He was determined to see if this weapon-mounted light could be relied on for self-defense and duty use.
SureFire provided the X300 Turbo used in this article.
SureFire is well known in the firearms and law enforcement industries and for good reason.
The SureFire X300 Turbo is a perfect fit on the Springfield Echelon. It is shown with a Leupold DPP red dot sight and a Kore Essentials buffalo leather belt with X6 gunmetal buckle. Image: Carson McDaniel
The company built a solid reputation by delivering high-quality illumination tools that can take a beating.
Ive tested and used more flashlights and weapon lights than I could possibly remember.
Most were mediocre, performing at acceptable levels but not offering anything that made them stand out.
SureFire is known for building high-quality flashlights and weapon lights. The X300 Turbo proved worthy of its heritage.
More than a few were real dogs that failed to live up to their marketing hype.
SureFire is one of those elite few companies.
Today, Im taking a look at the SureFire X300 Turbo.
Everything you need is included with the SureFire X300 Turbo. And yes, that includes the CR-123A batteries. Image: Carson McDaniel
What Is the SureFire X300T?
The SureFire X300T is an extension of the companys X300 line of weapon-mounted lights.
The T designates this as a Turbo model, suggesting more intense light output than prior variants.
Mounting the SureFire X300 Turbo on the Echelon is easy as Springfield Armory uses a standard accessory rail. The X300 Turbo can be adapted to non-standard rails. Image: Carson McDaniel
This is where I need to explain some terminology to ensure we are on the same page.
What Are Lumens?
A lumen is a unit of measure for the total light output of an illumination source.
The battery compartment of the SureFire X300 Turbo is easy to access. Image: Carson McDaniel
The more lumens you measure, the greater the sources total light output.
It does not consider the lights focus.
The bare bulb, for example, might provide good illumination for reading a book in your bedroom.
When mounted on the Echelon, the SureFire X300 Turbo extends slightly beyond the front of the gun. This is normal with many duty-grade lights. Image: Carson McDaniel
What Are Candelas?
A candela is a unit of measurement that quantifies peak beam intensity.
I liken this to the focus of the light.
The Echelon is a semi-automatic pistol chambered for the 9×19 Parabellum cartridge. It is the new generation of duty handguns for law enforcement and home defense. Image: Carson McDaniel
The higher the focus at a given light output, the higher the candela measurement.
Candelas and lumens measure different things, so there is no conversion from one to the other.
Lets consider the bare bulb and flashlight from the prior example.
The author tested the water resistance of the SureFire X300 Turbo. Even at twice the submersion time of its rating, the SureFire had no water intrusion and worked normally.
Lets assume they both have the same total light output.
However, the flashlight focuses its light output in a single direction.
It will have a higher peak beam intensity than the bare bulb.
The author tests the SureFire X300 Turbo at the shooting range. In the smoke, you can see the light’s bright center beam and periphery light. Image: Sean Johnson
Why Is This Relevant to the X300 Turbo?
The X300T is not brighter than SureFires existing X300U weapon lights in the way you might think.
The X300T outputs less total light (lumens) than the X300U lights.
On the Springfield Echelon, the SureFire X300 Turbo worked well. The author found the controls easy to manipulate. All ammunition worked flawlessly in the pistol with the light attached. Image: Sean Johnson
However, the X300T is highly focused to provide a peak beam intensity that is more than 5x greater.
But what does this mean in practice?
What role is the X300T intended for?
A higher peak beam intensity suggests the light output is highly focused to give you greater reach.
Bottom line neither is better than the other.
Both lights are bright.
The two differ only in how tight of a light beam you want.
Additional X300T Features
The SureFire X300 Turbo has a number of additional features that should be considered.
First off, the light has instant activation via an intuitive switching mechanism.
you could use both momentary and constant-on functions.
Pressing down on the switch kicked it into constant-on mode.
I appreciated the compatibility with existing X300U holsters.
It fit well into mySafariland 6360RDSduty holster with no modifications needed.
The X300Ts aluminum body has a mil-spec hard anodized finish to protect it against impacts and corrosion.
Water Resistance
The battery compartment has a tight seal with a rubber-like gasket.
As expected, the X300T had no visible water intrusion and worked precisely as it should.
Drops were made onto a cured concrete sidewalk from a height of one meter.
After the drop testing, the light had a few minor blemishes to the finish.
However, it functioned as if it had just rolled off the assembly line.
There was no damage to the glass, batteries or switch, and the light worked normally.
The Echelon is a striker-fired, semi-automatic pistol chambered for the 9x19mm Parabellum cartridge.
I love the feel and reliability of mine.
I ran a mix of ammo through the gun.
About half were FMJ rounds, which many of us prefer for practice and target shooting.
The balance was a sampling of duty loads with bullet weights ranging from 115 to 147 grains.
The light just worked.
I found the system was easy to use without much of a learning curve.
Attaching the light to the pistol was dead simple.
On either side of the X300T are serrated tabs.
You pull down on both of them and then slide the light onto the pistols accessory rail.
Once in position, let go of the tabs.
The light will lock into place.
They are small enough, however, that they do not get hung up on anything.
Final Thoughts
Like other SureFire products, the X300 Turbo is a solid tactical light.
The primary consideration for me would be the difference in the beam pattern between this and the X300U.
I think most homeowners fall into this category as well.
It allows you to reach longer distances and properly identify threats.
