INFORCE WMLx gen3 Family

Weapon lights bring light into the darkness. Sometimes they should be a little smaller, sometimes a little larger. Occasionally, one also wants lights that can emit infrared light. That's exactly where the INFORCE WML family comes into play. We’ll tell you what to expect from the INFORCE WML Gen 3 family. 

INFORCE has been on the market for a while now and has established itself with its simply good weapon lights. They are also used by units, for example, by the police of Thuringia on their new “mid-range weapon” from FN Herstal. HERE are all the details on the police rifle from Thuringia. The lights have also been seen on weapons in Ukraine multiple times. You can recognize the Gen 3 version by its lamp head. This is fully metal, black and smooth, in contrast to the lamp head of the Gen2 variant in the image above.

Overall, there are four variants in two housing colors each. WMLx denotes the larger lamps and both long and short versions are available as IR or just white light versions. So, WML and WMLx with only white light and both as IR variants.

The IR variants provide slightly fewer lumens, but they can emit infrared. The regular WML White delivers 450 lumens and the WML IR “only” 400 lumens of white light, but also 160 mW of IR light. The WMLx uses one additional CR123 battery and therefore delivers 1,100 lumens. The WMLx IR gives 900 lumens and 1,000 mW of IR light. So, the larger ones are significantly brighter.

The WMLx variants are powered by 2 CR123A batteries. Unfortunately, a 18650 battery does not fit inside. The smaller WML variants only require one CR123A.

The lamp heads of the two variants are differently sized. They can be screwed onto each other’s bodies without batteries. With batteries inserted, the small head can no longer be screwed onto the large body, and conversely, the battery does not sit tightly and no current flows. Thus, you need not worry about mixing things up if you change the batteries of multiple lamps simultaneously.

Operation

The operation is the same simple and well-thought-out process for all versions. At the rear end is the pressure switch. This is best operated with the thumb. Pressing and holding activates the light, and as soon as you take your thumb off, it goes out again. That is the momentary mode.

If you just press the switch briefly, the light turns on and stays on. This is the constant mode. A quick double-click activates the strobe mode.

At the end of the weapon light, the shooter finds a small lever that can be flipped up. This is a type of switch safety that is meant to prevent accidental activation. It works quite well. However, those with slim fingers may still activate the light despite this safety, but it would be very cumbersome.

No cable switch is provided for the light. The ergonomics are designed so that it is mounted well at the top on the top rail. This is not possible on all weapon models, but side mounting works perfectly well too. 

On the side, there is a clamp mount. This can be operated completely without tools. First, loosen the fixing screw, open the clamp, and place it on a Picatinny rail. Then simply tighten the fixing screw, and the WML is mounted and secure.

Selector Lever

On the other side, there is a small lever. This switches between white and IR light in the IR variants. If you see a white line, the visible light is on.

For the white light only variants, this sets the normal mode or the momentary mode. If you see the white line, the operation is as described above. If you only see black, it doesn't matter how you press the switch; as soon as you release the button, the light will also go out.

White Light

In the application, the white light works very well. It provides you with a well-focused beam with a very usable range. In the forest itself, like with any lamp, there is the problem of self-blinding, but the white light beam penetrates deeper forest regions. 

IR Version

The view from the front into the light also shows the position of the IR LEDs. Four of them are positioned around the white light LED. This is not quite the optimal positioning, as unfortunately, the IR light is not well focused by the reflector. 

If someone expects a similar beam of light from the WML/x IR as with a laser illuminator or the laser box on rifles, they are mistaken. It is a flashlight and not a lighting laser. 

With the IR light, the lack of focus quickly becomes noticeable. The IR light is very bright and radiates at an angle of about 50 to 60°, but after 20 meters, the beam is already so unfocused that the illumination of the foreground darkens everything behind it. 

For comparison, we brought our PERST 3 laser. The bright round circle is the laser illuminator of the PERST 3 laser box. Since this is used more at greater distances, the beam must be focused to ensure enough light reaches the target.  The area in front is illuminated by the INFORCE WMLx.

The INFORCE WMLx IR illuminates the entire environment quite evenly, while a laser illuminator really only lights up one point. However, this does not mean that the WMLx IR is useless; quite the opposite. At short distances or indoors, the brightness of the IR light is perfect. 

Especially as a helmet light, the WML makes a very good impression. If you attach it to a swivel mount and turn it upwards in the room, you can perfectly illuminate a dark room. Both with white light and with IR light. This is called “Umbrella Lighting,” and it is often used as it is nice and bright without blinding anyone, thus functioning as a type of ceiling light. 

CONCLUSION: Overall, the lamps of the INFORCE WML Gen3 family are impeccable weapon lights. The white light is very usable in all variants, and the operation is simple and intuitive for all. With the IR light, we would wish for a bit more focus, but it is still a usable light source for night vision devices.  Those seeking a solid weapon light will find it in the INFORCE WML family.

Available at INFORCE WML lights starting from 149.90 Euro at TACSTORE in black and FDE.

INFORCE online