Insight XTI Procyon

[Dead_Nuts]

I own several handgun mount lights, but all are incans (Old, old M3, M3X and M3led - nav light only is LED). I wanted a new LED light for my Glock 22 (.40), and was just about to go with the X300 when I found the Procyon for $119 at a local gun show last weekend. The deal sealer was that it would fit in the Safariland holster (made for the M3) that I already own.

I will give my impressions in a day or two, but I have no other LED handgun lights to compare it to -- I'll have to compare it to my modest collection of LED flashlights. My M3X, I believe, is also rated at 125lm, so that might be an interesting comparison.

I was wondering if anyone else is familiar with this light. The specs look good and the size and weight are fantastic:

• 125 Lumen Output
• 3 Modes ( Constant , Momentary, Strobe )
• Interface: Adjustable Slide-Lock® Interface
• Dimensions: 3.2" x 1.6" x 1.5"
• Weight: 4.0 oz. w/Batteries
• Light Source: Shockproof High Intensity LED
• Run Time: 90 Minutes
• Waterproof: At 5 Meters / 15 Feet
• Lithium Battery Power: 6V from Two (123)
• Digitally Managed Circuit to Control Output Power and Heat
• Fits in existing M3 holsters
• Hard-Coat Anodized Aluminum Construction

The fact that it is significantly less expensive than the X300, yet still constructed from aluminum, helped me to go out on a limb for this light. I wish I had an X300 for comparison. Oh, did I say it has strobe?

Your thoughts or experiences are welcomed.

 

[jchoo]

I almost bought one of those instead of my single level E2DL, but I figured I'd wait for someone to review it first. I'm quite interested in what you've got to say about it, particularly the ease of use and rate of flash on the strobe.

 

[Dead_Nuts]

This light is going on my bedside gun. At least once each month I take that gun out, fire both loaded magazines of ammo (31 rounds of Ranger T) through it, clean and inspect it thoroughly, reload fully, check light, check batteries in GunVault and put it away. I have a previous engagement this evening, so it will have to be tomorrow. I'll mount the light before I go to the range so it gets a little abuse right off the bat. I'll do my drills with the light turned on to make sure there are no loose connections or parts. Afterwards, I'll run some tests with other lights before putting it to bed.

I wanted a light that was at least as bright as my M3X, but utilized an LED. Now I'm sure that the Surefire is at least as bright as this one -- even though they only claim 110 lm -- as they tend to be very conservative with specs. I'm also sure that the X300 is of the finest quality. I may even break down and buy one in a couple of months. But this little light looks quite promising.

 

[madecov]

I'm seriously thinking of upgrading my TLR-1 duty light to this.

 

[Lumenlvr]

I'm seriously thinking of upgrading my TLR-1 duty light to this.

I just got one and I would recommend you do, I am replacing the M3 with the Procyon. I have only seen the TLR-1 never used it and my M3 is old but my initial impression of the Procyon is that its money well spent. It is alot brighter than the M3 but the M3s bulb is old so its not as bright as it could be. The price is not bad on the Procyon either you should check it out.

 

[Dead_Nuts]

Well, I mounted this light on my Glock last night. It has an adjustable rail grabber system that can help it fit non-standard (Picatinny 1913) rails found on some brands of handguns. It also has a slimmer catch for rails that are slightly out of spec. The Glock required no adjustments, fit firmly and locked on to the rail securely -- right out of the box. The adustability is a definite plus, however, as in the past, some manufacturers made different models for different brands of handguns.

The build quality is first-rate, yet the unit is smaller than my polymer lights. Weight with batteries is about 4oz. There are 2 independent switches; one on each side of the trigger housing. I won't get into the debate about pressure switch versus housing-mounted switches, but I am able to easily operate this light with my weak hand while maintaining a two-handed grip of the weapon. [The biggest argument in favor of pressure switches is that operating your light with your trigger finger prevents you from momentarily lighting your target and firing at the same time. I have developed my own procedure that eliminates this problem by utilizing my weak hand for switching.] But I digress.

The light is switched on by pushing either lever to the up position. Momentary is activated by pushing down on either switch lever and strobe is reached by "double-tapping" the momentary position. The UI is very intuitive in actual usage. Regarding the strobe function, it seems to strobe at about the same rate as my Novatac 120P. I have several other lights with strobe, but the 120P seemed to be the closest match. I have no idea what that rate translates to, however.

First, let me note that this light exhibits the warmest color of any of my LED lights. When it is turned on, you definitely know it's an LED color, but when compared to other, cooler LEDs, it looks almost incandescent-like. This is a plus as far as I'm concerned; as the beam color tends to make lit objects' colors more realistic. The beam is quite unique, as the reflector is faceted. it has a very large, star-shaped hotspot with a very noticable ring around it. This concerned me at first, but in simulated room-clearing, it proved not to be a significant issue. The spill is large and strong. The total output is roughly equivalent to a P6 I own with an older (pre-Q5) Malkoff drop-in. It's not the brightest light in the world, but it seems to be more than enough for it's intended usage.

