by John Boch
(GunNews) – While wandering through the Wal-Mart sporting goods section looking for door prizes for one of our recent GSL Defense Training NRA Personal Protection classes, I spotted a Nebo Protec weapon-light to accompany the usual gun cleaning kits and safety gear door prize fodder.
My first impressions were all positive: Nebo Protec Firearm Light. $40. Compact. Mounts on rail-equipped firearms. Comes with a CR123A battery. Heck, it even has a DNA core sampler on it. What was not to like, right?
Once home, I took one of the three I picked up out of the packaging and tried it out, thinking I’d write up my findings for a useful product review for GunNews readers.
Loading the light with the single lithium battery, I turned it on and it was bright. The package claimed 190 lumens and I wouldn’t dispute that for a moment. The beam was focused much more tightly than I would have preferred, but it worked.
Problems began right after I checked my Glock 17 to ensure it was unloaded. When I slid it onto the rail of my Glock 17, it didn’t “click” into place as lights from SureFire, Streamlight and Viridian I’d played with in the past. Each time I got it fully onto the rail, the light would pop off.
I figured out it is supposed to be placed on then tightened manually. Okay, I can deal with that. Not fast or elegant, but it worked.
After pictures, I again checked for unloaded (twice) after picture taking then adopted a two-handed grip.
I gently pressed the switch and nothing happened.
Pressing harder, the light finally activated. The switch felt like it was full of sand.
There was no momentary “on”, it was all or nothing. And when it was on, the point of aim was at the very top of the light’s beam at nine feet.
To make matters worse, the switch needed even more pressure from the left side to turn it “off”, necessitating the user (yours truly) to break the two-handed grip to turn the cursed thing off.
The first thought I had? “This light will get you killed!”
The lack of a momentary switch or anything that could be used in a somewhat momentary fashion is a deal-breaker and then some.
It goes against everything I’ve ever been taught about using light tactically.
Cynically, I thought this would be a great product to offer to a potential adversary to use, because he’ll be a sitting duck fumbling with this light.
So, I highly recommend it for your local street criminal who doesn’t know any better. Another possibility for this light would be as a gift to someone you don’t really, truly don’t like.
Aside from that, avoid this light like the plague.
It could get you killed. Seriously.
I returned all three lights to Wally World and got a cash refund. Our students deserve a whole lot better than this poorly engineered product.