The Inforce APL Gen3

A good flashlight is a nice thing to have and having one attached to your firearms can be of great benefit. When choosing a weapon-mounted flashlight that will hold up under hard use, you have to consider the conditions for which it will be employed. If you intend to utilize your weapon light in the harsh conditions of Afghanistan, you may want to carry something different from what you would choose for an everyday carry pistol. Inforce is certainly not on the same level as Surefire or Streamlight, but they are definitely giving them a run for their money and the Inforce APL is no different.

The Inforce APL has been around for a while and has gone through several changes over the years. The generation 3 is the latest in improvements to the APL line of weapon lights and is available for purchase in flat dark earth or matte black. The Gen3 APL features an improved rail clamp with a much beefier design as well as better texturing on the activation paddles and an overall sleeker design. Powered by a single CR123A battery, the Inforce APL produces a focused white light beam at 400 lumens with a run time of around one and a half hours. The housing and many of its parts are composed of high impact glass reinforced polymer, while all essential components such as the lens/bulb housing and mounting hardware are metallic.

All of the APL’s controls are ambidextrous and it can be utilized in a momentary-on if a paddle is held down or a constant-on if pressed and released quickly. This is both a nice feature and a possible detriment, depending on the end-user’s method of weapon carry; twice have I personally killed the battery by accidentally turning on the light. That being said, the APL functions great and offers a very affordable weapon light option at around $120.