Love it.

quote:

What I do like is that the battery can be changed without removing the light from the pistol.

ABSOLUTELY. This is one of the biggest selling points for me.

quote:

Originally posted by cslinger:

quote:

What I do like is that the battery can be changed without removing the light from the pistol.

ABSOLUTELY. This is one of the biggest selling points for me.

I guess I don't understand why that's so crucial.

It takes ~5 additional seconds to remove and reattach a TLR-1 when changing the batteries.

It's not like it's an optic that might have to be rezeroed if unmounted.

I find my SUREFIRE X300s fit really tight generally and are a PITA to pull off.

I find the side screw on the TLR’s to be less of a PITA but still so.

Front loading just makes stuff easier.

Now I am not changing batteries constantly or anything but I do switch them out as a PM step from time to time and do run the lights at the range to make sure I stay familiar with them and confirm functionality so battery changes for me do happen enough that I appreciate the front load.

quote:

Originally posted by cslinger:
I can get used to the minimal switches although I would prefer them to be bigger, I just wish I could leave them to momentary only instead of the click vs long press thing. I would either prefer a separate switch for non momentary or make non momentary a more deliberate action.

I very much agree.

It's not just the size and method of activation for the switches that I dislike. I could get used to that, given enough time. It's the change to making constant-on the default, with momentary more cumbersome to activate. And that's not just limited to the TLR-7 alone.

All of the low light training I've received over my years in LE emphasizes utilizing momentary light as the primary method of using weaponlights.

But it seems like on a number of the newer handgun and rifle lights on the market (including nearly all of the new generation of compact handgun lights), momentary is secondary, or almost an afterthought. They seem to be built around simply flicking the light on and leaving it on the whole time as the primary method of utilization. Which is terrible tactics, especially in LE scenarios, but also for non-LE users.

Luckily, the full-size lights for duty guns (TLR-1/X300) still have momentary as the primary mode.

I certainly want to be able to leave the light on, because there are times when it's needed. But I want that to require a separate step, and be secondary to momentary use. The toggle switches on the full size duty lights handle that well. Press down for momentary; flick up for constant. I have yet to find a compact weaponlight that handles it well, other than the XC1A, which had separate buttons for momentary and constant, but had electrical issues and other flaws that led to me having to drop it. And now the upgraded XC1B that is actually reliable has switched to this same "constant primary" bullshit too.

Hell, even almost all handheld tactical lights have momentary as primary. Press the button for momentary, which can be held as long as you want but shuts off as soon as you release pressure, with something separate like a deeper, more deliberate click or a twist of the tailcap needed for the secondary constant on mode.

I know its a Glock world but here is something else with the TLR-7, just to give those four other guys a point of reference.

TLR-7 on my nightstand Glock 21.
Great size, nice output, good price.
I plan to buy another for my S&W 3913TSW.

quote:

Originally posted by RogueJSK:
I guess I don't understand why that's so crucial.

It's not crucial. I just like it.

Outstanding

https://soldiersystems.net/201...tion-tlr-7-8-lights/

quote:

Originally posted by parabellum:
Outstanding

https://soldiersystems.net/201...tion-tlr-7-8-lights/

+1

Interesting.

Very interesting. I'll be a beta tester of it.

So, does that mean the old TLR-7 will be dirt cheaper, now?

quote:

Originally posted by 12131:
So, does that mean the old TLR-7 will be dirt cheaper, now?

Perhaps. Or Streamlight may just choose to sell the alternate switches as an additional accessory, sort of like the remote switch tailcaps on other weaponlights.

The rear portion of the TLR-7 with the button/switches is easily removable with just 3 small hex screws:



Even in the above photo of the new style TLR-7 on the blue gun, it just looks like a production TLR-7 with a prototype rear half attached in place of the original buttons.

Per the article I linked the new switch body cannot be retrofitted on older TLR-7s. Maybe this is correct, or maybe Streamlight just wants to sell you another TLR-7. Either way, they cannot or will not do it.

quote:

Originally posted by parabellum:
Per the article I linked the new switch body cannot be retrofitted on older TLR-7s.

Ah. I didn't read the comments section, where a poster mentions this, reportedly as told to them by a Streamlight rep.

If true, I suspect there will be a decent number of lightly used original TLR-7s on the market soon. Good news for those of you who like the buttons.

I'll wait and see if it's just a physical switching change, or if they address the constant vs. momentary mode issue I detailed in my earlier post.

If it's just a mechanical change, I may give it another shot. If nothing else, my P320 X-Compact needs a small light for its appreviated rail. But if it's a mode change as well, it very likely could become my go-to handgun light for all platforms.

Awesome! I will be getting one as they are released and make it my new duty light.

It's great that they corrected their mistake. The original switches aren't that bad and a lightly used TLR-7 will make a great WML for shooters on a budget.

Good reviews

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=idVCOfGRkXs

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=HvOR77nSPAQ

Still waiting for the TLR-7 with the new switches to show up. I emailed Streamlight to see if they can give us an idea of when they'll be available.