Review | INFORCE WMLs with IR

inforce wml review
April 8, 2014  
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Categories: Assorted Ramblings

This afternoon we’re going to take a look at one of the lights from INFORCE family of WMLs (Weapon Mounted Lights). We’ll be putting the title in all caps with a bold font, so please read it as though we’re yelling and knife-handing you. Also, you should be aware that INFORCE WMLs are a subject of contention ‘mongst the minions. Some love ’em, some hate ’em. More on that later.

 

INFORCE WMLs with IR

INFORCE has been making flashlights for years now, most notably their handheld tactical lights. Lightweight and good quality, they’ve built a whole line of increasingly well known rifle- and pistol-mounted lights. One of those WMLs will be the focus of this article, to explain the capabilities and limitations as I encountered them.

The WML used during my evaluation was the Tan White light/IR model with a max output of 175 lumens. Having been testing this flashlight over the last few months, its been mounted to various AR-15s, A SCAR-H and a Remington 870 12gauge shotgun. The light has performed flawlessly on all weapons and has survived a few hundred rounds of birdshot, buckshot and slug while mounted on the scattergun.

INFORCE WMLs with IR

As you can see in the specs below, the WML is extremely lightweight and requires just a single CR123 battery.  For this reason, a lot of shooters are mounting them to helmets for use as a headlamp when situations requires a lot of light (think working on an injury, SSE, or just overt exploration of a dark area). At 175 lumens you get a lot of usable output for both indoor and outdoor use. (There are other models offering different options for output.)

This 175 lumen output isn’t terrible in a white-wall painted house; it is not so much light it will over-splash and reflect in any sort of disorienting way.  Outdoors you have a clean beam of light that reaches out 100 yds on a dark night, with enough light being projected to clearly ID a threat to at least 50 yds. Ambient light, vegetation and use will obviously affect your ability to see at distance, so always test any light in a wide range of conditions to get a feel for it.

INFORCE WMLs with IR

INFORCE WMLs with IR

INFORCE WMLs with IR

INFORCE WMLs with IR

The simple pressure switch on the back of the light allows for momentary or constant on, which is a plus over using a standard tape switch. You simply press and hold the button for at least one full second, and afterwards it will shut off after releasing pressure. If you wish to use the constant on function, say to open a door with one hand, you give the pad a quick tap and it will go to constant on. A quick “double tap” of the pad will initiate the “strobe” feature. There is a manual lock out gate which flips up to block unintentional activation of the switch. This is a simple enough solution to prevent “white light NDs”, however the bezel can also be backed out to insure the light doesn’t come on .

The main feature that drew me to this light is its IR capability. Having used tip off IR filters for years on white lights, the idea of simply of simply throwing a lever to access this mode is appealing. The tip-off filters are expensive and somewhat fragile in comparison to the lights they are mounted to. I’ve broken and lost numerous IR filters over the years, and lately have been looking at IR/White light conversion heads for my Surefire Scout lights. The cost of just one conversion head is about the same price as two new Inforce WMLs.

Based off the cost, weight, output, ease of use and features of the WML, I am extremely pleased. I think its a lot of light for the money, and a great pick for those needing the IR capability for use with night vision. The switch mechanism is intuitive to those that use a forward extended grip on their rifle, as the shooters thumb aligned with the rear button if using the “c-clamp” or “thumb forward” techniques. I imagine those that still use a vertical grip will have issues with its activation, based off the position of their hand.   Check them out, and give one a try. InForce has new variants coming out all the time, so it’s best to check their website every so often.

http://www.inforce-mil.com/; on Facebook here.

For more information check out Generalities of White Light Employment Part 2, Considerations for Lights, Mounts and Lasers and Fighting in Low Light.

Product Specifications:                

Light Output, White LED

High: 175 lumens

Low: 30 lumens

Light Output, IR: 850 nm

High: 75 mW

Low: 25 mW

Run Time, White LED

High: 1.5 hours

Low: 10 hours

Run Time, Infrared LED

High: 3.5 hours

Low: 17 hours

Multifunction Button/Activation Switch Features:

Primary White LED:

• Constant and Momentary High, Low and Strobe

• Reversible High/Low to Low/High Capability

• Strobe Disable

Secondary IR LEDs:

• Constant High and Low

• Momentary High

Measurements: 4.1″ L. x 1″ Bezel D.

Weight w/ Batteries: 3 oz.

Batteries: 1 x 123A Lithium

⚠️ Some hyperlinks in this article may contain affiliate links. If you use them to make a purchase, we will receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. It’s just one way to Back the Bang. #backthebang 

 

Nate Murr

Nate Murr

About the Author

Nate is a former USMC Sergeant turned nasty civilian and idiosyncratic inventor. He lives largely on nicotine, whiskey, and hate and can be frequently found orating Kipling poems to frightened hipsters. A renowned procrastinator and storied adventure protagonist, Murr is a graduate of the Camp Lejeune School for Wayward Boys. A combat veteran of multiple tours in Iraq and Africa, he was a Marine NCO, Infantry Platoon Sergeant and Scout Sniper team leader. Murr is a fully qualified American Jedi, self-described handsome badass and world-renowned field barista (true story - he's brewed great coffee on at least four continents). As anyone who has spent any time talking gear with him, Murr is something of an idiot savant when it comes finger-fucking stuff to make it work better. Nate only chain smokes when he's drinking, and only drinks every day. We reckon he is probably best described as a sociopathic philosopher with vestigial cutthroat (though poetic) tendencies. Thus far Murr's writing has appeared in such places as here on Breach-Bang-Clear, on Military.com, in field shitters and portajohns on at least 3 continents, in RECOIL Magazine and of course Penthouse letters. You can follow him and his company at @frontier_resolve on Instagram.

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