Gear Review: GRITR TL1c Compact Weapon Light

In this review of the GRITR TL1c, Clayton Walker takes a look at this intriguing compact weapon light. It fits perfectly on any number of self-defense pistols including the author’s Hellcat Pro. But, how does it perform? That’s something Walker examines in this hands-on evaluation. The weapon light was provided by the company for review.

Quite a few of us are old enough to remember a very different consumer landscape when it came to tactical flashlights. For quite a while, weapon-mounted lights gave shooters the worst of both worlds: they were overly bulky when mounted to a defensive arm, and at the same time surprisingly fragile. Things began to change in the early 2000s, though you could count the names of trustworthy manufacturers on half of a hand.

The GRITR TL1c compact weapon light aims to balance build quality, ease of use and value for everyday defensive carry.

Today, the flood gates are open, and a person can hardly keep track of all of the companies virtually tripping over one another to offer us increasingly smaller units with escalating levels of illumination power at progressively cheaper prices.

To be honest with you, however, I’ve felt fully comfortable with that particular technological arms race. There’s a surprising amount of thermal and chemical energy in a typical flashlight battery, and when it comes to high-drain devices — including those that I store in my nightstand and on my own body — I can think of a couple things more important than saving a few bucks.

The GRITR TL1c is a solid entrant into a crowded market. Note the lack of aggressive branding, aiding a “stealth” look.

Thankfully, GRITR’s TL1c compact weapon light is the kind of value-driven product I can get behind, and it availed itself well on my Hellcat Pro.

A Little Bit About GRITR

To better understand the product, a few words are in order about where it comes from. GRITR isn’t just a gear manufacturer — locals to the Dallas / Fort Worth region know the brand from its massive retail storefront (and combined shooting range).

Close-up photo showing the underside and side details of the GRITR TL1c Compact Weapon Light, with a focus on the precision machining and dehorned slide rails. Even in areas that would typically be hidden from view once mounted on a handgun, the craftsmanship stands out, with smooth edges and no sharp corners. The image illustrates the care GRITR puts into quality control, supporting the article’s point about high standards in design and production. The finish is consistent and there are no visible machining marks or rough spots, adding to the premium feel of the product. This photo is useful for readers who want to know about real-world build quality, not just specs on paper. — Machining is excellent even in places nobody will see. Even the slide rails are thoughtfully dehorned.

As the tale is told by Adam McAuley, GRITR’s lead product developer, the genesis of every product bearing the company’s namesake — from their holsters to this weapon light — was borne of a desire to provide their retail customers with quality gear at affordable prices. Essentially, products that can compete with the established names in the firearms accessories world, but without the name brand premium. Certainly, we’ve all heard similar pitches from similar companies, so skepticism is warranted.

The difference is in the people and the testing environment. At GRITR’s headquarters, the team consists of a variety of instructors and license-to-carry trainers with law enforcement and military backgrounds (including a former Green Beret), and their facilities include a real-deal shoothouse frequented by the local police department. The company’s brain trust is further enhanced by a number of very experienced shooters and competitors who call the GRITR Sports location their local haunt.

The GRITR TL1c features ambidextrous activation buttons for fast, intuitive use from either hand. This design suits both right- and left-handed shooters in defensive scenarios. Close-up photo of the GRITR TL1c weapon light’s activation buttons, demonstrating their ambidextrous placement and ease of use. Both the left and right sides of the unit have identical, textured switches that can be easily engaged with either the weak-hand thumb or the dominant hand’s index finger. The buttons are slightly raised for tactile feedback, allowing for fast operation in low-light or high-stress situations. The image highlights the user-focused design discussed in the review, emphasizing accessibility for all shooters regardless of hand dominance. The finish and construction around the controls are smooth and sturdy. — Activation buttons are ambidextrous and easily clicked with the weak-hand thumb or dominant hand index finger.

