When it comes to weapon lights, there are plenty on the market. The new Streamlight ProTac 2.0 Weaponlight is one of them. This Streamlight 2.0 falls somewhere between those cheap Amazon lights and the super expensive “pro” lights. Don’t underestimate the ProTac 2.0, it has some really nice features. As of right now, it is only available in a kit with a pressure switch.
ProTac 2.0 light output on “HI”
Vehicle “Hi Beams”
If you are in the market for a weaponlight, there are a few things to take into consideration. The first is probably lumens. Everyone has a lumen rating for their light and it’s usually advertised highly. But remember that lumens don’t tell the whole story about lighting, there is also candela. In simple terms, lumens measure total brightness and candela measures how that brightness is applied. The Streamlight Protac 2.0 has a max brightness of 2000 lumens and a candela rating of 17,700. In the case of the ProTac 2.0 you get a bright output but a wider beam pattern. The higher the candela rating, the more focused the beam is, or how much farther the light will project. Streamlight rated the beam distance at 266 meters for the 2.0. In comparison, Streamlight’s HL-X has half the lumens of the ProTac 2.0, but a candela of 27k for a beam distance of 332 meters. A higher candela rating will also help the light push through photonic barriers, like smoke or fog, better. The ProTac 2.0’s beam is really good for buildings and rooms where there isn’t a need for target identification at 200 yds. It would make a good light for your home defense rifle or shotgun.
Target backers at 50 & 100 yds, barely visible are 200 yd backers
The ProTac 2.0 Weaponlight has some other impressive attributes. It’s not incredibly long at 6.3 inches, or heavy at just over 9 ounces. It comes standard with a picatinny mount. If you don’t like the picatinny mount, the Protac 2.0 uses a standard “scout” mounting platform. This makes MLok mounts and the like fairly easy to come by. I installed a 45 degree MLok mount on it since I didn’t like how far off the rail the picatinny mount mounted the light. The ProTac 2.0 also comes with a pressure pad. This is only a pressure pad with no switch on it. New for Streamlight is the way the pressure switch attaches to the light. There is a dual end cap. The end cap has a switch, but also has an outlet to plug in the pressure pad. This way one can use the switch and the pressure pad. Before, you were limited to one or the other. I must say, this dual end cap setup is pretty nice. If not using the port, an attached plug can be used to keep it protected.
Charging port slid open
The Streamlight ProTac 2.0 is rechargeable. There is no option to use off the shelf batteries if needed. The battery used is also proprietary. Extra batteries run around $30. There are, however, some different ways to charge the battery. On the body of the light, there is a sliding cover over the battery's charging port. Just slide it down from the lights head and plug in your charging cord. The cover slides over an o-ring to protect it from water and dirt. The cover never opened up by itself, so that's a plus. The other way is to take the battery out and plug the charging cord into it directly. This new battery gives the ProTac 2.0 a 2.5 hour runtime on high or 11 hours on low.
Streamlight is known for their ability to program the lights function. The ProTac 2.0 is no different. It still uses their “Ten-Tap” programming. Press the button 10 times fast, holding it down on the 10th “tap”. Once the light goes out, release the button. Now you are in the next mode. Do this until the mode you want is selected. The ProTac 2.0 has 3 programming options. They are: High/Strobe, High only, and Low/High. I have it set to high only, but choose what works best for you. Low output is 250 lumens. Strobe and high are 2000 lumens.
I really enjoyed how the ProTac 2.0 functioned. The pressure pad, along with the included mounting hardware, worked great. Since the pad doesn’t have an on/off switch, I use my thumb on the tailcap switch. That way if I need it to be always on, I just push the button. Having that ability, with the new dual tailcap, is really nice. The light output is bright enough to light up my entire living room or bedroom. I can’t identify targets very well at over 100yds, but they can still be seen just fine. I just can’t see if they have a weapon or not. I immediately changed out the picatinny mount because it put the light too far away from the rail, so it was awkward to reach the tailcap button. Having the standard “scout” mounting platform made that an easy fix.
The Streamlight ProTac 2.0 Weaponlight kit is a good all around light. Especially if you don’t mind proprietary batteries. If it’s your first weaponlight, then those batteries won’t matter as much. The light is programmable and bright. The new tailcap makes the light more useful too. At a price of around $170, the Protac 2.0 is something to look at.
Firearms Insider Reviews - 8 Key Points
Claim to Fame:
2000 Lumen weapon mounted light kit
Target Market:
Those needing or wanting a weapon mounted light
FNBs (Features & Benefits of this product):
Uses one (1) Streamlight SL-B50® protected Li-Ion USB-rechargeable battery pack (included)
Features TEN-TAP® programming - Choice of three user selectable programs:
1) high/strobe 2) high only 3) low/high
High: 2,000 lumens; 266 m beam; runs 2.5 hours
Low: 250 lumens; 93 m beam; runs 11 hours
Strobe for signaling or disorienting: runs 4.5 hours
IP67-rated; dust-tight and waterproof to 1 meter for 30 minutes (IPX4-rated when remote switch is plugged in)
2-meter impact resistance tested
6000 series machined aircraft aluminum with Type II MIL-Spec anodized finish
Mounts directly to guns with MIL-STD-1913 (Picatinny) rails
Includes remote pressure switch
6.30 in (16.0 cm)
9.06 oz (257 g) with one (1) SL-B50® battery pack
Limited Lifetime Warranty
What other aesthetic options or finishes are available?
Price point:
MSRP = $245.00
Retail = $169.99 at Primary Arms
I need it now! Availability:
Our Rating:
Pros:
Hi Lumens for lots of light spill
Dual connection battery cap
On weapon charging
Decent pressure switch
Cons:
Proprietary battery
Low Candela
Only comes with 1 battery
Picatinny mount
Score: 7.00 Good
Favorite Link: Atibal Optics
LED rating of 300 lumens
Strobe setting (toggle or hold)
2.5 hour run time
Compatible with various mount types using included rail keys.
