REVIEW: FoxFury AWL-P Pistol Light

ErickThakrar

Enlightened
Joined
Apr 11, 2004
Messages
581
Location
New Mexico
(Reviewers Note: This unit was provided by the manufacturer for review.)

Today we'll be taking a look at the second offering from FoxFury that I've had the privilege of reviewing.
It's the first foray by FoxFury into the area of personal weaponlights, in this case, more specifically that of a light designed to attach to most pistols that are outfitted with a picatinny rail.
The Ambidextrous Weapon Light - Pistol or AWL-P is the light in question.



I'll list the specs and description from the manufacturer and go from there. Pay special heed to the description, the reason why I will cover in detail later.



Description Ambidextrous Weapon Light with no moving or operational parts. Fits most Beretta, Glock, H&K, Ruger, SIG, Smith & Wesson and Picatinny Rail. Waterproof to 60 ft (18 m), undisturbed by mud and impact resistant.

Specifications Light Emissions

  • 125 Lumen
  • 8° Focused Beam
  • Distance Vision: 120 ft (36 m)
Features

  • 1 White LED
  • Low Touch Force Tap / Mode Switch
  • Ambidextrous
  • Finger Ledge
  • Fits most Beretta, Glock, H&K, Ruger, SIG, Smith & Wesson and Picatinny Rail
Modes

  • 3 Modes:
    • Press & Hold: Momentary (Temporary On)
    • Press Twice: Turbo Strobe (Continuous)
    • Press 3 Times: Continuous On
Durability

  • Mud Resistant
  • Waterproof to 60 ft (18 m)
  • Impact Resistant
  • Survives Temperature Extremes of 14° F (-10°C) to 300° F (149°C)
Physical Characteristics

  • 2.4 oz (58 g)
  • Size:
    • Length: 3.1" (8.0 cm)
    • Width: 1.3" (3.4 cm)
    • Height: 1.6" (4.1 cm)
  • Mono-structure Polycarbonate Housing with built-in Total Internal Reflector Lens and Silicone Rubber overspray.
  • Black Exterior
Battery

  • 1 CR123 (Battery Included)
  • Life: up to 4 hours
Installation

  • Slide to Install
  • Push up and slide out to remove
Warranty

  • 24 Months


As you can see, the AWL-P is a very compact and lightweight little light.

Output


The heart of the AWL-P is a Cree XR-E LED, sitting behind a pretty standard 8 degree Total Internal Reflection optic. This LED is driven at 450mA and is listed as shown by the specs above to put out about 125 lumens. Like other lights using this optic, including the previously reviewed Hammerhead Tac-Strobe also from FoxFury, the beam profile is quite pleasant and relatively artifact free.
Throw is decent and there is a nicely useful spill beam with a well-defined hotspot.
The color is nice and white leaning towards the warmer end of the spectrum without being yellow.
The bin of the LED is unknown as FoxFury claims to use only the latest available bins. I have my doubts about the veracity of this claim.

The AWL-P does not offer different levels of output nor would this be a particularly desirable feature in a pistol-mounted light. It does however, through a pretty nicely done single-button interface, offer constant-on, momentary and a strobe.

At a guess, I'd say the 125 lumens is perhaps generous. By eyeball, I'd say it's more like 90 lumens or so. Perhaps FoxFury lists their outputs strictly as emitter lumens? However, the output is adequate to assure positive target identification at most realistic pistol ranges.

Build Quality & Design

The AWL-P is relatively unique compared to most of the LED pistol lights I've seen in the past, being made almost entirely from some kind of polycarbonate with a silicone rubber coating.
The lens is made from an unknown material which could be glass or some sort of hard acrylic perhaps. According to FoxFury, the exact material is a trade secret.


The entire front end of the unit appears to be quite thoroughly sealed.
Looking in through the open back of the unit, after removing the tailcap, you can see a single philips head screw. Loosening this screw allows you to slide out all the guts of the body, and gives you access to the LED which is mounted on a star, attached to an aluminum heatsink. The AWL-P is surprisingly easy to modify! Replacing the LED would be a cinch!



