By: Shan Hemphill

Surefire is known for supplying quality, robust lights that are made in the USA, and supplies heavily to law enforcement agencies. Surefire products have a lifetime warranty, and there are many comments on the Internet about how Surefire has quickly resolved problems. Surefire is also known to be slow to release new lights, so their Turbo versions of the X300 and Scout have been heavily anticipated since their announcements at Shot Show 2022.

I obtained 4 samples of the X300 Turbo, allowing me to gather data from multiple lights, then compare versus some of the best in the industry.

Specs:

Lumens: 650

Candela: 66,000

Runtime: 1.5 hours

Batteries 2x CR123A

Switches: Ambidextrous push (momentary) / toggle (constant)

Water Protection: IPX7

In the box:

Inside the packaging is the light itself, 2 Surefire-branded 123A lithium batteries, instructions, and rail keys depending upon whether you’ve purchased the “A” or “B” version. The “A” version utilizes a spring rail key attachment system, and as a result, the box includes an extra spring rail and a tool to remove. The “B” version includes an extra rail key. Both also include a battery door pin to help keep the door from opening unexpectedly.

Fitup of either version is easy, but be aware that this is a large pistol light. It fits on the majority of pistols that utilize a full size rail, but it sticks out beyond the muzzle on most full size pistols. It even sticks out beyond the end of my compensated Glock G19x.

The X300 Turbo is exactly the same size as the X300 Ultra. That’s important because there are a million holsters for the X300U; you should be able to find concealment holsters for IWB or OWB, and if you’re on duty using a X300U already, you can keep your existing retention holster.

Even though the package is long, I have been comfortably carrying the pictured package AIWB. Yes, that means I appendix carry one of the longest pistol and light packages on the market. I do so in the Werkz M6 holster, but I carry in the deep position with a little negative cant dialed in. I find this quite comfortable and easy to carry day in and day out. While it’s not G43x small, it’s workable.

The light takes two CR123A batteries. While many people now prefer rechargeables for their lower cost and higher output capability, I do appreciate prime batteries for their long-lasting power output, and that I can easily swap batteries while training.

I tested all 4 of the X300T samples for lumen output in my integrating sphere, capturing both the absolute maximum, and calculating the ANSI / PLATO FL-1 lumens (which average readings from 30 to 120 seconds). Here are my results.

I also captured candela using similar measurements.

All the lights performed well, but I did observe some variance between them. This is typical of lights; the electronic components (especially the LEDs) can vary from light to light giving different readings.

It is interesting how the light seems to get stronger for about the first 15 seconds, then it levels out and drops off.

The competition

Given the high candela output of this light, probably the best light to compare to is the Modlite PL350 using either the OKW or the PLHv2 head. The PL350 is similarly priced, and the OKW head is rated at similar candela output at a rated 69,000cd. Here are my measurements:

As we can see here, the new X300 Turbo has significantly more candela than the Ultra, and has competitive output compared to the PL350 with the OKW head. This is impressive output from CR123A batteries.

I measured candela at angle, which provides a graphical view of the width of light intensity. If wider angles have higher candela output, then the light has more flood. If a light has a peak, then drops off near zero, then it has all throw and almost no flood.

In this case, you can see that the PL350 with the PLHv2 head has a fair amount of output up to 5 degrees. In comparison, the X300U is much flatter, showing in graphical terms how it provides much more flood than the other lights.

I also gathered lumen data, which allows me to measure instant max lumens, and calculate ANSI / PLATO FL-1 lumens, and runtime.

In this chart, we see that the highest lumen is from the Ultra, which is no surprise given that light’s focus on output and flood. There are two Turbo samples here because sample 1 seemed to have an issue with runtime that I didn’t see in the other 3, so I included sample 2 as an example of how the majority of the units tested out. It’s good to see that the Turbo can run 1:15 still outputting almost 400 lumens.

Practical Testing

I stood downrange and had each of the lights shone into my eyes. Excepting the Ultra, all of these lights were painful to look at and I had a hard time determining distance or position of the person holding the lights. From the camera angle, you can see that all of these lights provide a degree of flood, and each light has a slightly different color tint.

