I have a P250 in .22LR that I purchased with the intent of using it as a cheap trainer for my P320s. The problem is, my duty holster is for a gun with a TLR-1 on it, so the gun without the light doesn't properly fit the holster to duplicate the drawstroke.

Yes, I could take the light off one of my other guns every time and stick in on the 250, but that's kind of a pain (gotta remember to do it before you head to the range, unload the gun, have the proper screwdriver handy, then make sure you get it torqued back on properly when you're done so it doesn't fall off, etc.). Or I could buy another one, but I don't really want to spend $120 on this...does anybody know of a really cheap solution that would provide a proper fit in the holster? It doesn't even have to work as a light...a chineseum knockoff, a broken TRL-1, or even a 3-D printed dummy would be perfectly fine for what I'm trying to accomplish.

You use a screwdriver on yours? I've only ever used a quarter.

quote:

Originally posted by P220 Smudge:
You use a screwdriver on yours? I've only ever used a quarter.

I've done the quarter thing as a field-expedient tool, but I can't get enough torque to be confident it will stay tight. There's a HUGE flathead screwdriver in a cup by my kitchen counter that fits the slot pretty well and regularly gets used for that purpose. I've never had one fall off, but I've seen it happen on the range plenty of times.

I've only ever tighten the screw with the protruding knobs using finger strength. Clamping it down on a polymer frame should't be gorilla tight anyways.

You shouldn't be torquing down on your TLR-1 with a huge screwdriver. Finger tight - or a quarter turn past using a coin - is plenty. It's not the torque of the screw that holds the light in place on the rail while firing. The rail lug on the key insert does the heavy lifting there.

If you've seen TLR-1s fall off at the range, they were either broken, completely unscrewed, or installed improperly. I've seen the latter several times. Some people (like academy cadets for example) sometimes try to install them with the wrong key insert for that gun and then the lug doesn't fit in a rail slot, or they just don't know how to install it properly and assume that it's supposed to slide on from the front of the rail. Either way, they end up install it with the lug in front of the forward rail slot rather than inside a slot, and then they just hulk down on the screw because they hope that this overly tight screw will hold it all in place during firing (hint: it won't).

A properly installed TLR-1 with the proper insert won't come off during firing, even if the screw has backed out a bit and is a little loose. But then I've been using various TLR-1s for over a decade and have never had a TLR-1 screw back out enough to be noticeable, after installing them finger tight or a smidge more.


To your original question, I don't know of any knockoffs of the exact same dimensions as the TLR-1. Your best bet would be to try to find a cheap used early generation base model (pre-S and pre-HL) TLR-1, or even a broken TLR-1.

You may well be right about the lights that fell off having the positioning key installed incorrectly or not at all. I didn't get a chance to examine them, but it makes sense.

I guess I may be torquing it down more than required, but I've never cranked it down so hard as to damage a rail or the clamp, nor has one ever come loose on me. The times I have had to remove one without my trusty screwdriver, I can still get it done with a quarter. My tool may be big, but I wield it with finesse .

I guess I'll look around for a broken one. The guy who builds our cars is a Streamlight dealer...he may have something lying around.

What duty holster are you using? Safariland is pretty generous in their WML fit. A LA Police gear light would likely work, and they are fairly inexpensive.

If you can find an old Streamlight m3, it may work. I have only tried it with Glocks, but the holsters are for the tlr-1.

While the TLR1 and HL variants are impressive, the M3 is an okay option, especially for training.

There are knockoffs out there. Searching “TLR1 clone” or “Airsoft TLR1” will show you a few. No doubt you can find them on Wish or Alibaba.

You also will see standard TLR-1s pop up on forums for $75-$85 pretty regularly.

quote:

Originally posted by Voshterkoff:
There are knockoffs out there. Searching “TLR1 clone” or “Airsoft TLR1” will show you a few. No doubt you can find them on Wish or Alibaba.

Look on Amazon too.
I know there are clones of damn near everything there, if not outright counterfeits. Just search for weapon light.

If you're just looking at footprint, olight had their valkyrie lights on sale a coupke weeks ago for $55. Free shipping and color options for black, gray and tactical baby poop. Sportsmans outdoor superstore also had tlr-1 HLs for $65 around blackfriday. It might be worth keeping an eye on their site for future sales.