Images by the author
I recently reviewed a few products from HiLight Tactical, and the hits, they keep a’ comin’. This company seems to be on the right track, offering effective weapon lights at a good price.
I was recently sent a light from their Peak Performance series, with yet another newer light in the works – stay tuned for that one.
The Peak Performance series consists of one light in several configurations. You can choose what you want directly from the website, or buy the lights from third parties. Here’s what is available in terms of body and laser colors…
The sight itself comes in black, tan, or OD green. Here’s the interesting bit… You get two lasers, not one, with your bright white light. Those can be either blue/green, purple/blue, purple/cyan (the one I have), or purple/green. Note the common denominator color is purple. That is an unusual color for a pistol laser. We typically see green or red, with red predominating, across most of the laser market. HiLight Tactical took a bit of a different turn by not only offering the “normal” red and green lasers, but also purple, cyan, and blue. That is different. I believe that they were the first to offer such colors in a weapon light, and then also to combine two of them with a bright white light.
Let’s look at some specifications and features.
- LED: CREE XM-L2
- Lumens: 700
- Required Clear Space: 23mm–32mm (at least 1.1″ to 1.5″ depending on model)
- Runtime: 55 minutes
- Visibility: 100 yards
- Fits Rails: Standard Picatinny and Weaver rails
- Material: Military aircraft-grade anodized aluminum (available in black and tan finishes)
- Battery: Built-in rechargeable battery with magnetic charger
- Modes: Steady / Strobe
- Length: 2.0″
- Width: 1.25″–1.4″
- Height: 0.75″–1.125″
- Weight: 2.3 oz
You get an extra mounting screw/post and spring, along with the usual Hex keys in the box.
The 700-lumen CREE XM-L2 LED flashlight offers both steady-on and strobe modes with a runtime of 55 minutes. Toggle between modes by pressing and holding the light switch for 1 to 2 seconds.
Beam Intensities:
- Green Laser: <5 mW, 532 nm wavelength, Class IIIa. Visible up to 100 yards, even in daytime.
- Blue Laser: <5 mW, 450 nm wavelength, Class IIIa. Tunable for near targets.
- Purple Laser: <5 mW, 405–532 nm range depending on model. Designed for close-quarters or nighttime scenarios.
- Cyan Laser:<5 mW, 485 nm wavelength, Class IIIa. Bright turquoise beam visible from a distance.
Duo and multi-laser options provide redundancy and versatility.
All components (LED flashlight and laser sights) are powered by a built-in rechargeable battery using a magnetic charging plug for hassle-free charging without battery removal.
Flashlight and laser sights (blue, green, purple, cyan) can be turned on/off independently using ambidextrous controls. Allows multiple combination modes (e.g., flashlight + green laser, green + purple, etc.). Lasers are adjustable vertically and horizontally.
The light is lightweight and durable. It is made from hard-anodized military-grade aluminum alloy and is designed to withstand harsh environments.
Observations
I tend to see a lot of weapon lights and lasers, as you can imagine. I’ve looked at lights costing upwards of $400 and then at the other end of the spectrum as well. (I once bought a red/green laser from Amazon for $25 just to see if it would work properly… it did, mostly…) I have come to be conditioned to think that if a light costs south of $200, it might not perform all that well, due to past experiences.
To put it succinctly, my preconceived notions were smacked when I looked at these lights. I have three HiLight Tactical weapon lights plus one AR fore grip with built-in light and laser sitting in front of me now, and none of them cost more than $82. Plus, they all work as advertised. That’s all you can ask. If you do have a problem with one of them, simply contact the company, and they’ll help you.
Here are some more thoughts…
The laser colors really stand out. I pointed this light through a window at a tree about 90 yards away (it’s -1 as I write, so I will point it from inside, thank you), and it was perfectly visible against the bark. Also, the LED white light is plenty enough for the job at hand… not overly bright.
Why would I say that? Isn’t the brightest, hottest white light you can get better? Not necessarily. A very good friend of mine, Ed (whom I have referenced in many reviews), is a former deputy. He told me that other LE officers with him when he wore the uniform bought the brightest (about 1200 lumens) lights they could get. But he said they were all but blinded by the excessively bright light when they entered a dark house with light-colored walls, where it bounced off everything. He said they ended up swapping those beacons for lights in the 500-700 lumen range, which allowed them to see what they needed to. So, I’ll learn from their experience and mount this light on my carry Canik MC9L.
Another thing I really like is the charging method. First off, you don’t have to physically replace a 2032 or other battery. The lithium-ion battery is inside the unit, and charges via a magnetic contact on the bottom of the battery. All you need to keep the battery charged is to attach the included USB cable to the magnet. This could happen whenever you put your pistol away. There is no reason or excuse to have an undercharged light.
Another feature that helps is that you have four buttons to control the unit with… two on each side. Orienting it after mounting it on your pistol has the top-left button (under your left forefinger, as you point the pistol) triggering the purple laser, and the top-right button turning on the cyan laser. Both bottom buttons control the light. This is a good feature, as you may not remember during a stressful situation which laser is lit by which button (you’ll want to zero them both), but you’ll know that either of the bottom buttons activates the white light.
One press turns the white light on or off, and holding it down produces a strobe effect. I have to admit I’ve never been in a defensive situation where I’ve had to “light up” a bad guy, but I’ve been told by those who have that the strobe disorients that guy and buys you a few seconds. It’s a good feature that many weapon lights have.
Last, I like this light’s size and weight. It’s pretty tiny, considering the horsepower it possesses, and it only weighed a couple of ounces. It’s pretty unobtrusive, and it attaches easily and securely to your pistol.
But What About Holsters?
I am a fan of lights on guns, as is my friend Ed. He carries a Springfield Armory Hellcat with a light in a homemade Kydex holster. His experience as a former deputy taught him that 70% of defensive shooting situations occur after dark, and he wants to be prepared. So, he is.
HiLight Tactical not only sells weapon lights, but also holsters. I’ve got one coming for my small Canik and will write about it when it arrives. I’m a bit different than most shooters in that I am left-handed, which makes it harder to find suitable holsters for any purpose, let alone one for a specific pistol model with a light/laser combo.
All I needed to do was contact HiLight Tactical, and they sent me one that fits that pistol and my left-handedness. As I said, stay tuned for further details.
Summing Up
Let’s consider this line of light reviews unfinished, as I said at the top, since I am waiting for the new-model P4X to come in. However, in this regard, we have seen that HiLight Tactical offers some very effective (cost- and performance-) lights and lasers.
If you are in the market for such a light, you might want to check them out. Consider that you can spend a lot more on just a light, while here you are spending less, plus getting two lasers in the deal. I mentioned above that my “it-has-to-cost-a-lot-to-work” prejudice has been altered by my experience with these lights. I’ve seen several of them, and they all work as specified. You can have your cake and eat it, too, here… a decent light/laser for under a hundred bucks. What’s not to like?
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