Surefire X200(b) Weaponlight

Looking for a nice LED light for your pistol rail? the Surefire X200 is a great choice:

I'm a huge fan of flashlights, especially the new LED models. I have several Surefire incandescent models (G2's, and a 6p), and I also have the Blackhawk Gladius LED, which is a very cool light.

I was very excited when I bought the Blackhawk, but a trip to the range with my Sig 226 NAVY quickly proved that holding a flashlight while shooting, no matter what style you adhere to, is far from ideal. When I bought my Sig 220 which came with the integrated rail, I was anxious to pick a good light for it.

The first light I bought was the Streamlight TLR-2 - a fairly cool light / laser combo, but pricey, a bit bulky, and (I was disappointed to learn later) not a bit waterproof. I exchanged it for the Surfire X200. Surefire now makes the X300 which I have not seen in person, but there were actually two versions of the X200. The X200(a), and the X200(b). The "B" version, which is what I have, emits a broader beam, while the "A" model is more concentrated like a standard flashlight. I actually really like the B model, because it is blindingly bright, but also illuminates what in total darkness would be lost periphrial information.

Operating the light is fairly easy, there is a paddle style rocker switch that can be moved up or down to turn on the light. If you are looking for a momentary switch, you merely push in against the switch, and that will activate the light as well. The only thing that took me a while to get used to is that I usually wrap the index finger of my weak hand around the trigger guard - that is obviously not happening when a rail light is mounted. Instead I basically end up indexing the left side of the rifle, just as I index the right side...

The light fits great on my Sig, is easy to use, and looks and feels bulletproof.

One side complaint I have is that there are almost no holsters on the market today that will take a full sized pistol with a light mounted. I bought the Blackhawk Omega IV drop leg holster that works great, but it is expensive ($100), and I ended up removing most of the drop leg platform and using just the holster on a belt. It is comfortable, and protects both the weapon and the light, but it is far from concealed. I only use it while at the range, but it would be fine for a policeman, or for one of our soldiers.

Here are a couple more pictures, one from about 5 feet away from the wall so you can see the distinction between the bright center of the light, and the clear periprial ring. The second picture is about 20 feet away, with the same emphasis.

Finally, a close up of the "business end" of the light and the pistol. You can see that that it does add a bit of width to the gun, but not too bad for something that takes two lithium 123 batteries, and is almost 100 lumens.