I have owned the Streamlight TLR7 for a few years and have had mixed results, but generally have found it wanting for much improvement in terms of controls, lumen, and durability. I decided to get an Olight PL Mini 2 Valkyrie for several reasons. I will try to cover them in some detail, but this is not a review ending in a recommendation for those who have had good experiences with other weapon lights.
WHY A WML?
The first thing to cover is whether it is even reasonable to use a weapon-mounted light in the first place. For myself I concluded through practicing low light that it is extremely helpful in making tactical movements easier. However, I have found myself to be very skilled with using a handheld light. This skill does make it easier for one to decide to save money and stick with only a handheld for all needs from utility to tactical uses. After conducting practice and a run-through of what it would be like to clear my own house, I found that the burden of quick engagements when searching for lingering home invaders. This is inherently dangerous for both parties but in many cases I have concluded that my safety and the safety of those I love may call on my skill to ensure their safety. A handheld light can be helpful with establishing initial contact, but when it comes to needing to deliver deadly force with extreme prejudice, it is my responsibility to make only hits, not accepting near misses. Therefore, a WML is essential to my mission when it comes to applying force with prejudice.
FEATURES AND QUALITIES
By the time I was open to looking for a new light, I had investigated lights that were more built to last, but I looked at options that would give me more options. I was feeling like accepting an oversized light like the Surefire X300 if only to get most of the qualities I wanted even if I was losing concealment or having to learn a new set of controls that fell more in the realm of unintuitive and risky for an ND. When I found some reviews on the Olight PL series of lights, I glazed over the product, but initially chalked the reviews up to being sponsored and limited in scope of testing. I figured there were huge sacrifices involved in using the lights such as less durability and life. Some companies on the market only care about getting sales rather than making a name for themselves in terms of showing they can innovate and offer a new and better deal for consumers.
The features that drew me in were numerous, which is unusual since it is usually trading something bad for something tolerable. First thing that I found to be a juicy improvement was the controls.
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If you can’t get the light on from the draw, then it was as good as a paperweight. The TLR7 has been updated to have similar controls, but it still falls short for me on other areas. Next feature is the quick release and easy adjustment.
I had issues with the light loosening up to the point that I had to torque the hell out of it in order to get it to cooperate and stay. The next thing was related to my compulsive nature to practice. 123 batteries are priced at a premium while electricity bills are dirt cheap, so it was a huge deal that the integrated battery not only gave me a good life of 45 minutes like the TLR7, but the lumen count was higher. Simply let the magnetic charger snap on and charge until the charger light turns green.
To touch on the Lumens, the color of the light was a big deal for me for reasons of color contrast and ease of identification and range. The TLR7 had the hue of a washed-out LED and made the visibility severely limited. The Olight has a nice white hue to it that makes it easy to take in information and color contrasts. Overall, the light is an overall improvement over the TLR7 and comes with the added benefit of fitting in my holster for the TLR7. I am not sure if this is the case on all holsters for the TLR7, but the hybrid holsters take it on easily.
POSSIBLE ISSUES
Much like the results I had with the TLR7, there is concern with the durability and company backing for the light, since I shoot mainly the light killing .40 caliber. Though I had to attach the light to the Beretta 96A1 to generate enough force to stress out the circuitry of the TLR7 to failure, I am unsure what the future holds for this light’s durability. The only thing I can hope for is that the light is easily repaired or replaced upon encountering a failure of the circuitry. This comes down the company living up to and honoring its warranty, unlike Streamlight who tried to argue with me about how their lights can’t fail. It took a month and a half to get the light replaced and, in my possession, which severely pissed me off. Hopefully this light does not encounter the same issue.
INTENDED USAGE
I only intend to use the PL Mini 2 as an EDC light since it’s size and lumen output are not necessarily conducive to universal application. If I have a choice, I will go to the PL PRO for more lumens since size wouldn’t be an issue for a home gun. Plus, they both seem to have the awesome built in battery that makes recharging a breeze.
OPTIMISTIC START
As with all things when we start out using them, I have to get used to the more intuitive controls and reset my habitual manipulation of the controls to take advantage of them. This will take time before I am ready to confirm my skills on the range. I cannot say that this light is going to fulfill all my needs since it hasn’t even seen a single shot yet, but if the reviews are true, I should be overall happy with my choice. Time and testing will tell, and you will benefit from my discoveries, I assure you, so stay tuned.
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