FOG HORN 2015 Twobirds Flying Publication

Copyright 2015, Towbirds Flying Publication. All Rights Reserved.

Streamlights TLR-6

Streamlight TLR-6 the laser-light accessory for your Glock 42 and Glock 43 2015

Copyright 2015, Twobirds Flying Publication, All Rights Reserved

Streamlight TLR-6 the laser-light accessory for your Glock 42 and Glock 43

By: Sal Palma

Shooters face unique challenges when

accessorizing their subcompact pistols with

lights, lasers or laser / light combinations. The

principal obstacle facing owners is the vital

need to preserve ergonomics on a platform that

by design doesnt always allow for the best grip.

There are only three companies that are

successful achieving this goal with quality

professional grade accessories. With the

introduction of the TLR-6, Streamlight brings its

resources and experience to shooters who

select a subcompact pistol for conceal carry and

/ or home defense.

Streamlights latest addition to its TLR line of

weapon mounted lights or laser-light

accessories, the TLR-6, is specifically designed

for the Glock 42 and Glock 43 platforms. The

TLR-6 mounts solidly to the front of the trigger

guard but departs from its competition in how

the light or laser is activated.

Most shooters using subcompact pistols, even

in the lighter calibers like the 9mm Kurz, use

what I call the coffee mug grip strong hand on

the grip; weak hand cupped directly below the

strong hand. Although this may work well for

your S&W J frame it really is a poor grip for a

subcompact pistol. My advice to shooters of

these small frame pistols is to use a thumbs

forward grip, which provides superior muzzle

control; hence, shot placement. These pistols

also have a relatively short sight radius and

youll always want to be working with the front

sight post alone. The thumbs forward grip

works extremely well with that approach as

well.

The TLR6 was designed with that grip technique

in mind. There are two pressure pads

(switches) located port and starboard, for full

ambidexterous operation. The pressure pads

perform two functions, on/off and mode

selection. The light features 3 modes of

operation laser only, light only and laser-light.

Each is selected by pinching both pressure pads

concurrently. The selected mode remains in

memory and becomes the default whenever

the shooter activates it by a single press of the

pressure pad. Pressing the switch a second time

Streamlight TLR-6 the laser-light accessory for your Glock 42 and Glock 43 2015

Copyright 2015, Twobirds Flying Publication, All Rights Reserved

deactivates it. All modes are constant on, there

is no momentary activation.

The TLR-6 also features a 10 minute shutoff to

preserve battery life.

Old habits die hard and Im still intrigued by

electronics so I was very impressed to see how

well laid out and how clean the TLR-6 circuit

board is. It may seem trivial to some but its key

to reliability and durability.

Streamlight uses a quality impact resistant

polymer that survived a couple of 4 foot drops

on concrete. Theyve also added threaded

metal inserts for the three capture screws so

theres not need to mess with minute nuts that

always seem to get lost.

Streamlight had their thinking cap on when they

designed the TLR-6 so batteries can be replaced

without having to dismount the light.

The housing has a battery compartment door

that flips open to release the batteries for

replacement what a time saver that is folks.

Performance for this light is excellent, and let

me say that again EXCELLENT. The 100 lumen

LED light is very well collimated producing a

useable hot spot and more than adequate

peripheral lighting.

Streamlight TLR-6 the laser-light accessory for your Glock 42 and Glock 43 2015

Copyright 2015, Twobirds Flying Publication, All Rights Reserved

Run time is 1 hour of continuous use and the

100 lumen output is just right for room clearing

and personal defense.

The TLR-6 visible red

laser operates in the

640nm to 650nm

spectrum tightly focused

and very bright.

The laser is fully

adjustable for windage

and elevation. A further touch of class is

demonstrated by the inclusion of brass bushings

for wind and elevation adjustment screws. I

normally set my laser centered and directly

over the front sight post so out of the box it

needed a slight tweak; making that adjustment

was very precise with an excellent feel.

Run time in laser only mode is 11 hours so the

TLR-6 is definitely not your average gas guzzler.

This light runs on 2 CR1/3N lithium batteries,

which is not as common of a power cell as Id

like to see, but a 4 pack will only run

approximately $9, depending on brand and

seller so be sure to shop around.

In addition to being impact resistant, the TLR-6

is IPX41 water resistant, which means heavy rain

or complete immersion will potentially damage

the light; however, IPX4 is certainly sufficient

for a conceal carry application or home use.

Streamlights TLR-6 is an excellent choice for

Glock 42 and Glock 43 owners who need or

want a laser-light accessory. This lights design

is consistent with what weve come to expect

from Streamlight: excellent illumination, a

bright well focused laser with precise wind and

elevation adjustment, threaded metal inserts

for the capture screws, brass bushings for the

laser adjustment screws and impact resistant

construction all at an M.S.R.P. of $119.99 with

street prices running at just over $100. Id call

that exceptional value. I can only hope

Streamlight will make the TLR-6 available for

other subcompact frames in the near future. I

give it a decisive thumb up. Check it out!

-SP

Manufacturer Specification

1 IPX-4 offers protection from a splash of water in

any direction for at least 5 minutes.