I'll be putting it through the test this evening at the range. I'll be leaving it on while doing some drills and a couple of courses of fire (150-200 rounds). I see no reason that it won't perform well.

More later . . .

 

[Dead_Nuts]

I made some arraignments to use the range after closing this evening, so I can do some low light/ no light drills with my new light. This ought to be fun and enlightening (so to speak). I'll post the results Friday.

 

[mmbeller191]

Here is a video I found of a XTI + Crimson Trace lasergrips at Rogers School online.
http://pistol-training.com/archives/246

I would really like to see a comparison of the XTI versus the X300. Which one has the brighter beam. The price advantage goes to XTI but the X300 has more options for a pressure switch while the XTI doesn't have them yet. The main advantage of a pressure switch for me is that the light can be on as soon as the gun comes out of the holster, without having to think about it. I definitely want one of these two lights.

 

[Dead_Nuts]

mmbeller191 - If you draw your weapon with your trigger finger along side of your weapon, it is a simple task to engage the Xti with that finger while bringing the gun up.



I ran through 3 qualification courses last night with my G22/Xti in low light. They utilized 53, 38 and 44 rounds respectively. These courses are timed and scored differently for daylight and low-light, with fewer hits needed for qualification under low-light conditions. The Glock, Xti and I all qualified at the daylight numbers - even though we did it in the dark. Needless to say I'm happy with my new light. Now, I have to admit that I've been shooting alot lately and just completed a course this past weekend, so I'm well practiced, but the added light and beam quality definitely made a difference.

The light points well and I was able to consistently hit IDPA target headshots or zero ring center mass by simply putting the light's beam on target at 7 yards. Part of the course requires Mozambique Drills (2 shots center mass, one to the head) from holster. This could be accomplished quickly with aiming the light alone. Beyond that, I was at least using the front sight's tritium dot (if not taking the time to acheive proper sight picture) to get on target. [WARNING: I am absolutely NOT advocating that anyone rely solely on the POA of their weapon light to aim in a life or death situation. I believe the better sight picture the better your chances of hitting something. I was simply having fun last night and PLAYING with my new toy.]

I was pleasantly surprised by the spill of this light. My previous handgun lights were poor performers in this respect. It held up well to some banging around and firing while illuminated. Other than having to clean the powder residue off the lens, it required no attention.

I am happy with my purchase, but I'm sure I'll buy the X300 anyway as I have another gun I'd like to equip for low-light use. I have 3 incan Insights that I'd love to have modded to LED . . . or maybe just sell them.

 

[aml]

IVe been using one for a few weeks now, and used it on my pistol and my rifle in 3-gun this month. VERY sweet light.

 

[madecov]

What material is the lens made of?

Is it brighter than the Streamlight TLR-1 ?

 

[Dead_Nuts]

What material is the lens made of?

Is it brighter than the Streamlight TLR-1 ?

I feel stupid that I have not taken it apart to inspect what the lens is. I'll do so as soon as I get home. I hope it's some type of shatter-resistant plastic lens, as durability is more important to me than sheer output.

As far as light output, it is the brightest light, in this form factor, that I have used or seen -- including the TLR-1. NOTE: As of today, I have not used or seen the X300, so it could be a brighter or even better light than the Xti.

 

[Dead_Nuts]

IVe been using one for a few weeks now, and used it on my pistol and my rifle in 3-gun this month. VERY sweet light.

You're a lucky individual. I am unable to consistently compete in 3-gun without traveling great distances. It is something that I enjoy and wish I lived a little closer to an urban area where there seems to be greater accessibility to matches of all kinds. I sometimes travel to matches, but as I'm sure you know, improvement comes with consistently pushing yourself and competing with those better than yourself.

 

[mmbeller191]

Come on, someone out there post some beamshots of this light side by side vs an X300. I'm ready to buy one of these lights but want to get the brightest one.. Surely someone has access to both by now.:candle:

 

[Xak]

I was very dissapointed with the beam quality. It is so bad it is distracting. Absolutely terrible. I suppose it could be handy if you know a certain part of the star pattern is where your POI is, but I would rather just have a nice wall of light with a subtle hotspot, kinda like my Amilite T5, and rely on my own shooting ability. Between the star shaped hotspot and the warped uneven ring pattern it's dark, but plenty of strong flood beyond the ring. Yuk. I would love to throw a real reflector in there. I don't know what they were thinking.

The good: It is bright as hell, built like a tank, waterproof, and the strobe rocks.

The ring around the bezel has 4 marks in it that look like they might unscrew the bezel. I would love to throw a round piece of CD plastic or scotch tape in there to diffuse the beam.

By the way, it does not fit the newer Walther P99s. I am going to have to take a dremmel to one of the 2 adjustable rail mount pieces provided.

 

[NWdude83]

+ 1 on the Procyon. But kinda wish I had waited for the new WX150.

 

[NWdude83]

On my old Steyr M9