Best Pistol Lights of 2023: And why you need a light on your firearm

Finding the best pistol light in 2023 is easy. Every time you close your eyes, it seems like a new light is being shown off by some company on Instagram, usually by having some operator put it on his pistol and run around. You know what I mean.

We’re here to talk about which pistol light is the best in 2023 and why I believe there should be a light on every firearm you own. I’m not trying to sell you, but I have some first-hand experience that could help you understand why it’s crucial. So do the guys who helped me curate this list. We’ll get into that in a minute.

If you want to effectively put a spotlight on your pistol, this is the way to go. The Surefire X300T has an output of 66,000 candela and can effectively identify targets out to 100 yards. 

There’s more throw than flood light. Police officers use the X300 Turbo for seeing inside vehicles with five percent window tints, or so my officer friends say. 

Of course, it's built for hard work. I run a Surefire X300T on my concealed carry pistol due to the bright light I can get. I’ll tell you why in a minute. 

It is pricey, but it is worth it. Especially if you’re looking for a light that can stand up to abuse and keep going. 

If you have a smaller pistol like a Glock 43X or Sig Sauer P365 and want to keep a flush fit, this one is for you. The XSC is tiny, but the light output is best in class for compact pistol lights. 

It doesn’t have the 66,000 candela that the X300 Turbo has, and the brightness won’t knock your socks off, but the 2,000 candela that it does have will definitely light the way. 

And just because it’s a carry pistol doesn’t mean you won’t find yourself in a bad situation where your gear will be tested. It’s bound to happen, but hopefully it doesn’t. And the XSC isn’t going to give up on you when you need it most. 

The rechargeable batteries will save you money in the long run, but they give this flashlight even less run time than those with replaceable ones. Still, as long as you remember to charge your gun (I thought that was funny), you will have a fresh light every day. 

Note: Surefire lights can be expensive. Not everyone wants to spend a dubious amount of money on a light for their pistol. Although I do live by the ‘buy once, cry once’ mentality, there is no harm in starting low and working up. Don’t worry, I brought options. 

As far as full-size pistol lights go, the Streamlight TLR-1 HL is among the best on the market. When I got my first light and pistol, this was the first light I ran with. And I have to say I miss it. 

The TLR-1 HL has a 20,000 max candela output (fresh batteries) and a 1.5-hour battery life. That’s about as optimal as you’re going to get when running a pistol light. You can’t beat that with a baseball bat. And it cost more than half as much as a Surefire. 

The TLR-7 Sub is a favorite for concealed carry pistols in my shooting group. It is especially popular among the younger guys, and they have nothing wrong to say aside from it not “looking cool.” 

I get it, but it looks cool to me, especially on the Glock 43X with the slight protrusion on the front past the slide and grip module. I’ve always been a fan of lights poking past the barrel of carry guns. 

If you get into a fight and have to press your pistol up against your attacker, the slide won’t go out of battery. The light will touch the body beforehand, and you can squeeze off your shots. I know some may say that isn’t a possibility, but I’ll go off of what I’ve seen. 

For its size, 5,000 candela and a 1.5-hour battery life is a tough one to beat. Especially if you don’t train often (which you should; what are you doing, partner?)

You can’t hit what you can’t see, and not everything you aim your gun at needs to be shot. I know you don’t point at what you don’t intend to destroy, but there have been horror stories of people shooting an intruder that turned out to be their child who snuck out. 

And because they couldn’t see adequately, they lost their child. That’s heavy. 

A beam of bright light can blind your attacker well, taking the fight out of them long enough for you to make your play.

Get a pistol light and train. It doesn’t matter where you start. Just make sure you can see when the sun goes down.  

That’s all I have for you my friend. 

Be good and take care.