Inova Inforce carbon fiber light shown with green LED illuminated. This light is available with remote pressure switch and mounts for installation on an AR-15 rifle Picatinny rail system.

By Commander Scott Wagner

Here's a look at tactical and handheld flashlights from Inova and Blackhawk.

Inova
Inova produces a few tactical style lights in its X series. Available in silver or black, the XO and the XO3 have some good basic features with 4.8 and 5.8 watts of LED power output.

One innovative tactical light, the Inforce Color carbon fiber light, weighs only 4.5 ounces (1.4 ounces lighter than the similar-sized Inova T3), and the carbon fiber construction results in a light body that’s about 40 percent stronger than aluminum. Carbon fiber also dissipates heat better, and the Inforce features venting behind the lamp to allow for even more heat dissipation.

Designed for military and law enforcement end users, the Inforce features a 125-lumen primary white LED with tailcap push-button operation and tailcap twist function selection. The Inforce is constructed to MIL-STD 810 and is available with a remote tailcap and 1913 rail mounting system for use on rifles. It’s rated as waterproof to 66 feet. A lanyard can also be attached in the notched area under the pocket clip.

The Inforce features four separate LEDS in the mildly crenelated lens bezel, which is much less sharp than some competing aluminum light designs and may be better suited to police pain compliance and control tasks. The LEDs are all low-power, specific-purpose lights, and this is one of the few lights that have all four color choices: Red is for dark adaptive vision preservation, blue is for fluid detection (useful in crime scenes to help find blood or semen), green is good for map reading (but what it is really good for is tracking suspects across crushed vegetation), and white is for low profile navigation. 

Even though there is only one LED for each purpose, they are more than adequately bright. Here’s how the light functions are selected by the tailcap position: With the light pointing away and the tailcap turned all the way to the right, the light is in one of  two push-to-on modes. Pushing the button on and releasing it fully, the light stays on at full power. Another push turns the light off. Pushing the light switch in and holding it in, then immediately pushing again, reduces the power through two levels. (Nice feature, but one I wouldn’t use a lot.)

Twisting the cap one stop to the left sets the main lamp into a momentary on mode, which probably should be the first position of the endcap. The next position to the left allows you, with each push of the button, to select your LED color of choice. The next turn of the tailcap to the left gives you a momentary on mode for the LED you selected. The final stop position gives a constant-on for that same LED. I have been carrying it in my pants pocket for several days and have found that the tailcap has stayed in position and fixed on the setting.

The Inforce seems to be an excellent light system, with multiple applications and a minimum of complexity. It’s a good backup light for patrol officers, a good light for crime investigators, a good light for military personnel, a good basic tactical light, and, at 125 lumens, a good powerful light to mount on an AR-15. In my position on our tactical team as team sniper and as-needed entry position, I’d use the Inforce as, at the very least, a good backup light. The switch positions are easily learned and intuitive and overall operation is very simple.    Next Page

---

This article is an excerpt from Own the Night: Selection and Use of Tactical Lights and Laser Sights by Commander Scott Wagner. Click here to order your copy.