Nice to look at - Streamlight TLR Battery Door / Switch Assembly

Bought this to go on my carbine based on the reviews. Fit was snug but solid and I'm guessing pretty much watertight. Function was good when trying out with an unloaded gun at home, which based on the other reviews here is pretty much all anyone is using it for.

As soon as I finished running my first drill with it on the gun, I realized that the cord was now dangling loose. I plugged it in again, taking extra care to make sure it was seated properly...could not go in any farther and felt pretty snug. Second run, exact same result. After a few shots, the cable just falls out of the plug due to the recoil.

Simple enough fix I guess, although I probably wouldn't have recommended the product after that. My gun is a .223 with a compensator...not exactly a recoil monster. With a 12ga, there would be no chance of retention. I just wrapped a little twist-tie around the base of the light to hold the cable in, and since then maybe 600 rounds and no issues.

However, today when I was out I had a sling connector pop loose, and the rifle dropped on the ground. Imagine my surprise after picking it up off the fairly soft dirt to find that the whole battery door was hanging off the light and the batteries were halfway out.

Upon closer inspection, it was clear that the small raised plastic piece that holds the battery springs, and clips in to the light housing, is actually only held to the rest of the switch assembly with A SMALL AMOUNT OF GLUE and will break clean off if you bump it from the side. The sturdy looking attachment latch on the bottom of the cap of course held up fine, but it doesn't do much for me when the other tab isn't even connected to the switch assembly anymore. Why they would put a beefy metal clip on one side of the switch, and then rely on two bits of thin plastic and superglue on the other (which will be subjected to way more force if the switch is knocked from the side) is beyond me.

So, to sum up: if you want a remote light switch system for a gun that will never be fired, and will never be bumped against anything during transport or use because it will just stay in a safe forever looking cool, then this product is for you! Otherwise, you might want to look elsewhere...which is what I'm doing right now.

Always test the gear you intend to rely on!
Pros: Feels sturdy, works great...
Cons: ...until you actually field it, and then it deactivates itself and breaks in half.

This review was written in the old system and had content requirements that are different than reviews written today.