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Cloud Defensive-Optimize Your Fight

When it comes to rifle mounted lights there seems to be a million versions of how things can be set up. The only thing holding you back is the amount of money in your bank account. What if I told you there was an affordable one stop shop for a name brand light, mounting set up and remote switch for under $175.00, would I have your attention ?

That’s where Cloud Defensive, makers of the Optimized Weapons Light (OWL) and the Light Control System (LCS) come into the picture. The company managed to combine their LCS system with a Streamlight HLX to form an amazing set up at a cost that gives a user 1000 lumens of light and a fantastic mounting and operation system for $174.99, and we were lucky enough to get one to demo, so lets dig into the what you get for your money.

SPECIFICATIONS

Manufacturer: Cloud Defensive & Streamlight

Model: LCS Streamlight HLX Kit

PRICE: $174.95 (Link: https://www.clouddefensive.com/product/lcs-streamlight-hlx-kit/)

Flashlight Specs:

• 1000 Lumen Output
• Run Time on High: 1.25 hours
• Run Time on Low: 23 hours
• Run Time on Strobe: 2.5 hours
• Beam Distance: 322 meters
• Length: 5.43 inches
• Weight 6.90 oz
• Uses CR123 batteries or rechargeable
• Operating Range: -40 *F – +120*F
• Rear mounted cap with control lead
• Integrated M1913 mount

Cloud Defensive Mount Specs

• Width: 1.32 ”
• Height: .575″
• Length: 3.5″
• Weight: 1.9 oz
• Features: Integrated Rail Channel , ambidextrous use, lifetime warranty

INITIAL IMPRESSIONS

I will admit I was unsure how this would all work our for a list of reasons, mostly because #1 I’m very new to weapons lights and #2 I had only owned one Streamlight flashlight and it was stolen from me very quickly after getting it a few years ago. All that aside I was very curious about this set up and how it would stack up in my mind.

The set up arrived in two separate packs, the first containing the light and switch packaged by Streamlight and the mount in packaging by Cloud Defensive. There were no issues with the packaging just something I noticed and wrote down to be thorough.

Opening the packaging I set myself to work figuring how I was going to set this light on my Noveske short barreled AR-15. I had a medium sized weapons light set up on this rifle previously so I had a little idea on what I liked but this was a different beast so I had to take my time and get it correct for me the first time around.

Assembling the Cloud Defensive mount was straightforward if you read the instructions and remember that you have to allow yourself space the wires of the Streamlight to fit in the Integrated Cable Channels (ICC) before tightening it all down. I admit I had to stop and start over but that’s not a fault of Cloud Defensive, its my issue with trying to listen to music and work at the same time. Once I reset myself it all went together as planned with no issues.

A few design notes before I move onto th build quality I need to mention. The mount features chambered and smoothed edges on the inside to eliminate pinch points to the wires and each mount features an “early exit” point, shown above. This allowed users the option of leave some of their wire out with a little more slack in it. This might be a small issue to some but to users this allows for more flexibility in mounting options. In the gun world more options equals more flexibility which results in a mount being able to be used across platforms. This is a huge plus

BUILD QUALITY

Build quality on the pieces of this kit are what you expect from a company whose gear is used by serious professionals in the field. No issues in fit, finish, labeling, packaging or delivery were seen by our team so far. The LCS mount is built of 6061-T6 Aluminum and every single one built is within the 1/1000th of an inch tolerance the company is known for, that’s impressive for a small shop that puts out serious volume.

If you do ever happen to have an issue with the Cloud Defensive LCS mount breaking you can return it an use the company’s lifetime warranty and get a new one. I’m unsure how many of these get destroyed or break due to manufacturers defect but a lifetime warranty is a long time.

STREAMLIGHT HLX QUALITY NOTES

The Streamlight HLX is built out of 6000 series machined aircraft aluminum and will easily take years of use in most any condition, thats a nice feeling if you want a light to last years or decades in the field. If it does happen to fail you, it’s also covered by Streamlight with a limited lifetime warranty as of the writing of this article.

Fit, finish and overall build quality on the Streamlight HLX is better than any weapons lights I have tested so far. Now that isn’t a huge list but does include some high profile manufacturers in the industry. These lights are built to keep illumination going even in the worst conditions and the build quality I’ve seen in our demo sample shows it.

COST, NOTES & VERDICT

What any review boils down to is What does it cost ? , Is it worth it ? and Would I buy it with my own money ? The cost from the Cloud Defensive site (Links above) is $174.95 and thats a lot of value and comes in at under most other competitions on the Market. Is it worth $174.95 ? I would say yes since I used my own money and not the sites to purchase the light and mount for review. If I’m willing to put my money where my mouth is that should say enough about what I personally and professionally think about this set up.

There might be some technical questions about the Streamlight HLX or the Cloud Defensive mount so we provided links below to the specs pages for each part of this package. At the end of the day the Cloud Defensive set up is a great way to provide weapons based illumination. The kit is cost effective, well build, versatile and uncomplicated. It’s a highly recommended piece of gear by me and this site if you are in the market for a weapons light

LINKS TO SPECS

• Streamlight HLX Specs: https://www.streamlight.com/docs/default-source/fact-sheet/297.pdf?sfvrsn=ebd1a7f0_4
• Cloud Defensive LCS Specs: https://www.clouddefensive.com/light-control-system/

WHERE TO PURCHASE:

Primary Arms: www.primaryarms.com

Cloud Defensive: www.CloudDefensive.Com