Streamlight NightFighter LED: The perfect nightstand tactical light?

Hello everyone; new member here.

A few months ago, I purchased a Streamlight NightFighter LED, and I wanted to plug this great light that doesn't seem to get a lot of attention. It's low-tech by CPF standards, but for $60 you get a well-made, dead-simple tactical tool.

Before settling on this model, I searched high and low for a flashlight to keep next to the Glock 19 on my nightstand. (I've never liked gun-mounted lights for home defense. I'd rather be able to illuminate something without necessarily pointing a pistol at it.) I don't know that there is another light out there with this combination of features.

The NightFighter puts out 160 lumens. This seems about perfect to me for indoor tactical use at night. It's certainly plenty to overwhelm an unwelcome visitor's night-adapted vision, but not enough to blind the user too by reflecting off of nearby walls. Indoors at night, more power is not necessarily better.

Also, the NightFighter has a true tactical tailcap switch--a surprisingly rare feature these days. (Not everything marketed as "tactical" actually is.) Push for light. Release to turn off. No click, no blinking, no strobe, no SOS mode, one power level only. When you're relying on a flashlight to make a shoot/no-shoot decision, SOS mode could really ruin your night.

So if you're in the market for a tactical (actually--not just marketed as such) light, give the NightFighter LED a look.

i'm glad you like it! single mode lights are the way to go IMO

The Nightfighter is assembled in the USA. In the same price range you can get a 320 lumen made in the USA Surefire G2X Tactical. The Tac model of the G2X has the same true tactical switch - press for momentary, twist for constant, only one output level. IIRC, Surefire invented the tailcap tac switch with the introduction of their original 6P. The trade off is that you get a polymer body on the G2X line, rather than the more expensive anodized Al body on the Nightfighter. The Nightfighter also has a clip, grip ring, and lanyard included. The grip ring is great for a light that's intended to be used alongside a pistol. I'm not sure of the utility of the clip or the lanyard on a dedicated night stand light though. So, I guess you have to pay 50% more ($90-$100) for a Surefire Z2X to get a US made, Al body, grip ringed, true tac light. :thinking:

Of course, I'm also running a Streamlight TLR-1 on my pistol. Streamlight is still a US based company, with a great warranty, and is still keeping many jobs here the USA.

I'm also a fan of single mode lights for lots of thing. Sounds like a light I should check out.

Streamlight really makes good stuff. A lot of people razz them for the "c4" marketing but although they might not make the highest lumen lights, they all project perfect tactical beam patterns and are very well regulated.