Pistol weapon lights, in one form or another, have been around for about 40 years or so. Once flashlight technology reached the ability to put high lumen power into something small enough to attach to a firearm, the stage was set. A natural combination of adding illumination to your aim point was a guaranteed win for gun owners, allowing defensive shooting in dark places to broaden your defense.
Today we have lots of options in that area in a range of sizes, features and configurations. Let’s take a look at the Nightstick TWM-30-GL, which combines a 1200 lumen LED emitter with a green laser.
On paper, the TWM-30-GL is full-featured. Lets start with the light, a 1200 lumen LED that delivers a bright beam of white light with an impressive 11920 candela (how far it throws the beam).
The unit is powered by two CR123 lithium batteries which give it a run time of around two hours. The 6061 aluminum housing is IP67 waterproof and uses a thumbscrew to clamp to a Picatinny rail. Also included with the unit is a variety of interchangeable recoil lugs that let you mount the light on various firearms for the best fit.
The controls on the TWM-30-GL give you options as well. With dual push-buttons on either side, the unit can be both programmed and controlled to fit your needs. You can change various settings of the controls to enable eight the light or laser only or both at the same time, as well as strobe function. There’s also a lockout feature to keep from accidentally turning it on.
Like most weapon lights, you push-and-release either button for sustained operation or push and hold a button for shutoff when released.
First I tested and installed the recoil lug that gave me the best alignment with each pistol I intended to use it with. Then it was easy to use the captured thumbwheel to snug the light down on the accessory rail of each pistol. You can use a coin to do this.
I like lining up the actuation buttons with the edge of my pistol’s trigger guard. That makes them close enough to poke with my trigger finger while preventing them from being accidentally pressed.
With the unit mounted, I turned it on to see where the laser lined up. On the bottom front of the housing you’ll find elevation and windage screws to adjust the laser. The most likely scenario of actually needing a laser is at close range where you may not have the ability or time to get eyes on the sights, so I lined up the laser with my center dot reticle of my red dot at about 12 twelve feet.
The offset between the sights and the laser mean they’ll only line up at a certain distance. So at 10 yards the laser was a little above my reticle and at closer ranges the laser shows up under my reticle. That’s fine so long as you understand that at a given distance your laser might give you a higher or lower point of impact than anticipated.
The TWM-30-GL’s bright green laser shows up nicely even in daylight. And when looking through my red dot, the combination gives a great aiming display.
I don’t often shoot in the dark, but it’s good practice for the one time you might need to. Low light is a great way to start. Shooting at dusk in a dark forest, for example, makes for a good practice scenario.
The light’s bright LED produces a white beam that gives great definition of your target. But as soon as you shoot, there’s smoke that quickly obscures things. The strobe option might make that better depending on your preferences, but it’s sure to mess up anyone on the other end of your beam.
One thing I love about that and other Nightstick weapon lights is that it’s close enough to the same dimensions as my SureFire X300. The X300 is the go-to choice for many professionals, and most holster companies make a model (or a few) that’s compatible with it. I’ve used several different holsters made to fit the X300 and the TWM-30 series of lights fit those really well.
By the book, the TWM-30-GL is about as bright as its non-laser bearing sibling. I also prefer the controls of the Nightstick models to my SureFire. There are much better control and programmable options. I also really appreciate the different included recoil lugs.
With one of my other popular brand compact weapon lights, I don’t get that option and ended up milling another groove in my pistol’s accessory rail to get a perfect fit. The light/laser combo of the TWM-30-GL gives me all the options I want in a pistol weapon light.
If there’s any downside to the Nightstick, I guess it’s that it’s not 100% American made. While the company is Texas-based and their products are designed here, the light is made in China. That’s why it costs less than other popular models with less features.
I’ve accumulated quite a range of weapon lights these days from all the big names. And while each has its strengths, the Nightstick models tend to be the most likely to be used. They give great clean light, excellent controls and generally good features. I have certainly grown to prefer them.
Specifications
- Flashlight Lumens: 1200
- High Beam Distance: 218 meters
- High Candela: 11920
- Drop Rating: 2 meters
- Water Rating: IP67
- High Runtime: 2.0 hours
- Strobe: Yes
- Laser Color: Green
- Case: 6061-T6 Aluminum
- Body Color: Black
- Quantity of Batteries: 2
- Battery: CR123
- Length: 3.9 in (98 mm)
- Width: 1.5 in (38 mm)
- Depth: 1.5 in (38 mm)
- Weight: 5.6 oz (159 g)
- Price: $169