On The Hunt: Affordable, Quality Firearm Accessories
Recently a representative from Ozark Armament contacted me after reading some of our blog entries and wanted to know if we would be interested in testing some of their products. I had not heard of Ozark Armament before, so visited their website and social media accounts. They describe their company as follows.
“Ozark Armament is dedicated to bringing affordable, quality firearm accessories to each and every person. We realize that not everyone has the money to buy Tier 1 gear so we offer no frills products made to be durable and function well.
Based in a small Central Arkansas town we are no strangers to the way customer service should be given and strive to provide that old time service that has been lost by so many businesses today.”
To be honest, when I browsed their website I was a little skeptical about the potential quality based on the prices of their product. However, they offered me a choice of 5 of their popular items including, the TFL-1-R Rifle light, their 45 Degree Offset Backup Sights, their Green Laser Sight System, Flip Up Backup Iron Sights, or AR-15 Carry Handle Rear Sight. Being somewhat of a flashlight snob and nerd, I chose the TFL-1-R Rifle Light. The MSRP on the website lists it at $79.99 with the following features
- Up to 600 Lumens
- Water and Shock Resistant
- Genuine CREE XML U2 LED
- Four Modes – High, Medium, Low, Strobe
- Remote Switch with pressure activation and on/off switch
- Backed by our NO BS LIFETIME WARRANTY!
When the light arrived I was pleasantly surprised by the feel of the product. It felt as if it was well made and I liked the option of both a tail cap switch and a remote pressure pad. The first objective was to test the output of the 600 lumens. I cleared one of my rifles, installed the light on the left side of my M-LOK rail and proceeded to test it both indoor and outdoor. The farthest outdoor distance at my home is about 30 yards across my back yard, and about 7 yards across my living room. I found the 600 lumen light to be about perfect for both situations. From the low ready position, there was enough ambient reflective light to identify potential threats without having to muzzle an unknown target. At the ready position the light was powerful enough to illuminate the furthest distance across the back yard, and indoors the light did not wash out my vision at the closer distances.
Low Ready Outdoor Ready Outdoor Ready Indoor
Satisfied with the light output, I headed to the range to do live fire tests and the function of both the tail cap switch and remote pressure pad. When I mounted the light I found a side mount worked best for me. With the tail cap switch installed I could easily manipulate the tail cap on/off switch and the strobe function switch located on the side of the light with my thumb. When the light was on, the strobe switch then functioned as a High/Medium/Low Switch and the light remembered the last setting so you could set your desired intensity when you pressed the on/off switch. Personally, I am not a fan of the strobe function, so if I could change anything on the tail cap switch function I would have preferred the strobe switch to be a momentary on/off since the tail cap switch only functioned as a constant on/off.
Swapping to the pressure pad was simple. Just unscrew the tail cap switch and screw on the pressure pad cap and stick on the included Velcro strips. Installing the Remote Pressure Pad also resolved my concerns with the momentary on/off option. The front portion of the pad is a constant on/off and the rear portion is a momentary on/off. The strobe switch works the same so in this configuration all three options are available at your fingertips.
Live fire proved to be a non issue. I fired about 100 rounds with both the tail cap and pressure pad installed and had no issues with the light coming lose or flickering with recoil. I plan to put the light through a much more rigorous test in one of our upcoming Defensive Carbine Classes here at Boondocks FTA™ I currently have the pressure pad installed on my rifle and the only thing I would add would be a couple of small zip ties to help secure the pad to my M-LOK rail. The open rail design simply lacks the flat surface area for the Velcro strips to adequately secure the pad. Overall, I was very pleased with how the light performed. If you are looking for an affordable, quality home defense light for your rifle, I encourage you to consider the Ozark Armament TFL-1-R it is currently on sale for $49.99 plus free shipping.