Simply put, what GRITR offers to the rest of us goes through all of these guys first. Adam adds that not only has the TL1c been pressure-tested by a cadre of very experienced men and women, but as an engineer himself, he’s opened the guts of these units up to make sure the wiring and electrical components are solid, and that the quality of the pre-production samples is identical to what’s coming off the line today.

The takeaway from my conversation with Adam: GRITR doesn’t do “cheap.” Unlike a number of the faceless brands ready to sell you a $30 torch from destinations unknown, which may or may not perform as advertised, this light has been assiduously vetted. An American company consisting of enthusiastic shooters and Second Amendment supporters stands behind the product — and they back it with a lifetime warranty.

Features

I’m always appreciative of tactical lights that are dummy-proof. Here, GRITR gives you absolutely everything you need with none of the features I would describe as “fiddly.” A single tap on the activation button turns the light on; one more turns it off. The button can be held for a momentary activation mode and “double-clicked” to engage the strobe feature. Though there’s a lot of lateral surface area on the buttons themselves, the light engages by pushing them from the rear in a forwards (rather than a sideways) direction. I was over the learning curve in about three seconds and found the buttons just as comfortable to engage with my right index finger or left thumb when shooting.

Close-up image of the GRITR TL1c Compact Weapon Light showing the illuminated battery indicator light. The indicator is a small, multicolored LED that changes color based on battery charge — green for full, blue for moderate, and red for low. This lets users check the light’s remaining power at a glance with just a single tap of the activation button. The clear, simple visual display helps prevent unexpected power loss, which is especially important in defensive or tactical situations. The light’s placement is easily visible and accessible, supporting the article’s focus on practical features. GRITR TL1c indicator light, battery status LED, weapon light power check, tactical flashlight review. — The TL1c’s indicator light is extremely useful, letting the user know with a single tap how much juice is on tap.

As for the light itself, there’s just one power setting. On a fresh battery, the TL1c will throw 500 lumens of light at 3000 candela, with a maximum beam distance of 100 meters. After the unit has run for somewhere between five or 10 minutes, the power will drop to about 400 lumens and stay at that intensity for about an hour and 15 minutes of additional operation, after which the brightness will progressively begin to decline.

In real-life testing, I found the light level to be just about perfect for indoor environments. When it comes to light, sometimes less is more. While the output is echelons better than the 80-lumen tactical lights that were once state-of-the-art in the mid-2000s, it’s not enough to blow out all of the details in a darkened room or cause the wielder to become disoriented when used in total darkness. 400 to 500 lumens is an excellent “sweet spot.”

Photo showing the GRITR TL1c Compact Weapon Light illuminating a completely dark room, with the beam spreading out to fill the entire area. The light output is strong and even, making it easy to identify details in the room without producing harsh reflections or glare. This demonstrates the TL1c’s effectiveness in providing situational awareness while minimizing the risk of blinding or disorienting the user. The review mentions this balanced approach as a major advantage for both home defense and general-purpose use. Key details visible in the photo include the defined yet not overly concentrated beam pattern. — The throw of the small TL1c is more than adequate for illuminating an entire room in absolute darkness, yet doesn’t risk disorienting the wielder.

I liked that I never had to wonder about what was happening internally, thanks to the multicolored power indicator. If it’s green, you’re good to go. The blue light kicks on when the unit has between 10% to 35% battery life. If the light is red, it’s a sign to stop what you’re doing and swap to a new battery.

Speaking of batteries, the GRITR TL1c is powered by a single CR123A. While that’s been the industry standard for some time as far as tactical lights go, over the last 10 years I’ve seen many products hit the market with a USB-rechargeable internal battery. That said, I’m swinging back around to replaceable batteries. As the saying goes, time is money: when the indicator gets low, I can switch out the CR123A and get the unit back to full power in less than thirty seconds, as opposed to plugging a unit in and checking every few hours to see if an indicator light has turned green or stopped blinking at me.

