Which Streamlight TLR-1 is fake? Can you tell the difference?

Where to Buy the Real TLR-1 HL:

Do you have an eye for fake gear? In this video we’re going to play a little game. I have a genuine Streamlight TLR-1 side by side with a fake Ali Express knock off. I want you to comment as soon as you think you know which one is the real and which one is fake, as I’m curious to see how many of you have an eye to spot the fake. At first glance the flashlights are seemingly identical, but as the video goes on you’ll see why the fake doesn’t hold a candle (or candela) to the real thing.

Before we dive in, please consider subscribing to the channel. Our goal at CRACKSHOT.tv is to help educate you guys on gear from budget to high end so you don’t waste money. Certainly, we don’t want to see anyone get scammed into buying a fake knockoff.

The streamlight TLR-1 HL is an awesome flashlight. I’ll probably do a short stand alone video on this flashlight at a later date to go over all of its features, but let’s take a high level glance.

Streamlight is known as the value option when it comes to tactical flashlights. Sure you can go more expensive with an incredible brand like Surefire, but like most things in firearms, Streamlight offers a product that has most of the capability of higher end brands at half the price.

The TLR-1 HL boasts 1,000 Lumens with 20,000 Candella, making the Streamlight TLR-1 HL a descent choice for the average consumer. You can typically pick these up for around $150, so it’ll come in at under half the price of a Surefire X300.

Let’s cross compare the two finishes. The flashlight bodies at first glance both look production quality. Both the real and the fake have very similar markings. I know personally, if I were to pick one of these up at say a gun show, I wouldn’t know the difference, even if I was carrying the real one on me at that very moment and could hypothetically visually inspect both. Even though there are differences with the markings, a quick google search shows that both appear on production flashlights.

Let’s check with holster compatibility. Both flashlights fit within a universal Blackhawk Omnivore holster. One of the two flashlights did not work in a really form fit kydex holster, which obviously will reveal the fake, so we’ll take a look at that at the end of the video. As far as I can tell, they are essentially identical in terms of size.

Weighing them both in your hand, they feel just about identical. There is a difference in weight, but we’ll weight them on a scale later to show that.

Next let’s test the actual function of the flashlights. Both lights are very bright at first glance. At short distances it is hard to tell the difference. 

Both flashlights feature similar controls. The controls feel and function exactly the same between both flashlights. The strobe feature works just fine on both.

I’ve shot with both at the range, and so far both have held up well, although I have far more rounds on the real streamlight then the knockoff, so I can’t comment on longevity yet.

However at longer distances in the dark, say the length of my house which is about 20 yards, you can start to tell the difference pretty clearly, although it may not be as obvious on camera.

Lets now weigh the two flashlights. You can see that the Black TLR-1 here is heavier than the FDE TLR-1.

Finally, let’s see if dimensional difference are more obvious when using a form fitting kydex holster. The Black TLR-1 slips in like a glove, whereas, the FDE TLR-1 just barely doesn’t fit.

And so, now it should be pretty obvious which one is the fake. Obviously this FDE TLR-1 is the Aliexpress knockoff. 

Well, clearly the two flashlights are not the same. The real Streamlight TLR-1 HL has really great performance, the fake operates at about 80%. I have no idea how long the fake one will hold up to actual range usage, but I can vouch for the longevity of the real TLR-1, as it has lasted me now around 2 years worth of range trips. I imagine the Chinese version won’t have the same longevity but time will tell.

So this is the scary proposition, how do you know that you are buying a genuine Streamlight? I don’t think you can honestly know unless you buy from Streamlight direct via an platform like Amazon, or if you buy from a trusted mainstream retailer like Cabelas or Midway USA. If you click on our blog post in the description, we’ll link to some trusted vendors where you can buy the real flashlight. 

That said, I would definitely be wary of buying one of these used as it would be very difficult to tell real from fake. So at the end of the day, buyer definitely beware.