A quality AR-15 flashlight will improve your viewing range in low-light conditions and help identify targets. Here’s my ultimate ranking of the best options on Amazon.
FYI, prices and ratings are accurate as of time of writing.
1. Streamlight TLR-1 HL - 1000-Lumen Weapon Light
Highlight: One and a half hours of constant battery life.
Helpful review: A weapon-mounted flashlight is most useful for clearing rooms and buildings. However, a gun-mounted light is not legal in most states for hunting, so keep that in mind and check your local laws. I have seen some competitions and training courses that use a weapon-mounted light in a training context, they look fun, and for full transparency, I have not attended one.
Streamlight has been the standard to which all weapon lights have been compared for a long time. I carried one on my duty belt for years, and they are amazing. The Streamlight brand is known for the brightness and durability the manufacturer makes all of their products. Streamlight flashlights are also known as battery-hungry. That makes sense, given the huge amount of light output, as that energy has to come from somewhere. The best way to feed a Streamlight is a rechargeable option.
For clearing buildings with a long gun like the AR-15, the light must be lightweight, so the muzzle end of the gun is not too heavy, making the shooter's hands and arms tired and shaky quickly. The Streamlight will have a switch on the end of the “tube” that is accessible with your forward hand/thumb to turn on or off as needed. The Streamlight TLR HL has a strobe effect; this is very disorienting to the subject on the other end of the gun. The strobe is not as disorientating for the shooters, but practice must be had to use this function, especially when a lethal encounter is happening.
The TLR HL has a large bell, or large for weapon-mounted lights, anyway. This allows the light to fill a room while keeping a focus of light on the intended target. A hyper-focused flashlight is great for identifying the target; a light that will fill the room is good for identifying the target and what lies beyond it. With the bigger bell, this light will not do well on a handgun. I am not saying it will not work on a handgun; it is not made for the size needed. On a rifle or a shotgun, this light cannot be beaten. — Elliot Jones
Get it from Amazon now: $149.99 & FREE Returns
2. OLIGHT PL-Mini 2 Valkyrie - 600-Lumen Tactical Flashlight
Highlight: Magnetic USB recharging cable.
Helpful review: OLight has been a constant forward-charging flashlight manufacturer worldwide, and it shows that their lights are everywhere, and many shooters love them. The PL-Mini Valkyrie is one of the lights OLight offers that can be fit on a handgun or the AR-15 platform. The light body is made to sit in front of the trigger guard, and the switch is activated with your trigger finger as it sits outside the guard until you are ready to shoot or with the off hand/thumb. The light will mount to any Picatinny rail, and the switch will activate by touch; there is no need to think the PL Mini Valkyrie can't work on an AR-15 carbine.
The Mini Valkyrie uses a quick-release mount, so it can move from one gun to another if you need to use one light for multiple guns. This quick release is the act of removal and installation, not a quick action to switch between guns in a bad situation. The lever for the quick-release mount could be large for a handgun, especially for a CCW gun that may be carried with an Inside Waist Band holster. This one is mounted on an AR-15 carbine and has plenty of space.
Using this small light on the foregrip of the AR-15 carbon makes the profile almost the same so that the gun will fit in its carrying case. I have the OLight Mini Valkyrie mounted to an M-Lock Picatinny rail right in front of the magazine rail, so I can reach the switch similarly to how I can when this is mounted on a handgun. The one issue with this mounting idea is the sling will get in the way of the light, so I will need to make a better idea soon.
What I like a little less than the lightweight on the end of the rifle is that the mounting on the front grip will light up the front sight of the carbine. For a light that is not explicitly made for a carbine and more for a handgun, the performance of the OLight Minin Valkyrie is amazing. The recoil from the AR-15 is easily handled by the Mini Valkyrie, for a heavy recoiling gun like a shotgun will probably break the mount, and the light may not last too long, at least not attached to the gun. — Ben Cook
Get it from Amazon now: $89.95 & FREE Returns
3. Streamlight TLR-1 - 300-Lumen Weapon Light
Highlight: Parabolic reflectors focus significantly on the light beam.
Helpful review: The Streamlight TLR-1 is used mainly on handguns. The light profile is more suited and slim, so the gun and light combo can be holstered, most likely in a custom-built holster. The light is designed to attach to a picatinny rail on the bottom of the frame of the pistol. The switch for the light sits on each side of the trigger guard.