Photo of the GRITR TL1c Compact Weapon Light alongside a single CR123A battery, which is included with the product. The battery is positioned clearly next to the light, illustrating the simple and straightforward power solution for this model. This image is used to show readers that they don’t need to buy extra batteries separately, making the TL1c user-friendly right out of the box. The review emphasizes the convenience of quick battery changes with this widely available battery type. — The GRITR TL1c comes ready to use with a CR123A battery included in the box. Simple, no-fuss power makes setup easy for first-time users.

On a personal level, I also liked the light for a few situations far beyond matters of pure defensive utility. The unit is designed so that it will sit flat not just on the rails, but on its tail buttons as well. If you’ve ever wanted a light to stay put while you’re working underneath something, or to sit on a shelf to provide a little extra light for a work space, the TL1c can make do in a pinch. Unlike a conventional flashlight, and even most tactical flashlights, it won’t roll away when placed on a flat surface.

Construction and Durability

Out of the box, it’s clear this is a quality light. the GRITR TL1c is made from a 6000-series aluminum alloy with a matte, tungsten gray finish. It’s a dark color that should look good alongside just about any black firearm. Additionally, all of the branding on the light is embossed, which adds to the “stealth” feel. What’s more, the color is achieved through hard anodization, not paint or a plastic shell.

Photo of the GRITR TL1c Compact Weapon Light surrounded by an assortment of included rail spacers and adapters, laid out to show the options provided for fitting the light to different handgun rails. Each spacer is designed for specific brands or models, ensuring that users can achieve a secure and proper fit on a variety of pistols. This detail supports the article’s focus on the TL1c’s versatility and user-friendly setup, making it suitable for almost any defensive handgun. The light and spacers are arranged neatly, with some spacers labeled or differentiated by size and shape. — The GRITR TL1c comes packaged with multiple spacers to fit a wide range of defensive handguns. These adapters make installation straightforward and secure on most popular models.

Close inspection reveals very good machining throughout the weapon light. There are no sharp angles anywhere on the unit, so it won’t chew up garments or compatible holsters. The lens itself is made of tempered glass, and the TL1c has been drop tested at a height of one meter. The light also has an anti-abrasive finish, so it should wear pretty well even several years down the road.

Photo of the GRITR TL1c Compact Weapon Light attached to the accessory rail of a Springfield Armory Hellcat pistol. The light fits securely beneath the barrel, with controls easily accessible for quick activation. The image demonstrates proper alignment, showing that the TL1c integrates well with the Hellcat’s compact frame without overhang or interference with holstering. Both the light and pistol are positioned to show their relative proportions and how the accessory complements the firearm’s design. The review mentions this as an example of the TL1c’s broad compatibility with defensive handguns. — The Tungsten Gray anodized finish looks good mounted on the black Hellcat Pro. It’s very slightly two-tone and businesslike, but still adds a touch of flair.

The GRITR TL1c also meets IPX7 Waterproof specifications, which means that the light can be completely submerged in water up to three meters deep for up to thirty minutes and it will keep working. The unit also has a service life of 50,000 hours: if you were wondering, that’s nearly six years of operation. At least for the tasks I’m using it for, I’ll very likely die before this light does.

The Wrap Up

Retailing for just a hair shy of $100, I think the GRITR TL1c is worth every penny of the asking price. While I tested the light on my Hellcat Pro, the unit comes with a number of rail keys to ensure an excellent fit to just about every Springfield Armory handgun, including the Echelon, Prodigy, XD series and railed 1911s.

The GRITR TL1c comes securely packaged with all included accessories ready for setup. Image: GRITR

Again, there are a lot of choices in this product space. However, the GRITR TL1c is a solid little weapon light with excellent build quality made by a company that cares. It’s found a permanent home on my Hellcat Pro, and I think you’ll be similarly happy if you choose give it a whirl.

Editor’s Note: Please be sure to check out The Armory Life Forum, where you can comment about our daily articles, as well as just talk guns and gear. Click the “Go To Forum Thread” link below to jump in!