Inforce ARC 650 LR-M

Review

The Inforce ARC-650 really surprised me. Years ago, Inforce lights were okay, but now their long gun weapon lights are hot. The ARC-650 LR-M is super bright and has features that are compatible with industry standard lights. Making it a top contender in the weapon mounted light category.

Inforce has come a long way in their rifle mounted weaponlights. The ARC series has two available options: The ARC 350 LR-M and the ARC 650 LR-M. The ARC 650 is what I am using, but the 350 has similar compatibility. The ARC 350 is a shorter version that runs on a 18350 battery instead of the longer 18650. The 350 has shorter run time and is not quite as bright. Both ARC weaponlights have industry compatibility with mounts, heads, and tailcaps. Making them a great choice for mounting on any firearm.

Illuminated tree is around 150 yards away

How usable is the light from the ARC 650? To answer that, I’ll dive into the specs first. The ARC 650 has 1400 lumens and 90,000 candela. Since the lumen rating basically tells us how much light is available, the ARC is bright. Being a 90,000 candela rated light also tells us that it has a more focused beam than a light with say a 40,000 candela rating. The higher the candela, the more a light beam is focused on a single point. I found the ARC 650 to be a very good compromise between the range at which the light beam extends and being able to light up something toward the side of the beam's throw. The LR in the ARC’s model is meant to mean “long range”. Inforce says a 600 meter throw, but I always say usable light is half that, and that seems to be about right for the ARC 650. I can easily make out targets at 200 yards and can definitely illuminate targets at 300 plus.

The ARC 650 also comes with some necessary accessories. In the box you get a 3500mah 18650 rechargeable battery. The ARC 650 can use pretty much any 18650 battery. I have used various different ones that I have laying around, and they all worked fine. Inforce also includes a single charger and a USB cord, so that you can charge the battery. It is just a simple charger, but it works. When the supplied battery is fully charged, you can expect a two hour and forty five minute run time. Even if it runs for two hours, it has a lot longer run time than many other weapon lights. The ARC 650 also has dual fuel compatibility, meaning it can use two CR123 batteries, should your rechargeable run out of juice at the wrong time.

When I mentioned industry standard compatibility, here is what it means to you. The body of the ARC 650 uses the same thread pattern as a Surefire Scout light. It also has the standard “scout” bosses on the ARC’s body, these are used to mount the light to a handguard, via a mounting plate. Because of those “scout” threads, any aftermarket light heads and switches that are compatible with the “scout” pattern, can be screwed onto the ARC 650. This makes it possible to add pressure switches, external buttons, or an LEP light head from various other manufacturers.

Since the ARC 650 has “scout” compatibility, it uses a scout mount adapter. Inforce supplies a 45 degree M-Lok scout mount with the light. I was glad to find out it was a 45 degree mount, as that is what I usually run. The mount works as advertised and makes it super easy to install the light on a M-Lok handguard.

Using the ARC 650 is super easy with the supplied end cap button. As with most lights, push the button slightly for momentary on. Or, push the button until it clicks for constant on. The button has a nice click to it and does not take much pressure for the momentary on function. The button is also recessed completely inside the exterior housing. Making accidental turning on of the light much harder. The ARC 650 also has a light lockout. If you rotate the light head ¼ turn, then the light will not function.

I ran the ARC 650 on one of my higher end 16” 5.56 AR’s. Since the ARC 650 has a longer light throw than some other lights, I figured it would make more sense to mount it on a 16” gun rather than a 10.5”. The ARC performed fantastic. Having a really bright light can help with photonic barriers if needed. This applies in the daytime also. A bright light can pierce through tinted windows and let you see what is inside. Having a dual fuel function is nice, even though I tend to carry extra 18650’s. I really like that the ARC is “scout” compatible. I tried it with a bunch of other scout compatible parts that I have, and they all screwed on and worked. It also has an IPX8 rating, which is better than some of the name brands that cost way more. The ARC 650 is just a nice light that is easy to use and set up.

So, if you are looking for a great weaponlight, the Inforce ARC 650 LR-M might be worth looking into. The price is the only thing going against this light. Price is somewhere between the lower cost lights that work well, and the high priced name brand ones. But, If you want really good compatibility, this light doesn’t seem over priced. The ARC 650 functions great and is a great compromise between light spill and throw, leaning more toward the throw side. It is a very bright light. If you can find an ARC 650, I would definitely check it out.

