Streamlight has been oddly quiet about the TLR-9, and in general a bit quiet about their range of new products for SHOT Show. This includes a TL Racker for the Mossberg Shockwave and SBS Mossbergs, and of course the TLR-9.

The TLR-9 is Streamlight’s newest full-sized weapon light. This model is specifically designed for the guys and gals who like to shoot beyond full-sized handguns. Think GLOCK 34, HK VP9 Longslide, the SIG XFIVE series and similar. It’s designed to add that little bit of length to be closer to the end of the barrel for a cleaner fit and to avoid the barrel creating a large shadow in the top center of your beam.

The TLR-9 is a 1,000 lumen 200 meter light powered by two CR123s with a 1.5 hour run time on high. Power-wise it’s similar to the TLR-1. It just happens to be longer in one direction and shorter in another.

The TLR-1 has a height of 1.44 inches and the TLR 9 has a height of 1.27 inches. The TLR-9 is also a bit slimmer, but also almost half an inch longer. The most evident difference is the trim look the TLR-9 has.

The ergonomics have also changed with the light using Streamlight’s relatively new high or low ambidextrous switch system. This allows the light to sit nice and snug against the trigger guard with easily accessible on and off switches that are easily changed by the user to either the high or low position. While the TLR-9 is aimed at full-sized handguns it would look clean on a rifle or similar long gun.

The limited handling I got at SHOT proved the light is quite ergonomic and the controls are quick and responsive. At 4.26 ounces, it’s not overly heavy and seems to be a great option for those using the larger category of handguns for home defense or duty use.

You may not be compelled to trade in your TLR-1 for a TLR 9, but there are good reasons why someone would choose this model over the older TLR-1 model when weapon light shopping.

Here’s Streamlight’s press release announcing the new model . . .

Streamlight® Inc., a leading provider of high-performance lighting and weapon light/laser sighting devices, introduced the TLR-9™ rail mounted tactical light, designed for use with full frame handguns. Featuring a slim, compact design, the new light offers ergonomic rear switches with either a low or high position to match users’ shooting styles, while providing 1,000 lumens for a variety of tactical and home defense uses.

“This lightweight new tactical light is engineered to be both sleek and powerful, featuring a high power LED for extreme brightness and extensive range, as well as good peripheral coverage,” said Streamlight President and Chief Executive Officer Ray Sharrah. “It also features an ambidextrous on/off rear switch with low and high positions to suit user preference. And it fits a wide variety of full frame handguns, making it an ideal light for first responder and tactical applications.”

The TLR-9 uses a power LED to provide 1,000 lumens and 10,000 candela over a 200-meter beam distance with a run time of 1.5 hours; the light’s strobe mode offers 3 continuous hours of run time. The light is energized by two 3 Volt CR123A lithium batteries.

Securely fitting to a broad range of weapons, the TLR-9 features a one-handed, snap on and tighten interface that keeps hands away from gun muzzles when attaching or detaching it. The light also includes a Safe Off feature, locking it to prevent accidental activation. A key kit is included to securely fit the light to a broad array of handguns.

Constructed with durable 6000 Series machined aircraft aluminum with a black anodized finish, the TLR-9 weighs 4.26 ounces and measures 3.87 inches in length.

With extensively live-fire tested, impact-resistant construction, the new model features an IPX7-rated design, making it waterproof to 1 meter for 30 minutes.

The TLR-9 is packaged as the TLR-9 FLEX that comes with a High switch mounted on the light, plus an included Low switch. It has an MSRP of $240.00, and comes with Streamlight’s Limited Lifetime Warranty.

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22 COMMENTS

  2. MSRP of $240!?

    I’ll just stick with my whale oil lantern. The flickering yellow light illuminates my entire cabin room well enough to sometimes hit what I aim at with my match lock pistol. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it I always say.

    /sarcasm off.

    I am interested in the TL racker, I’d like to put one on both my mossberg shockwave and maverick 88 bedroom gun instead of keeping a headlamp on the dresser beside it.

  3. Egad, that’s a huge frickin’ light piece. I guess the added weight might help with muzzle flip, at least (/sarc).

    I really don’t understand why some people love the 1000 lumen standard. If you need a light to illuminate a target (which, with a handgun, will very likely be indoors), flooding a 1000 lumen burst will affect everyone’s eyesight, including your own. I use a 400 lumen Olight PL Mini, which fits perfectly under the mini-Pini tac rail of my Glock 17 nightstand gun. Same width as the gun, doesn’t stick out past the muzzle (which avoids GPR fouling), and lets me maintain my eyesight in low-light or nighttime conditions.

