Streamlight TLR Series (Tactical Light Rail) Fitment Guide

Streamlight has released a TLR light fitment guide:

https://www.streamlight.com/resources/learning/tlr-fit-guide

It has been a long time coming, but Streamlight has finally released a TLR FIT GUIDE on their website. The navigation is a simple, 3-step process aimed to help narrow down the TLR series lights that fit on a pistol, rifle, or shotgun. At the time of this writing, they do not have every gun ever made on the list. That would be almost impossible to keep updated. Streamlight has some of the world's finest customer service, so if you don't see your pistol on the list, just ask. 

This guide will be very helpful.

I am excited to see this tool released! Our team gets questions every day from customers regarding the fit of a specific Streamlight TLR series light on their pistol.

What Streamlight TLR-7 Sub fits my pistol?

What Streamlight TLR-8 Sub fits my gun?

Does the TLR-8 Sub fit in the TLR-8 A or X holster?

I bought a TLR-7 X holster and my TLR-7 sub doesn't fit. 

My pistol doesn't fit the holster I purchased. 

My TLR-1 HL-X does not fit the TLR-1 HL holster I have.

I digress, however, I may go on and on later.

Frequent TLR light issues.

There are several different models of the TLR series of lights. Most of our questions are regarding the differences between the TLR-7, TLR-8, TLR-7 Sub, and TLR-8 Sub models. We are starting to see concerns between the TLR-1 HL and TLR-1 HL-X also. 

Here are some fitment details of the Streamlight lights we support. 

The TLR-7 Sub and TLR-8 Sub lights are designed to fit specific pistols or a Picatinny rail on pistols. The Picatinny rail is a universal, common design shared by many firearm manufacturers. (Do you see how this gets confusing already?) I am including pictures of the pistols without the lights mounted so you can see the differences in the rails of the pistols themselves.

Sig Sauer P365, P365X & P365XL

The TLR-7 Sub and TLR-8 Sub Sig versions are designed to fit the proprietary rail design found on the P365, P365X, and P365XL grip modules.  This rail has a closed end and doesn't have slots for keys on the bottom of the grip. 

Glock 43 & 48 Railed and MOS

The TLR-7 Sub and TLR-8 Sub Glock versions are designed to fit on the Glock 43X MOS, 48 MOS, 43 Railed, and 48 Railed pistols with a proprietary Glock-designed rail on the grip module. The Glock 43 and 48 do not have a rail included with the grip module, so the lights will not work on these models. BONUS: The Glock version of these two lights also works on the FN Reflex.

Springfield Armory Hellcat

The TLR-7 Sub and TLR-8 Sub SA version was designed to fit the Springfield Hellcat pistol. I have seen other holster companies use the SA version of these lights on the Hellcat Pro, however, we use the 1913 version since the Hellcat Pro has a 1913 Picatinny rail designed into the grip module.

1913 Picatinny Rail Pistols

This category gets a little deeper than the previously mentioned rails. Let's start with:

What is a Picatinny Rail?

A Picatinny rail, also called a "Pic rail", is a standardized mounting system on firearms that allows for the attachment of various accessories like scopes, sights, lasers, and foregrips, named after the Picatinny Arsenal in New Jersey where it was designed and standardized. It features a series of slots along the rail that allow for secure mounting of compatible accessories with consistent dimensions across different firearms. 

The 1913 version of the TLR-7 Sub and TLR-8 Sub are designed to fit compact and subcompact pistols that have a 1913 Picatinny rail incorporated into the grip module. For example, the Hellcat PRO, P365-XMACRO, P365-FUSE, P365-AXG Legion, Mischief Machine, and Icarus P365 Grip Modules have a Picatinny 1913 rail.  Most full-size pistols have this rail also.

The TLR-7 X, TLR-7 HL-X, TLR-8 X, and TLR-8 HL-X are all compatible with the 1913 Picatinny Rail. Each of those four lights is different dimensionally. These lights do not work on subcompact guns that have proprietary rail designs previously mentioned. 

The TLR-1 HL and TLR-1 HL-X are two different lights designed to fit on the Picatinny Rail. They are also dimensionally different and typically too large for compact or subcompact firearms. 

Should I use the TLR-7 Sub or TLR-8 Sub on a full-size pistol with a 1913 Picatinny rail?

My answer is no, use the TLR-7 X or TLR-8 X for full-size pistols with a Picatinny rail. The TLR-7 Sub and TLR-8 Sub series of lights were designed for compact and subcompact pistols that don't have the 1913 Picatinny rail. Using a Sub-series light will put you in a hard spot when you are looking for a holster. Yes, the 1913 version of the lights will work correctly, but your holster selections will be limited. If you insist on using one of those lights, I suggest you find your holster first. 

Conclusion:

I hope this new tool and my comments above help you determine the best Streamlight TLR product for your application. I am thrilled Streamlight took the time to create the guide, and I hope it helps you. 

If you need help finding the right holster for your pistol and Streamlight product, try using our Holster Finder page. The filter options are very helpful when narrowing down the pistol and light options you have.

As always, if you have any questions, feel free to contact us.