Firearms Insider Reviews - Key Points

Claim to Fame:

Long throw weapon mounted light with industry compatibility

Target Market:

Those wanting a decent weaponlight that can be upgraded or modified.

Features, Benefits, and Specifications of this product:

Max Lumens - 1,400
ANSI Lumens - 1,200
Max Candela - 90,000
Max Beam Distance - 600m
Waterproof Rating - IPX8 Certified
Shock/Drop Rating - MIL-STD 810H Certified
Lockout Method - 1/4 Turn of the Head
Battery Runtime - 2 Hours 45 Minutes
Battery Type - Rechargeable 18650 - Protected
Dual fuel - Can use 2-CR123’s
Body Material - 6061-T6 Aluminum
Exterior Finish - Type III Hard Coat Anodized
Length - 5.6”
Bezel Diameter - 1.4”
Weight with Battery - 6.1 oz
Lifetime Warranty

What other aesthetic options or finishes are available?

ARC 350 and Handheld versions

What others are saying?:

Nothing found as of publishing

Link to other reviews:

Tiberious Gib on YouTube

Price point:

MSRP = $249.97

Retail = A little over $200

I need it now! Availability:

Inforce, Midway USA, or your local gun shop

Our Rating:

Pros:

Bright
Produces a good compromise of spill and throw
Industry compatibility
Dual Fuel - Uses 18650 or 2-CR123’s
IPX8 rating

Cons:

Price

Score: 8.00 Great

Favorite Link: Primary Arms PLx 1-8x24 RDB Review

ZeroTech Thrive HD

Digital Red dot Review

Red dots are definitely not a new item in the firearms world. What is fairly new is the quality of red dots that you can get for an inexpensive price. ZeroTech has brought one of these good quality, inexpensive red dots to market with their Thrive HD digital 1x22 red dot. The Thrive HD red dot would be great for any PCC, carbine, or 22 rifle.

When ZeroTech first sent me the Thrive HD red dot, it reminded me of other similar red dots. Being similar to those other red dots is not a problem. In fact, it is a good thing in the Thrive HD's case. The Thrive HD's top selling point is the price. It can be had for under $150. But for that price, you get a decent, no frills red dot.

The ZeroTech red dot comes with every option it should. It also has some features of higher priced red dots. The Thrive HD comes with a high and low picatinny mount. It also uses the industry standard mounting footprint of the Aimpoint T1/T2. This makes finding other mounting options easy, if you don't want to use the supplied mounts.

Features of the Thrive HD are numerous. First you get a 2 moa dot inside a 22mm window. The dot is powered by a CR2032 side-mount battery. The battery gives a run time of 50,000 hours. It has 10 brightness settings controlled by the soft touch “+” & “-” buttons on top. It does not have an auto on/off, but I don't think it is needed with that battery life. Plus it's a value red dot that performs great.

I ended up mounting the Thrive HD red dot on a Hi-Point carbine in 9mm. The red dot was perfect for what I was doing with the Hi-Point PCC and it needed an optic of some sort. Plus, the direct blowback operating system puts more stress on the red dot, so it was perfect for a review. The glass is just as clear as my Holosun and Primary Arms red dots. The red dot on the Thrive HD is also clear and bright. Does it have night vision settings? No, but for an inexpensive red dot, why would it?

Sighting in the Thrive HD red dot was super easy. Once I decided where I wanted to mount the red dot, I torqued it down and headed to the range. Adjustments were easy, ZeroTech even supplies a little adjustment tool. The windage and elevation clicks are 0.5 moa at 100yds. I set up a target at 25 yards and started shooting, with a few clicks I was hitting where I was aiming. The Thrive HD red dot has not lost zero and still shoots great. It would make a great red dot for just about anything.

If you are looking for a good red dot, for a great price, the ZeroTech Thrive HD red dot might be worth looking into. It has a bunch of features that just work and nothing extra to go wrong. You can get a great deal on one over at the ZeroTech website and if you aren't into red dots, they have a bunch of other high quality optics.