The back of the unit is where you find the tailcap and the two buttons that control the AWL-P. Two buttons? I can hear you say already, "but you said it was a single-button interface!". Well, I did and it is. There are two buttons on the AWL-P.
One on the left side of the unit and one on the right. You can use either one at will, depending on which is your dominant hand, what kind of grip you may use on your weapon, etc, but effectively, you'll be controlling the functions of the AWL-P with only one of the two buttons. Thus, a single-button interface.
The buttons have a ridged rubber cover and are held in place with a mounting plate, each attached using four triangular-slotted security-screws. A lip around the bottom part of the button mounting plates, protect the buttons from accidental activation.


Using the AWL-P is simple. Press and hold gives you momentary on. Press the button twice rapidly and you get the Turbo Strobe. This strobe is significantly faster than the one employed on the Hammerhead Tac-Strobe and thus is also significantly more annoying!
Press the button three times in rapid succession and you get constant on.
It's a simple interface that works quite well and the buttons require little force to activate, yet still provide an audible and tactile click.


The tailcap attaches to the body of the unit via a bayonet-type fitting that appears to be quite secure. There are two indicator marks on the body and one on the tailcap to help you line up the tailcap with the body to put it on and take it off. A single, large O-ring provides for an apparently effective seal against the elements.

The battery, a single CR123 lithium battery, is loaded in with the negative end first. It pushes against a spring inside the battery compartment, while the positive end goes against a contact surface in the tailcap. Two spring-loaded pins protude from the body of the unit, I assume one for each button in the tailcap. These pins touch against two contact patches inside the tailcap, completing the circuit.

Two small philips-head screws retain the contact board in the tailcap. Removing these screws and lifting out the contact board, reveals the driver electronics, which are all located in the tailcap.


The rail attachment is located on the dorsal aspect of the AWL-P and is what allows you to firmly and securely attach the AWL-P to the pistol of your choosing, given that said pistol has a picatinny rail. There are two, spring-loaded locking arms that snap into the corresponding groove in the picatinny rail.

You attach the AWL-P to the rail by simply sliding it onto the rail and pushing until it goes click. Removal requires you to depress both locking arm levers on both sides of the rail attachment and pulling the unit off the rail.
But alas, this is where I ran into trouble.
The tailcap has a flat back with 90 degree corners, both top and bottom. The top 90 degree corner intersected with the part of my gun - a Springfield Armory XD40 - where the trigger guard joins the frame and made it very difficult to attach the AWL-P. It required an undue amount of force to make the AWL-P click into place, enough force to where the entire unit would flex and bend.

I had two options. Modify my gun or modify the AWL-P.
I decided on the latter option.
A quick trim of the corner with a sharp knife and presto, the fit problem was a thing of the past and the AWL-P seemed none the worse for wear.

Thinking that this might have been an issue with specifically the Springfield Armory XD, I borrowed a friends Glock 17, pretty much the standard for a duty gun in the US, and put the AWL-P on the rail. While it fit fine after my modification, it was immediately apparent that the same problem would be present if you attempted to mount an un-modified AWL-P on the Glock.
I find this to be a very odd oversight.

Conclusion

I'm somewhat torn about the AWL-P.
It's inarguably a far superior product to the previously reviewed Hammerhead Tac-Strobe from FoxFury. The switching mechanism works like a charm, the unit itself appears tough and it did NOT fail the waterproof test in my Bathtub Of Doom.

The output, while seemingly lower than advertised is adequate and the unit itself is very lightweight and compact.


It is easily modified by the simple expedient of removing just a few screws.
But you really should NOT have to trim the corners off the unit in order to make it fit right on your gun! That's a huge failure in product design testing. Especially, since as it's listed in the description as being compatible, it won't even fit out of the box on a Glock 17, arguably one of the most common handguns in the world and quite possibly THE most commonly issued police handgun. This is almost an unforgivable sin.
However, apart from that, I rather like the AWL-P. I'll be keeping it on my gun for nightstand duties. But you must keep these aforementioned deficits in mind if you're considering buying one. Recommended, but with reservations.

Addendum: I've decided to send the AWL-P back to FoxFury.
 
Last edited:

greenLED

Flashaholic
Joined
Mar 26, 2004
Messages
13,263
Location
La Tiquicia
Modes

  • 3 Modes:
    • Press & Hold: Momentary (Temporary On)
    • Press Twice: Turbo Strobe (Continuous)
    • Press 3 Times: Continuous On

I must be missing something about that UI... but I see some serious potential for bad ju-ju with that side-switch and the multiple presses to access all the modes...

really, a gun-held light is no place for multi-modes, half-presses, and funky dances to get the light to do what you need it to.

