Gun accessories are one of those things that you just can’t seem to have too many of. Come on, admit it, you like buying stuff to bolt onto your blasters. That’s true even if those parts aren’t strictly necessary – though that is not the case with a weapon light. In this case, we’re talking about the Fenix GL19R WML.
The folks at Fenix are always coming up with new and better gadgets, all the better to drain our wallets with.
Fenix GL19R WML First Impressions
As I unboxed the light, its small size initially impressed me. And dang, this thing is light, too! How light? Just 3.5 ounces (including the battery). The length is 3.04 inches and the width is 1.35 inches, making this light very compact and unobtrusive. So far, it was making a great impression. When I thought about this, I wasn’t at all surprised, since every product I’ve ever received from Fenix has been solid and well worth it. I’ll mention here in full disclosure that Fenix does not constantly send me a never-ending flow of goodies; I often buy what I want out of my own pocket, and I do so happily because they really do offer good products.
Attaching
Then I noticed the attachment method with which it attaches to rail systems. It’s a simple throw lever that blends right into the flashlight’s body when it is attached to a rail system. Very slick! I attached it to my Glock 19X and it went on very easily in about a second. All I had to do was to tighten down the screw on the opposite side of the lever to snug up the fit, which was also super easy. In well under one minute, I had the light firmly attached to the rail perfectly. I like simple and easy, and this one fits the bill to a tee! So far so good!
To remove the light, all the user has to do is pull the lever down and the light comes right off. Again, it’s so refreshingly simple.
Warning: It goes without saying, but any time you’re mounting something on your weapon, make absolutely certain that it’s unloaded and safe.
With the light attached, it really doesn’t add much noticeable weight to the pistol, as the 19X is already a fairly substantial handgun to begin with.
There are two Rail Keys to use with the light (both included) so that you can attach it either to Glocks or to a standard 1913 rail. It comes with the Glock key installed, which suited me just fine. It’s an easy task to remove and install the keys; all that’s necessary is to take out a screw and exchange the keys.
Other Specs
There are two basic outputs for the light:
- Turbo, which gives us 1,200 lumens that lasts for one hour on a charge. The company lists the effective range for this as 688 feet.
- High, which gives us 350 lumens of light that will last for two hours on a charge, with a 360-foot range.
- There is also a Strobe mode at 1,200 lumens, which can disorient attackers.
Naturally, the GL19R is recoil resistant and is rated for IP66 protection. An IP rating stands for Ingress Protection and is used to classify different levels of sealing effectiveness against foreign bodies such as dirt, water, dust, etc. IP66 will protect against 100 kPa at a depth of three meters for at least three minutes. In short, the light will stand up to the environment pretty well. A spare O-ring for the seal is also included.
Fenix cautions users to be sure to plug the charging port with that rubber cover after charging to maintain the water-resistance of the light.
Battery
The included battery is an ARB-L18-1100P Lithium-Ion rechargeable (18350 size). A USB cord is included to charge the light, and there is a port on the right side of the light that is covered by a rubber cover to protect the port. There is a red and green light to indicate when the battery is low, charging, and fully charged.
The length of time it takes to fully charge the battery from the time it is depleted is approximately two hours. When my light arrived, it was fully charged, which is a nice touch.
Also, the light can be charged while mounted on the weapon, there’s no need to remove it.
In the event that the battery has to be changed, simply unscrew the lens of the light, pop the old battery out, the new battery goes in, and you replace the lens. Done!
Which Pistols?
Which pistols with this weapon light fit? Fenix states that it will fit most full-size pistols with a Glock or MIL-STD-1913 Picatinny rail, including the Glock 36 with standard rail as well as the Springfield Armory XDs models.
It will not, however, fit any compact models from Sig Sauer, Taurus, FN, CZ, and Smith & Wesson with short rails. It will not fit any sub-compact or micro-compact pistols. It is good to be aware of this so that you can know whether or not your pistol will accept this light.
Personally, it’s not a huge deal for me because I probably wouldn’t be mounting a light on a compact or sub-compact pistol. This light will be used on my full-sized Glock that sits near my bedside, so concealability is not going to be an issue, nor will fitting it into a holster be a concern. And if I do elect to carry my Glock 19X in a belt holster, I’ll just remove the light with the quick release and I’m good to go.
For me, that’s where the quick-detachable/mounting system is really nice because I can install the light or take it off quickly as I see fit. That versatility is liberating!