The switch for the Streamlight TLR-1 can have some training issues that need to be worked through. One side of the switch will activate different functions than the other side. For everyone who plans to use different functions at various times, you must create or attend a comprehensive training course. After the course, you will need to practice often on what side of the switch does what, and when to use that function. For folks like me, if I turn on a flashlight in the dark, I can see the bad guy or critter, and they can see me. Make the necessary moves and end the fight, IF that is what is needed.
Using light for multiple functions will destroy your night vision; once that light comes on, your pupils will react, and the cones (color receivers) in your eye will be flooded with information. When the cones are activated, the rods (black and white receivers) are overrun, and your night vision suffers. Along this line of thinking, once that light hits a white wall, the “splash” back of light will magnify this effect. Move and investigate until you find the problem, turn on the light, and take care of business.
The TRL-1 throws out a large amount of light, which is done with the parabolic or “deep dish” reflector. Other lights throw out large amounts of light by using a wide and shallow reflector.
For an AR-15 mounted light, the penetrating light from the parabolic reflector in the TLR-1 is the right choice for this setup. I mounted one of these on a Ruger 10/22 for cabin use and removing pests that get into stuff at night. It was an easy adaption, just screed on a picatinny rail to the bottom of the wooden stock, and I was done, and so are the raccoons that find it necessary to get into the trash cans and make a mess, used to make a mess anyways. — Jeff L. Hughes
Get it from Amazon now: $247.75 & FREE Returns
4. OLIGHT Baldr Mini - 600-Lumen Green Beam and White LED Combo
Highlight: Green laser sight and white flashlight are in one unit.
Helpful review: This is my absolute favorite weapon light. Leave it up to OLight to outdo the big heavy hitters and make a better product. This light will allow the use of a green laser sight and a 600-lumen white light simultaneously - talk about target illumination. The Baldr will also allow the use of just the green laser or just the white light. It is up to the operator to choose what they think will be best when that gun comes on target.
The Baldr is designed for large-frame handguns. The Baldr will work on the AR-15 platform as well. The laser sight is the one issue with using the Baldr over other lights. If I mount a flashlight of any type to a customer's AR-15, all it has to do is shine forward and illuminate the target; with the Baldr, the laser must also align with the sights. Aligning the sights as well is not a world-ending thing; it just takes more planning. Most of the planning needed for the laser/light combo ensures the sling is never in the way of the laser.
Mounts for this setup can be found with enough looking and planning, and the choice of mounts and setup will differ for each customer. One customer placed the Baldr on a flattop AR-15 upper on the built-in picatinny rail. This is basically mounting the light and laser sight upside down. He plans to keep the laser aligned with the barrel's bore. This put the switch for the light in a weird position that I personally would not do, but he is the customer, and so long as he is safe, it is his decision to make.
At 600 lumens, this light will fill any room in the house to see if there are any bad guys that need attention. At 600 lumens, taking this outside may be a little weak to check the whole yard at once; it is designed for pistols, after all. Keeping both hands on the gun and not using one hand to hold a flashlight makes this weapon-mounted light a true lifesaver.
For all that it brings as a force multiplier on an AR-15, the Baldr is lightweight and easy to operate. The size of the Baldr added to your AR-15 is almost zero; you will not have issues putting it back in the carrying case or pulling it off when you remove it from the carrying case. — Nick Crowe
Get it from Amazon now: $124.95 & FREE Returns
5. Feyachi FL11-MB - 1200-Lumen LED Weapon Light
Highlight: 4 hours of battery life, and 200 meters of beam.
Helpful review: I have a customer who wants to install a light on her 20-gauge Mossberg, which she uses for home defense. She has children at home and wants the additional safety of a mounted flashlight. This customer also does not have a lot of extra money, so I got to work researching lights for her application. The Feyachi FL11-MB is the right combination of simplicity of use and affordability.
The Feyachi FL11 comes with a picatinny rail mount and looks like a perfect fit to place on an AR-15 rifle and a simple M Lock or other picatinny adapters set on the foregrip. The way I got it to work on the Mossberg was to add a barrel/magazine tube adapter mount and put the light on that way.
The FL11 comes with two end caps, one that is a push button on and off switch; the other one is a cap that has a momentary on switch on the end of a wire. The wire cap is excellent because the remote switch can go anywhere and is easy to activate at any point on the button. The end cap works great when turning the light on and stays on. The Feyachi is a Mini Mag light with two different end caps. The FL11 does not have strobe, high and low, or focus beam adjustments and functions; it is an inexpensive flashlight with a gun mount.
