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Bayco Nightstick XL compared to Streamlight TLR-1 HL

Epeeist

Elite
Founding Member
SO I have been a big Streamlight (SL) fan for years now and I have yet to have one fail on me. I still have a couple of 100 lumen TLR1 and 3 lights kicking around. When I heard that there was a holster called the Omnivore that was a level 2 retention holster that locked on the light bezel and would take any gun from my 509C to me X5 I was very excited. That holster is awesome, so much so that I started looking around for super cheap Streamlight knock offs that would work with my holster for my 2nd tier guns.

Most of the knock offs don't fit the Omnivore, but the search did lead me to something I had not heard of before, and that was the Bayco Nightstick series. Now the MSRP is laughably close to the retail on the Streamlight, but you can usually find them on sale somewhere for about half that. That is exactly where I got mine, from Gunpro for about 60 bucks. I thought I would compare it out here, if anyone was interested in a budget weapon light.

Does it look cool: It looks good, like 5 feet or more away and you probably can't tell the difference. Up close there are a lot more things to notice. The anodizing on the Bayco is not as nice as the SL, it does not have the shiny metal band on the bezel and the plastics on the switch gear are a slightly different shade of black. So I give it a solid B on the looks.

Mounting: The Bayco has the mounting system reversed from the SL, and the tensioning screw is slick and does not have the little tabs that the SL does that allow you to get it reasonably tight with finger pressure. I also think the screw is zinc, which I am not a fan of as using carbon steel is not that much more expensive, but a lot more durable. It also does not have all the little mounting adapter bits for specific guns brands like the SL. It comes with three metal (cast zinc I believe) plates that get "close enough" for all the guns I tried. It does not have the exact fit and tight lock up that the SL does. But once it was mounted up, it is tight to the gun, secure and is not going anywhere.

Batteries: This is the main failing of the Bayco compared to the SL. The Byco has a screw head that you have to undo to swap batteries. You have to have a tool to perform the battery swap. The SL does not, so a win for the SL. Battery life seems about the same.

Switchgear: One of the complaints I have heard from friends still on the job is that the SL series lights are too easily triggered accidentally. And this is valid. Any little knock of that toggle will fire the light for a split second and break light discipline. So don't run an SL when you are serving high risk warrants or doing dynamic entry, problem solved. For most of us, light discipline is not a serious concern but if it is for you, you are in luck with the Bayco. It has much stiffer toggle switches. I also like the stiches better. They are more paddle like and easier to hit with gloves. Overall, this is the one area that I think the Bayco does it better than SL and is a solid A.

Brightness: In this category I was really impressed by the Bayco. The "temperature", hotspot, spill and overall pattern were pretty much identical to the SL. So much so that I would guess they are probably sourcing the same electronics. Its really really good for a "budget" light. I give it a solid A for its brightness and light quality. On paper it is 50 lumens more than the SL, but I think outside of a light meter you would not be able to tell.

Overall thoughts: I was really impressed with the light for what I paid. I would not consider it for anywhere near the price of the SL, but on sale for $60 or $70 it is a solid value. I would probably not run it on any of my first tier guns, simply because I have TLR-1's or X300s on those guns and they do the job as well or better, but I would not have any problem recommending it for a good nightstand or home defense light. I would not carry it on the job for the simple reason that you have to have a screwdriver to swap the batteries, and that is a pet peeve of mine, but its a great value for anyone looking for a light of better quality than the UTG or Amazon specials, or if you are looking for a light to use with the Omnivore holster.
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