My (triple-mode UI) 0.02 lumens.
 

ErickThakrar

Enlightened
Joined
Apr 11, 2004
Messages
581
Location
New Mexico
There are no half-presses, nor funky dances involved in the UI. It really is very simple. In both continuous modes, a simple tap of the switch will turn the unit off.

Bigchelis, there ain't no way you can stick a dropin in there. That should be readily apparent from the pictures.
 

greenLED

Flashaholic
Joined
Mar 26, 2004
Messages
13,263
Location
La Tiquicia
Ah, OK. Thanks for clarifying that. I thought you had to cycle through the whole darned thing... :stupid:
 

greenLED

Flashaholic
Joined
Mar 26, 2004
Messages
13,263
Location
La Tiquicia
In both continuous modes, a simple tap of the switch will turn the unit off.

:thinking:
You know, I'm still not a fan of multiple modes on dedicated gun lights...

I'd still have to triple-press to get the darned thing to reach constant on - not something I'm sure I'd be able to do "when the fecal matter comes in contact with the overhead rotating oscilator", as they say.

Still trying to wrap my head around the interface.
 

ErickThakrar

Enlightened
Joined
Apr 11, 2004
Messages
581
Location
New Mexico
It's really simple. If you just press and hold the button, say with the thumb of your support hand, you have momentary on. Letting go, the light turns off. Tap the button twice, it comes on in the strobe mode and stays on until you tap the button again. Again, from the off position, tap the button three times and it comes on in constant on mode and stays on until you hit the button again.
Maybe I'll do a quick video to illustrate...
 

dirtech

Enlightened
Joined
Apr 17, 2009
Messages
451
Location
Pocatello
:thinking:
You know, I'm still not a fan of multiple modes on dedicated gun lights...

I'd still have to triple-press to get the darned thing to reach constant on - not something I'm sure I'd be able to do "when the fecal matter comes in contact with the overhead rotating oscilator", as they say.

Still trying to wrap my head around the interface.

I agree with the above assessment. Momentary on or just on are all I would want for a weapon light. I know when I've had massive adrenaline dumps;) in the past I'm pretty much worthless as far as performing small muscle movements.
 
Last edited:

Mercaptan

Enlightened
Joined
Oct 16, 2007
Messages
407
I agree with the above assessment. Momentary on or just on are all I would want for a weapon light. I know when I've had massive adrenaline dumps;) in the past I'm pretty much worthless as far as performing small muscle movements.

Agreed. I'm also wondering how well you can activate the switch, while SureFire and Streamlight have converged on the same idea, a toggle switch that is flipped up or down by the thumb of the support hand, using a 'straight-thumbs' or 'thumbs-forward' technique.

It just seems more natural to push down with the thumb than to push inwards. Do you have a Streamlight or SureFire to compare to?

Finally, one thing going against the FoxFury to begin with; a small brand with little market share in the LEO/Mil community. Holsters for accommodating the light will be hard to come by.
 
Last edited:

ErickThakrar

Enlightened
Joined
Apr 11, 2004
Messages
581
Location
New Mexico
It's very easy. It does not require much force to activate the switch at all. Nor is it difficult in the slightest to change modes. I do not personally own a Surefire or Streamlight but I've handled both in the past. I find using the FoxFury no more challenging than those.
 

Bloodnut

Newly Enlightened
Joined
Feb 9, 2005
Messages
187
Location
Lower Alabama
Thanks for the review of this light. My primary notation regarding this light is this: Finally, someone has built a pistol light that runs on ONE cr123!!!! This is a no-brainer in that in allows the body of the light to be no wider than the lens housing i.e., not much wider than the pistol itself. Why is this important you ask? Good question. By holding the width dimension down, the theoretical holster should be able to provide a better level of retention.

