appreciate it being made in America by Texans. Many of these lights get pretty warm as they are used, and the Nightstick got about as warm as any other.
The only thing I could counter all that with; no matter how customizable products like this are, you will always want just a little more. Whether it be a tiny amount of occlusion with handguards or other accessories, or almost lining up with a slot or mounting hole. But to be fair this is the case with any of these products. Manufacturers have to keep their products universal enough for as many configurations as possible. This may come at the cost of universal adaptability. The two different included pressure pad mounting options are fine, though I wish they could be a touch lower profile.
Final Thoughts
Having used the Nightstick LGL-160-T for a while now, I have been quite happy with it. I have several comparable lights from other manufacturers, and the Nightstick does everything they do. And the Nightstick comes with a great little kit of mounting options as well. With other options costing as much as three or four hundred dollars, the $195 dollar price of the Nightstick delivered next day from Amazon is pretty agreeable. I look forward to a bright future from behind this light.