Ok, so Nightstick’s TWM-30 handgun-mounted light is not brighter than the sun, but it’s pretty dang bright. Especially for a handgun-mounted light, 1,200 lumens outshine even some long-gun weapon lights. This light works great on full-size handguns and some compact models.
I have used a lot of Nightstick’s long gun lights over the years and remain impressed to this day.
Nightstick makes some awesome lights and a surprisingly affordable price. You can gauge the quality of some products based on the price, but with Nightstick, the quality is much higher than the price. You can pick up the TWM-30 for about $140, a great price for a bright, durable light.
About the Nightstick TWM-30 Handgun Mounted Light
The TWM-30 is what I would call a “standard” size light. It’s 3.5 inches long and 1.5 inches in width and depth. For comparison, it’s about the same size as the Streamlight, TLR-1 HL. When it comes to brightness, however, it’s not the same as the TLR-1, it’s brighter.
As I mentioned above, the TWM-30 is 1,200 lumens which is about as bright as handgun-mounted lights come. Even though it’s brighter than most other lights, it still has a run time of 1.75 hours. It runs on two CR123 batteries which is standard for handgun-mounted lights.
According to Nightstick, this light is IP-67 dustproof and waterproof (which we will test shortly). It’s made of 6061-T6 aluminum to keep it light, yet durable. Overall, the light weighs 4.5 ounces.
Nightstick offers a limited lifetime warranty on the TWM-30, which shows the confidence Nightstick has in their product.
Operating the TWM-30
The light is fully ambidextrous. To activate it, press down on either of the power switches located on each side. It’s easy to activate the light when mounted on a handgun, which surprisingly is not this way on other brands of lights. With the TWM-30, the switches are firm, but not hard to push.
Strobe and lockout features are included just like with Nightstick’s other handgun-mounted lights.
The lockout feature is to keep the light from turning on when it’s being stored or during traveling. You can activate this by pressing down both switches at the same time for several seconds. The light will flash once and turn off. While in this mode, the light will remain off even if a switch is pushed.
To turn it back on, press and hold both switches again for several seconds until the light flashes once.
To turn the strobe feature on, press both buttons five times quickly. A few quick flashes from the LED confirm the strobe is active. While in this mode, press the power button twice in a row to turn on the feature. Repeat the same process to turn the strobe feature back off.
Torture Testing: Can it hold up to harsh environments?
The easiest way for me to test a product with a waterproof rating is to throw it in water. I submerged the TWM-30 in a bowl of water for 30 minutes to test this claim. It was still running when I took it out. This would satisfy any concerns I have with water intrusion from rain or dropping it in water.
If an electronic fails to work in cold temperatures, it’s mostly a battery issue. But I thought I would put it in the freezer anyway to see how it does. I left the TWM-30 in the freezer overnight to make sure it froze. The next morning it was a bit frosty, but still functioned properly.
Next, I wanted to exaggerate the abuse a light would get from daily use. For this, I ran it through the dryer on the “normal” setting. I’ve done this with other lights and optics in the past and had one optic break. It’s surprising how much a metal object bounces around in the dryer when there’s nothing else in there. Nothing broke and the light continued to function as it should.
When the dryer test was over, I turned the light on and left it to run down. As indicated by Nightstick, the light lasted a little more than 1.5 hours. And this was after I left it on for 30 min in the water.
What guns and holsters work with the Nightstick TWM-30?
As I mentioned above, this is a full-size light, so it will work on many compact guns but works best with larger handguns. I mounted it to a Glock 17, Walther PDP, and Sig M17 and liked the way it fit. It also works great on guns with shorter barrels, it just sticks out a little more past the muzzle of the gun.
It wouldn’t fit on compact guns like the Glock 43, FN Reflex, or other guns in that range. But it works great on everything else and is easy to use with the power switches on each side.
A flathead screwdriver can be used to tighten the bolt and secure the light to the gun’s rail. It would be nice if there were small posts or something on the bolt. This would allow you to put it on and take it off without any tools. But again, that’s just my preference.
When it comes to holsters, Safariland has a lot of options for the TWM-30. For instance, when selecting a holster for the Glock 19 with a TWM-30 light, there are 79 options. When selecting a Glock 17 MOS with standard size optic and TWM-30, there are 46 holsters available.
Among my favorites is the 7360 RDS duty holster. The rotating cover on the holster protects the optic from rain and debris. When you order, just select the option for the TWM-30 light. Safariland makes a ton of holsters for handguns and the TWM-30 light, so check out Holster Finder to find the right holster for you.
Have you tried Nightstick?
For a durable, high-quality light, this is a great addition to any handgun. It has a long run time, easy-to-use power switches, and strobe and lock-out modes. Not to mention it’s one of the brightest handgun-mounted lights on the market.
The light ships with everything you need to mount the light to your handgun and get it running (including four modular rail inserts). This is a light I would have no problem recommending to anyone. I will continue to use my Nightstick lights on my guns at home and work.
