ErickThakrar
Enlightened
(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
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.
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)
- 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
- 3 Modes:
- Press & Hold: Momentary (Temporary On)
- Press Twice: Turbo Strobe (Continuous)
- Press 3 Times: Continuous On
- Mud Resistant
- Waterproof to 60 ft (18 m)
- Impact Resistant
- Survives Temperature Extremes of 14° F (-10°C) to 300° F (149°C)
- 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
- 1 CR123 (Battery Included)
- Life: up to 4 hours
- Slide to Install
- Push up and slide out to remove
- 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.
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in the past I'm pretty much worthless as far as performing small muscle movements.
