As previously published on Modern Service Weapons.

http://modernserviceweapons.com/?p=2571

Sure Fire X300 Ultra mounted on author’s duty Glock 35

I am a flashlight nerd.  I admit it.  I’d almost go to meetings like any other addiction if it was offered.  I am constantly on the hunt for the next biggest and brightest thing.  I’ve often stated that I am waiting around for the light to come out that has the same performance on the human body as to when the Germans looked into the Ark of the Covenant on Raiders of the Lost Ark.  Real old Testament stuff.

So when James Otto of Otto Firearms contacted me and stated he had the new Sure Fire X300 Ultra in stock finally, I broke out the plastic and one was on its way.

I did all of the research.  Sure Fire’s website (www.surefire.com) boasts that the 500 lumen output and it made me giddy waiting for the arrival of the unit.  The website also showed the length dimensions to be the same for what I could tell as the standard X300.  Another win, it’ll fit in all of my holsters.

When the light arrived, I noticed it shared the same quality of all of my other Surefire lights.  Great craftsmanship, fit and finish, and the dang thing is BRIGHT.  I quickly got my duty pistol, detached the issued TLR-1 and installed the X300 Ultra.  The X300 Ultra appeared to be a lot longer than the TLR-1.  Oh well, not a deal breaker.  I had accounted for the difference in bezel diameter by the fact that all of our issued  holsters will fit a larger M3.  Not an issue.  When I put the pistol in the holster, the extra length of the light was noticeable.  The ALS system did not want to lock without extra effort.  And conversely, it didn’t want to unlock without extra effort.  I simply removed the plastic cap on the bottom of the holsters that “protects” the lights, keeps crap from entering the bottom of the holster, and all was well.

That is the bad.  It may not fit in some holsters without minor modification.  The good is the noticeable difference in 500 lumens of output vice what you get on the standard Sure Fire X300 or the Streamlight TLR-1.  When the put them side by side in a dark room, the difference is…..ahem…..night and day.  The X300 Ultra dominates all comers in low light or no light.  Not only does it fill a room with more light, makes it simpler to “wash” non-targets with light to identify them, you also see a noticeable difference at 50 yards with the amount of illumination this torch puts out.  I also think that mounting one at the 12 O’ clock rail position on the FNH SCAR line of rifles might be the lighting answer I have been searching for.  I am a big fan of the SCAR 17, but figuring out the lighting to match my shooting style without the addition of an extended rail system has been a challenge.

Sure Fire weapon mounted lights have come a long way since the early days of my career.   Back when most pistol lights were considered crew served weapons because of their size.  Technology is getting smaller, brighter and cheaper.  And I for one am a happy dude because of it.

Check out the Sure Fire X300 Ultra.  You will not be disappointed.