What do you prefer as a weapons mounted light? I know they differ in features but if you have to decide between the two which will it be?

I have to second McGrubbs here. The LT was designed as a weapon light whereas the Gladius was not. I have both and use them in their own respective ways. They are both fantastic lights, but with the caveat that they are excellent at what they were individually designed to do.

With that said, I believe there are a couple of folks on the board who have tricked out their Gladius' with ring mounts for their ARs. I'm not too familar with their sucess though.

Will the LT battlelight work for a left hand shooter with the light mounted on the left side of the handguards?

Which is more brighter? I like the strobe feature of the gladius though.

Just becuase the LT light was "born" as a weapons light does not mean that it will do the job any better than the Gladius.  I run a Gladius as a weapons light in a DD offset mount and love it.  The Gladius was designed as a light with many nice features like a digitaly regulated head as well as multiple fetures such as strobe and lock out.  Just becuase the LT has a intergral mount, does not make up for it's unkowns as a  light.  Correct me is I am worng, but is the LT a regulated LED, from what I read ont the web site it does not say that it is.

Matt

The Gladius was built to be extremely tough, has a 1" barrel, and has many great features, like dimming and the strobe.

Night-ops should be making a tape switch for the Gladius as well.

The Larue Battle Light might be a little brighter, but doesn't have the features or the run time of the Gladius.  Plus you are locked in on mounting options.  For a 5watt LED it would almost have to be regulated.

So basically, the Larue turns on and off.

The Gladius has a strobe, dimming which gives it great runtime and also turns on and off and will work with any standard 1" mounting system out there.

Just the strobe function on the Gladius makes it worth it.  I am not knocking the LaRue. I have not used it or have any experience with it. BUt If I had to buy another flashlight.  For weapons mounting or as a handheld, I would buy another Gladius.

Gladius also has a greater throw than the Battlelight and you can get a LT throw lever 1" mount for it.  LT Battlelight has no low level nav ability like the Gladius either.

Quoted: LT BL run time: 90 minutes of 100 lumens

I can't find the run time numbers any where on the web site, can you provied a website or a 3rd party tester or a place where Larue makes these claims of 90 minutes of regulated run time at 100 lumens.

Matt Carper

Actually this thread is comparing Apples to Apples.  Both of these lights are mountable on weapon systems.  Just because the LT has a integrated mount does nothing to in my mind to make it a better weapons light.  I have yet had my Gladius slip out of the DD off set mount I use.

Quoted: Will the LT battlelight work for a left hand shooter with the light mounted on the left side of the handguards? Which is more brighter? I like the strobe feature of the gladius though.

I have a LT Battlelight and LOVE it... though I've not really subjected it to any really rough use.

A buddy who's a left-hander bought one for use with his TangoDown foregrip and it just would not work.  You can mount it on the bottom rail as shown above, but it's really hard to reach with the right-hand thumb because it's too close to the centerline of the rail.  Works beautifully for a right-hander when mounted on the right side rail, though.

My buddy talked to Mark LaRue about it and LaRue said he would make a left-handed version of the light to solve the problem.  But, there's not a huge demand for them, so I expect it won't happen real soon.

Last time I checked the Gladius used a LED and not a incandescent that your examples use.  It also does not have a "clickie" tail cap.

I am not calling the Gladius a dedicated weapons light, it works very well as a weapons light AS well as extremely well as hand held light.

Last time I checked Mark Larue made a hand held body for this light, so I guess it was not completely designed as a weapons light...huh...

Matt

Quoted: My buddy talked to Mark LaRue about it and LaRue said he would make a left-handed version of the light to solve the problem.  But, there's not a huge demand for them, so I expect it won't happen real soon.

If he makes one, I'll buy it!

I believe the battlelight uses 3 batts whils the gladius 2. That said they almost have the same throw or is the battlelight noticeable brighter?

Does anyone know when LT will be coming out with the throw lever 1" offset mount?

This was about the Gladius vs. LT BL, of which both are LED lights.  That is why I wanted to keep this on  the track of LED's and not get SF incandescents cluttered in this conversation, and was really trying to avoid talking about Maglights held on by hose clamps.  I understand your need to defend LT around in circles w/o giving the competition a second look, as well as referring to them in a substandard way...I understand your affiliation will LT...

As for the Gladius I would say I do like the fact that you can lock out the tail cap so that the light does not inadvertently get turned on while the weapon is being stored or in a vehicle.  The Gladius has lots of throw with a bit of spill beam, unlike the SF LED lights I have used which have more spill than throw.  So that is something to be looking for when buying a light, I am not sure about the beam pattern of the BL.  From my own experience the strobe function is very handy, I have had it used on me a various distance and it is quite effective.  I would also like to say he functions are easily changed by your thumb when the light is in the mount.  The tail cap has just enough drag so that the cap won’t rotate in your pocket but can be rotated by the movement of your thumb.


I leave for my train up in support of OIF next week and you can bet I will be using my first Galdius in a DD mount as a WEAPONS light.  My other Gladius will be my personal light.  If my light keeps flying off my rails or slipping out of the DD mount I might give Mark a call...

Matt

P.S:  Could you please link us to a site of posted figures on the lumens testing of the LT BL either by LT or a non bias third party.  Also I did not get a positive yes or no if the LED is regulated.  I will gladly quit asking these quetions if you would answer them.

Quoted: Keep in mind that most SF light do not come standard with a clickie.  The LaRue light does have clickie tailcap.

Huh?  Mine's no clicky.

Quoted: The HHB was designed and offered as a add-on to the the BattleLight head.  It was offered as an afterthought.  I can ASSURE you that the BL was designed as a weaponlight.

Good point.  

I don't think the HHB has even been made yet!

i was going to ask the same thing...

what is the specs on the LT light?  anyone have a lumen rating?  acually, more important.. whats the center lux reading... what is the shape of the output?    what kind of LED is used?  how much does it weigh?

o-rings, external coatings, internal coatings, reflector or optic?   lockout ability... like mathewdean is it regulated... if so how long does it take to drop 50% of the output...  does it hold > 90% regulation for the duration of its regulated output?  does it take 3.6~4.2v li-ion cells, does it have head protection?  etc etc...

these are the questions you should be asking before you purchase any flashlight....  buying it simply because of the name LT is not smart...  

I question those that don't know the answers to the above questions and who have already bought it...  (not saying that those that already have it don't know the answers)

please give me data.

*deleted*

Quoted: I believe the battlelight uses 3 batts whils the gladius 2. That said they almost have the same throw or is the battlelight noticeable brighter? Does anyone know when LT will be coming out with the throw lever 1" offset mount?

The Gladius has less total output but the Gladius has more throw.  You incorrectly assume more lumens = more throw and it does not.  Gladius gets its power and run time from 3 123 cells and a 5 watt LED.  5 watt throws wider than a 3 watt and thus has reduced throw but larger hotspot.  The hotspot and additional corona spill of the Gladius is perfect IMO so the Battlelight is wasting its output on an anneccessarily wide beam reducing its effective range.  If the Battle light had 2 123 cells like the Gladius the Gladius would kick its ass in run time.  However with 3 cells the Battlelight is larger and ends up running longer though it does not have the option for lower levels of the Gladius which can extend its usefull life.

I know of NO additional features that the dedicated Gladius weapon lights with integrated mounts other than the mount itself.  If someone can tell us otherwise we would like to know.  If someone has had a Gladius fail on their weapon we would llike to know also.

Quoted: Here is a lot of info on the LT BL: www.ar15.com/forums/topic.html?b=3&f=20&t=231170 C4

thanks for the link grant!