Many, perhaps most, reputable lists of vital AR-15 accessories include AR-15 tactical flashlights. A weapon-mounted light frees your hands, provides you with better situational awareness, and enables swifter positive ID, even in darker, stressful situations.
How much light is enough light? It’s a question that’s been asked many times over. How many lumens are necessary to support the practical function of a viable weapon light? Are 100 lumens adequate, or 500 lumens? Do you need over 1,000?
OutdoorLife.com suggests a minimum of 60 lumens (whether gun lights or handheld tactical lights), but advises readers to double that just to be safe. BadAssOptic.com agrees (partly) stating that above 120 lumens are acceptable and that anything between 120 and 1,500 lumens is practical for a rifle light.
Considering the fact that many AR-15 flashlights are rated at 1,000 lumens and above, this is a good jumping-off point. After all, the higher the lumen rating, the “brighter” the light will be.
However, there’s something else you need to keep in mind.
It’s Not Just about Lumens
Lumens measure how much light is actually released from an emitter, so it is accurate to say that higher lumens ratings involve a brighter bulb while lower lumens ratings give a dimmer bulb.
The thing is, once the light is released from the emitter, it immediately starts to scatter. That’s why high-quality flashlights (including AR-15 tactical flashlights) have advanced optics to focus the beam of light, preventing scattering and delivering an optimally focused spread of light on the target.
A separate measurement, known as the candela rating (cl) offers some insight into how focused the beam of light is downrange. The higher the candela rating, the more focused the beam of light will be, and the less will be lost to scattering. This makes it possible to illuminate and identify targets that are further away with greater accuracy.
Although some scenarios call for a more diffuse spread of light, with an AR 15 tactical light, a higher candela rating is preferable. Consider Cloud Defensive’s OWL, which is rated at 1,400 lumens and 55,000 candela: it’s not only bright, but directs a viable beam of light for positive target identification, even at extended ranges.
An AR-15 Tactical Flashlight Defeating Competing Light Sources
Cloud Defensive’s Optimized Weapon Light (OWL) is not only optimized for raw brightness and focus (candela). It is also optimized to help prevent photonic barriers (interposing, competing light sources) from obstructing target acquisition and identification.
In darker environments, warmer light can actually help your low-light vision acquire and process information, and the OWL’s warmer light temperature is more effective at penetrating competing light sources, such as streetlights, light reflected off of windows, and even diffuse light scattered through humidity or fog.
Learn More at Cloud Defensive
Not simply optimized for brightness and focus, the OWL is also extremely durable and reliable. It is recoil proof, shockproof, dustproof, and waterproof, finished with a hard black nitride coating, and comes with a rechargeable battery capable of delivering up to 6 hours of continuous power, with greater battery life than most competitors.
It’s easy to mount and service, reversible, and ambidextrous. If you have questions, visit their website at CloudDefensive.com or contact them at [email protected].