Summary

Here is a summary of the data shown here:

Based upon the data gathered here, I personally am upgrading from my Streamlight TLR-1HL to the Surefire X300T. In particular, sample 3 impressed me not only with output but also with a slightly warmer color temperature out of the group.

Firearms Insider Reviews - 8 Key Points

Claim to Fame:

Candela is competitive with the best pistol lights, backed by the Surefire reputation and fits in existing X300 holsters.

Target Market:

Military, law enforcement, and citizens who want some of the highest throw possible in a pistol light.

FNBs (Features & Benefits of this product):

Feature: 66,000 advertised candela
- Benefit: Provides high throw capability – can illuminate further out than most pistol lights
- Benefit: Defeats photonic barriers such as auto glass, headlights, and dark corners better
- Benefit: Helps control subjects better by blinding themselves
Feature: Same form factor as the X300U
- Benefit: Fits in all your existing X300 holsters
Feature: Retains X300 existing momentary and constant switches
- Benefit: Operator can select between momentary activation and constant activation
Feature: Surefire build and reputation
- Benefit: High quality made in the USA product with an excellent warranty

What other aesthetic options or finishes are available?

Comes in “A” and “B” flavors. The A version uses a sprung lever & key to lock in to the rail. The “B” version uses a key but has a screw to clamp to the rail. My personal preference is the “B” as I can clamp it down and eliminate rate. However, many people also have good success with the A version by using the correct key, or by putting some electrical tape on the top to reduce or eliminate the rattle.

Comes in black and tan.

What others are saying?:

T-Rex Arms:

Surefire was able to change the throw of this light without changing the external dimensions or size of the light itself, so you’ll be able to use with the holsters out there. They were able to squeeze this power out of CR123A batteries.

Big Tex Ordnance:

“Still the standard, I regretted trading up to the 1000lm from the 500, this has the right spot and a nice flood, fits my existing setup and I might be losing it but the switches feel a lot easier to manipulate than the ones on the 1000.”

“Great light; amazing throw, intense hotspot, but still has a decent amount of flood. This is nearly as good outdoors as my Cloud Defensive Rein while being much smaller and still being the same size as my X300U. I don’t think you need to run out and replace all your old X300s and TLR-1s, but if you’ve got a handgun that needs a light, this should be a no-brainer.”

Link to other reviews:

https://youtu.be/Ra2j0mo_5zU

https://www.lowlightdefense.com/surefire-x300-turbo-the-king-reclaims-the-throne/

https://www.reddit.com/r/tacticalgear/comments/wjrnue/x300_turbo_is/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Ne1U85IEBA

Price point:

MSRP = $379

Primary arms = $322

Big Tex Ordnance = $322

I need it now! Availability:

Seems out of stock everywhere. I think Primary Arms might be a good source.

Our Rating:

Pros:

Some of the highest candela in this segment. 30 seconds in, my 4 lights averaged 61k. Some people think candela is only for rifles, but it is also useful for defeating photonic barriers such as when shining a light through a car windshield and against the car’s headlights. Candela also helps blind a subject, making it difficult or impossible for them to see you.
Still has decent flood, similar to the Modlite OKW. Not as wide as the Ultra, but testing shows it sufficient for most indoor operations. Output is good, and for indoors it is possible to shine the light up (umbrella lighting) or down against the bottom of the wall (baseboard) to help diffuse the light.
Consistent output: our testing shows 96% output consistency from run to run. Some lights are much lower, down around 85%.
Generous runtime of 1.5 hours
Utilizes existing X300 holsters, and literally everyone makes holsters for pistols with the X300.
Switches provide both momentary and constant activation, and do so intuitively.
Utilizes common CR123A batteries.

Cons:

This is an expensive light at just over $330 street price.
Switches are adequate and provide both momentary and constant activation, but they can feel stiff or sticky, and the momentary activation pokes my thumb under recoil.
Some people will see the high candela and lack of flood as a reason not to run the light. My experience is that high candela lights do restrict some of the peripheral view, but I know how disorienting a high candela light can be when it’s aimed directly at my face. I can overcome most of the concerns about “blinding myself” or “it’s too focused” through training.
It’s still a large light, one of the largest on the market.