The problem with current weapon lights and attendant holsters is that because the light ends up being wider than the pistol itself, holster manufacturers cannot seem to gin up a holster which provides good security for the pistol as the holsters tend to latch on to the pistol. The Foxfury *theoretically* addresses this by simply using one cr123 instead of two (just how much runtime does one need on a weapon light?). Of course, holster manufacturers are in a pickle due to the mind-boggling combination of pistols and lights (not to mention lasers) currently available. I guarantee that the Foxfury *will* be overlooked by all major holster manufacturers thus severely limiting the utility of this light - nightstand duty only.

Too, they either need to lose the strobe function altogether or put it on a separate switch. IMHO, the strobe on a weapon light adds little value to the unit while significantly complicating the UI.
 

PhotonSuperposition

Newly Enlightened
Joined
Apr 10, 2009
Messages
20
Location
Ohio
Slightly off topic; there is something different about the grip on your XD. Mine has grooves and checks, and yours appears to have some sort of asphalt tile on it or something. What sort of modification is that, and do you like it?
 

Patriot

Flashaholic
Joined
Feb 13, 2007
Messages
11,254
Location
Arizona
It's very easy. It does not require much force to activate the switch at all. Nor is it difficult in the slightest to change modes. I do not personally own a Surefire or Streamlight but I've handled both in the past. I find using the FoxFury no more challenging than those.


While this IU wouldn't be my own personal choice, it does sound usable. I'm convinced that almost anything is doable with some familiarity and practice. When I was shooting open competition regularly I used to see people develop bad shooting habits that were far more complicated than the IU of this light...hehe :)

The 90 degree edge problem is a pretty big blunder imo and makes me wonder how much testing Foxfury really did during development. It seems that it would be easy to correct but I'd love to know what Foxfury said when you told them about the problem. I did notice that in your first picture the light appears to be tilting upwards and I was curious if that was caused by the light being flexed before you shaved away that corner.

Thanks for the review.
 

DesertNightOwl

Newly Enlightened
Joined
Aug 19, 2015
Messages
21
Location
Ukiah, CA and Fallon, NV depending on the day
I just bought the newer version of this light so I figured I'd post my thoughts here for comparison.

The light rated at 140 lumens
Rated to be submerged to 60 ft
Assembled in the US with foreign parts.
The battery life is rated at 4 hours but does a little better.


I bought this light for my P229 which it fit perfectly without modification. The light is pure white, has a clear hot spot and projects clearly to 100 yards. I compared it with my TLR-1, the streamlight is brighter but has less throw than the foxfury. My P229 is my CCW and I prefer to carry it without a light so the Fox is perfect because it is light weight and slides on and locks into place without the need to turn a screw or even push the tabs.

20150819_181651.jpg
[/IMG]

20150818_171301.jpg
[/IMG]
 

wolf_walker

Newly Enlightened
Joined
Oct 13, 2010
Messages
43
I've been eyeing pistol lights lately myself and am a little baffled at the seeming output race, the only one that, on paper, seems nearly appropriate for home or self defence distances is the original
TLR-1, the HL is crazy bright, so are the Surefires, they are about the only two brands I trust so far. And the report above of the new version of this one working well at 100yrds? Who shoots a pistol in self defence at 100yrds(or at all)? And hotspots? I don't go around shooting at people regular or anything, but I sure think I'd like a moderately bright (so as not to blind myself with reflection) flood type light under my pistol to use in my house or yard or such. Rifle is another matter of course, but the use case for me as a civilian does not seem to indicate a need for hundreds of lumens and lots of throw which is what I keep seeing being trumpeted by pistol light manufacturers. I know they have to come up with something to sell a new model with every couple years but still. Can't pass judgement on the side press button either but thus far the rocker on the Streamlights is my favorite still. Quick attach/detach is a major plus since buying yet another holster, if one is even available, isn't high on my list of things to do. I'll put this on my to-investigate-further list though, good review.

2 Edits: I just noticed the original post date, whoops. And I see they only seem to offer a version with a laser now, for a ton of money.
It is now quickly off the to-investigate-further list....
 
Last edited:

DesertNightOwl

Newly Enlightened
Joined
Aug 19, 2015
Messages
21
Location
Ukiah, CA and Fallon, NV depending on the day
they are still making this version, I bought it for 70$ a month ago. it works well, not blinding inside but has sufficient throw to search your property. I noticed this version is not listed on their web site but it is still available. I added.my thoughts on the new one to this thread because only the fitment and output have changed.
 
Top