A Bright Future For SureFire's Compact XC3 Weapon Light

SureFire’s X300 weapon light has been the standard for law enforcement and military personnel since 2005, and the release of the 1,000-lumen X300 Ultra in 2018 made that great light even better. However, while no one doubted the X300’s quality construction or retina-melting output, many shooters wanted a slightly smaller light with all the same features.

That’s why SureFire introduced the XC3. While it can’t match the X300 Ultra’s output, the XC3 does manage 550 lumens of LED light, which is outstanding for a compact weapon light.

The XC3 also produces 7,200 candela, a measure of luminous intensity in a given direction. That’s a lot fewer than the X300 Ultra’s 11,300, but while law enforcement may need that kind of power, for concealed carry all you really want or need is enough light to see whether an attacker is armed. In the home, you want enough light to identify a potential target and fully illuminate your surroundings—but not so bright that the light washes out the room and makes it difficult to see.

The XC3’s 7,200 candela is a good compromise between light spread and throw, and SureFire’s Hybrid beam has reflectors that produce a strong central beam and use remaining light to flood the surrounding area. The outer cone spills enough light to see all the darkened corners of your home or a dark alley, but the bulk of the 550 lumens is centered at 12 o’clock and is powerful enough to illuminate objects up to 185 yards.

Big Beam

With the light turned on in a 10x12-foot bedroom, from the middle of the room with the light pointed all the way to the left, I could see objects on the right side of the room.

In my basement it illuminated a 20x9-foot wall from top to bottom and side to side at 21 feet. In short, it’s powerful enough that it illuminates to the ceiling in most rooms and at most practical defensive ranges even when the muzzle is pointed downward—a major safety consideration.

Tapping into this level of performance in such a small light is impressive. The XC3 weighs just 2.65 ounces with battery and measures 2.6 inches long with a bezel diameter of less than an inch.

The light is powered by a single CR123A battery and boasts a 1.75-hour runtime. There’s a lockout feature so you won’t accidentally activate the XC3 and drain the battery.

Construction

The XC3 features a rugged machined aluminum body with a mil-spec hard-coat anodized black finish. Gasket seals prevent water from entering the body, and the XC3 comes with an IPX7 waterproof rating.

Each XC3 light comes with two crossmembers. The universal (marked “U”) comes installed on the light, and there’s also a Picatinny/SIG (“P & S”) crossmember.

This allows you to swap between guns that might have different rails. You can also rotate the crossmember to adjust the positioning of the light forward or back on the rail. SureFire recommends pressing the crossmember fully forward in the rail slot to prevent any movement under recoil, in case the rail slot is slightly larger than the crossmember.

SureFire’s activation system is easy to operate. Quickly press and release the activation pads on either side of the trigger guard to turn on continuous light. If you want momentary light, press and hold the activation pad for as long as you want, then release to turn off.

Mounting and Operation

With the XC3 mounted on a Shadow Systems MR920 via the universal crossmember, I found the activation pad easy to use by pressing on the back of the pad or the angled top.

The pads are on both sides, so you can turn the light on with either your trigger finger or support-hand thumb, and I worked on activating the light with my trigger finger and deactivating with my thumb. My trigger finger almost always activated the rear of the pad. Because my thumb sweeps down from above and the pad is angled, I caught it every time.

Battery life exceeded the manufacturer’s promise, which is rare, and the unit got warm but not branding iron hot like some rivals. I also dunked the light in a bucket of water for 30 minutes, and it turned on following the submersion.

With its narrow form factor, the XC3 fits a variety of holsters. That includes universal light-bearing holsters and many, but not all, TLR-7 compatible holsters. This means you’ll have plenty of options.

The Size is the Ticket

What the XC3 gives up in lumens and candela it makes up for in reduced weight and size. It’s a great option for compact carry lights. It’s not the cheapest available, but I believe it remains a good value based on its American design and manufacturing, impressive output and ease of operation. It’s the biggest thing to happen to little weapon lights in a long time.

SureFire compact XC3 Specs

• Lumens: candela 550; 7,200
• Beam Length: 185 yds.
• Fit: universal and Picatinny/Sig rails
• Body: hard-coat anodized machined aluminum
• Length/Width: 2.6, 1.1 in.
• Weight: 2.65 oz.
• Battery/runtime: CR123A, 1.75 hours
• Activation: ambidextrous; constant on, momentary
• Price: $299
• Manufacturer: SureFire, surefire.com

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