It works every time the button is pushed, and it does the exact same thing every time the button is pushed. Repeatability and ease of use were precisely what my client needed, and that is what she got. The Feyachi also comes with rechargeable batteries and a recharger, so it is easy to keep batteries ready and installed when light assistance is needed.
By mounting the Feyachi FL11 behind the muzzle, the blast does not foul the light's lens when she takes it to the range for some target practice. When she practices in low light, the flashlight illuminates the front sight so she can very clearly see her sight picture and target. — Asher Ellis
Get it from Amazon now: $42.99 & FREE Returns
6. OLIGHT Odin Mini - 1250-Lumen Rechargeable Mlok Mount Weaponlight
Highlight: Mlock mounts included.
Helpful review: The OLight Odin Mini was made for the AR-15 platform from its birth. The quality of the Odin Mini is impressive; I like to hold it in my hands and feel the machining. The Mlock mount is terrific and very sturdy when it is installed. The switch mount will mount on any rail, and it is also very sturdy, well-made, and feels good. The light and switch can be removed from the mounts, and the mounts stay in place. It makes field and proper cleaning easy and reinstallation a snap.
The switch caps can be exchanged, and you never need to worry about stripping the aluminum threads; the caps magnet is in place. Speaking of magnets, the rechargeable battery charger (did I tell you how awesome this thing is?) clicks into place with a magnetic mount as well. No more trying to jab a tiny peg into a small oblong hole.
Regarding value, the price tag for the OLight Odin Mini is correct in the middle of the pack; for such quality and durability, I think the OLIght is getting ripped off. I don’t plan on paying more just because I have five of these in the gun locker, but I am waiting for the next build that needs one.
The remote switch, or tape switch, as it's called, is on the end of a coiled wire and can be put anywhere you can think to place the switch. The vast switch makes it much easier to operate than the thin style. I think this is because the folks who like to activate the switch with their thumbs don’t want the thin tape switch digging into them when things get intense. Other shooters like me use the push button end cap, turn on the light, and leave it on.
I have not done an actual toughness test and tried to break the mount yet, as I think it will cause more damage to the gun to prove where the breaking point is than it is worth. I have done the “in the back of the RZR” test down an old logging road, and the light and the mount came out scratched up and sold as when I threw it there, and that is good enough for me. And I had tried the throw-in-sink test to check the O-rings, as I figured they worked perfectly. — Erik SIngletary
Get it from Amazon now: $139.95 & FREE Returns
7. OLIGHT Odin - 2000-Lumen Rechargeable Light with Remote Pressure Switch
Highlight: Purpose Built for AR Platform rifles.
Helpful review: Since its arrival, Light has been fighting the uphill battle of the gun snob crowd. Never pay attention to folks who only talk about brands and price tags; they are impressing themselves with the money they can spend. Pay attention to the reviews and the performance of the items.
The OLight Odin is a powerhouse of a weapons light. It is built for the AR-15 platform from the drawing board and does not fail to deliver. The Odin brings 2000 lumens of kick-ass lighting at the push of a button. I missed the opportunity to buy a basket full of these when they came on the market, and for that, I kicked myself in the butt.
I built an AR-10 for a client, and he chose one of the OLight Odin powerhouse lights. The mounting method is a picatinny rail, which will be mounted anywhere on the gun. The AR-10 has a bipod mounted on the bottom of the front handguard (of course) and flip-up sights on the top.
We mounted the Odin on the right-hand side of the forearm stock and left the push button on/off switch in place. The operation of the light is supposed to work for shooting hogs in the dark. The plan is to wait for the hogs to get close by watching them with night vision goggles, then flip on the light and lay waste to the hogs, destroying farmlands and fences. For this plan to work, he needed the brightest light available to mount it on the gun, so the OLight Odin was drafted into service.
I speak to him often, and the plan has been working like a dream. I am trying to talk him into buying and mounting a thermal scope. I may have outdone myself the first time around and built the rifle, so he does not need the upgrade. From what he tells me, the mount and light are never bothered by the recoil from the 308 Winchester recoil and spending time in the dusty conditions waiting for trespassing hogs. This particular gun does not spend a lot of time getting banged around in the back of a truck; he takes care of the platform, primarily due to the expensive optic he has mounted on the AR-10.
The OLight Odin is made for an outside-focused AR platform gun; for an inside-the-house light, the Odin may be a bit too bright and cause a lot of splashes back from the light. But outside, the Odin will put light where it needs to be and do that without a ton of added weight. — Kyle Duren
Get it from Amazon now: $159.95 & FREE Returns