I have another weapon light from a different manufacturer that does not have the quick-mount/detach capability. Rather, it is installed, and then to take it off, you have to back the screws out, which is not a convenient or quick operation. So once the light is mounted, it’s on there until I decide to take it off, which is not optimal for my needs. If you decide to dedicate the light to the pistol, that’s fine, but I prefer versatility.
And to be honest, the quick-mount system that Fenix is using is extremely secure when mounted, so I’m not giving up any solidness in the mount. There is nothing flimsy about it.
Switches
When mounted, the ambidextrous switches are at the front of the trigger guard, right where they should be. They’ve achieved the perfect balance of being easy enough to operate, and yet not so easy that you’re likely to activate the light by accident.
Push a switch for more than one second and you get momentary light. Less than one second gets you constant on (push it again to turn the light off).
To switch modes, press and hold either switch, then simultaneously click the other switch. This can move us between Turbo and High modes.
In order to put the light into Lockout mode (so even if the switch is pushed, the light will not come on), push both switches at the same time for five seconds – the light will blink twice and then go into Lockout. To take it out of Lockout mode, press both switches simultaneously for one second. The light will return to whichever mode it was in (High or Turbo) because it remembers.
All in all, the operation of the switches is less complicated than some other lights that I’ve used. I will likely leave the light in High mode when I’m using it most of the time. That gives me good battery life while still supplying a fairly bright beam and is more than sufficient for home defense.
The Beam
The beam has a good, tight focus that reaches out a distance, which I’d consider to be the primary function of the light. In addition to the light beam, there is a good throw so if you’re searching an area or a room, the peripheral light will help you to see to the sides. This long-distance capability, coupled with the flood function, makes for a well-balanced output. The bulb is rated to last 50,000 hours.
How did the beam perform? Very good, I’m happy to report! At the ranges any of us would reasonably use a pistol, it excels and reaches easily out to 100 yards. I didn’t wring it out to see exactly how far out the beam would reach, but it will certainly go well beyond 100 yards, especially in Turbo mode.
Overheat Protection
When used in Turbo mode, the 19R builds up some heat, so Fenix programmed it to step down a few lumens when it reaches the temperature of 60 degrees Celsius to reduce the temperature. When goes lower than 60 degrees C, Turbo mode can be used once again.
Similarly, when the battery power drops below a certain level, the light will downshift to 50 lumens to conserve energy and let the user knows it needs to be recharged.
Tactically
The use of light can be a tactical advantage in a few aspects, with the most obvious being to illuminate targets/threats. If we can’t see a threat, we can’t shoot it. If we can’t identify whether or not it’s a threat, we can’t shoot it, so illuminating a target will allow us to see whether or not it’s actually a threat. In law enforcement or home defense (or even defense away from the home), we can’t simply shoot at silhouettes in the dark and hope for the best. What if we shoot a family member or unarmed person? Consider that a large portion of defensive shootings occurs in low light conditions.
Aside from these factors, the light can be a force option, in that we can blind or disorient a threat, which can give us an edge to engage the bad guy. Further, using light to blind an adversary might possibly allow us to gain the upper hand so that we may not have to use lethal force at all.
The options that light gives us are many and they are real.
In Summary
Overall, this is a great light. It appears to be durable and able to take abuse while not adding much weight or bulk to the weapon. It does the job well, which is to reach out and illuminate targets a distance away while also allowing area searches to be conducted while giving us force options.
I can truthfully say that I found no faults or defects in this light to criticize.
Pricing
At the time of this writing, the LG19R is available from Fenix for $99.95 retail, which is a great price when compared to other lights that are on the market. The quality of this light, combined with the price, represents an excellent deal, in my opinion. Good luck finding a light that’s cheaper with this high quality (at this price point), because I don’t think you’ll be able to. This one’s a winner!
About the Author
Jim Davis served in the PA Dept. of Corrections for 16 ½ years as a corrections officer in the State Correctional Institute at Graterford and later at SCI Phoenix. He served on the Corrections Emergency Response Team (CERT), several of those years as a sniper, and also the Fire Emergency Response Team (FERT). For 25 years, he was a professional instructor, teaching topics including Defensive Tactics, Riot Control and Tactical Operations, Immediate Responder, and cognitive programs as an adjunct instructor at the DOC Training Academy. He was then promoted to the title of corrections counselor, where he ran a caseload and facilitated cognitive therapy classes to inmates. His total service time was close to 29 years. He was involved in many violent encounters on duty, including incidents of fatalities.
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