    Now, a bright light on an AR can be a good thing for reaching out further. I have a 1000 lumen on mine. But this article’s pics show a handgun. Not for me.

    • Mmk. Stick to your shitty budget lights then. When you learn why higher lumen and candela is better stfu

      • During a nighttime gun course, the instructors had us go through a “shoot house” containing a hallway and a few rooms. The lead instructor had us turn our lights on to max (most of us had models with 1000 lumen capacity) and light up the first target, shoot, turn off the light and then advance to the next room. All of us had reduced vision available for the second room due to the blast of light, which made us vulnerable. We then completed the run with a lower setting. All of us quickly learned the difference, and all of us preferred the lower lumens setting for effective room clearing. Outdoors might be a different story, but you don’t want to blind yourself while maneuvering indoors.

        How’s your own experience with this? Or do you not have any, and are simply pounding on your keyboard like a ninja?

        • Mike is a knuckle dragging neanderthal. Don’t listen to him.

          I have a TLR1 HL and its actually brighter than I want for inside use. For exactly the reasons you listed.

          I’ve shot many flashlight stages in IDPA as well as having taken low light classes with both surefire and Smith and Wesson Academy, and can tell you that the sweet spot for indoor use is somewhere in the 200 to 300 lumen range.

          Maybe more if you are in a commercial building and need more reach. But inside my house with its no more than 35 ft sight lines, white ceilings and light walls, you don’t need more than 200.

        • My instructors have taught to not sweep an entire room with a weapon light like a retard. Have fun pointing your gun at a non combatant. There’s multiple ways to identify a target with light without directly hitting them with the Hotspot, chief.

      • “Mmk. Stick to your shitty budget lights then. When you learn why higher lumen and candela is better stfu”

        Is it because your as fucking blind as Mr Magoo? Or maybe you just haven’t really used a high-lumen light inside a living/bedroom environment? Either way, you’re fucking wrong, Rambo.

        Is it an ad hominem when it’s true?

    • I use that mini on my G26 I cut rails into. It’s a good light for sure.
      I can see highway patrol and others like security who work at warehouses etc wanting more even on a handgun.
      For the house I think as you stated it will cause a momentary delay in eyesight adjustment at least for me. I’m thinking though on the handgun I use as backup to hunt with this might be nice.

    • I agree. Backsplash from 1000 lumen inside a room or trying to look through a chain link fence is counterproductive. 200-300 is enough for a handgun. 1000 lumens is great outside on a long gun.

    • I have a 1,000 Lumen light on a handgun, but that be a walking around the woods at night gun. It’s great for that! 400 for in the house.

  4. I feel like streamlight is starting to up their prices. you can get a TLR-1HL for $110 all day on amazon. I noticed on their new RM1 and RM2 lights they are selling the switch as a $40 add on. why bother when you can buy the HLX for $110 and it comes with a mount and switch? The thing that makes Streamlight so awesome is their affordable prices. i hope they dont lose sight of that.

  5. I’ll keep my olights. Had a TLR-1S back in the day and while it was a great light at the time it’s lumens aren’t enough (had the ~130ish model), I wanted to get away from CR123s, and despite streamlights ideology having a light stick past the muzzle isn’t a good thing.

    Powder burns eventually accumulate on the glass, won’t clean off, and dim the even further.

    LED lights aren’t the new kid on the block anymore. Hard to justify spending $200+ on tech as easy to manufacture as an led lamp.

    • That must have been a long time ago. My last TLR1 was roughly $100 and has 600 lumens.

      Its great quality at a great price. And at 600 lumens is really too bright for indoor residential use.

    • AND why live in 1955. CR123 beat the pants of AA batteries. Find the Streamlight 123 battery paks to save some $. 12 paks should find for under $18

    • i had an olight Valkyrie for a demo and it can take a beating…thing can cook eggs though it gets so hot…personally i’m a surefire fan, streamlight sucks…

      • Olight and Steamlight fan myself. But no experience with Surefire, just cannot afford them. But he’ll yeah, Olights and Streamlight can get hot to the touch.

  6. Olight has Streamlight outclassed in lumens (+200 lumens and cost 1/2 the price, and that’s the lower echelon, they have a brighter, lo/hi beam one. IP6 though.

  7. jetbeam raptor fits snugly in a 12ga barrel.
    rotary switch allows for infinite output from <1lumen to over 900.

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