Crimson Trace CWL-202 Tactical Light Review: High Performance at a Low Price

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	Crimson Trace CWL-202 Tactical Light	Check Price

If your rifle or shotgun potentially serves a defensive role, having a proper weapon light is critical. Without the ability to positively ID your target and assess the situation, having a firearm won’t be much help.

Unfortunately, many “no-name” brands market lights with impressive specs, but they quickly fail under normal use or fail altogether. That’s why it’s important to go with a brand that you can trust and has a solid reputation, which is where the bigger names like Crimson Trace (CT) come in.

The CWL-202 Tactical Light from CT offers shooters 900 lumens of output at an extremely affordable price. It may not have all the bells and whistles, but CT doesn’t market it as such, which is something I respect.

I would like to thank Crimson Trace for sending this unit out to review. Now that I’ve had a few months of hands-on experience with it, we can get into the review!

Here at Gun Made, we were all firearm and gear enthusiasts before we were lucky enough to do this for a living, so we’ve been “testing” products for decades. With so many products coming across our desks, literally, we have a ton to compare to.

We always disclose if a product was given to us and how much time we’ve actually spent with it so you can make the most informed decision based on our feedback.

All in all, we love what we do, we don’t shill products, and we call it how we see it.

I was pleasantly surprised when I unboxed the CWL-202 to find many “accessories” included. At this price, I was simply not expecting to find extras such as the two CR123 batteries or double-stick tape to mount the pressure switch.

In addition, you’ll find mounting straps, Picatinny and M-LOK mounting attachments/hardware, and a push-button tail cap. Having the push-button tail cap is great, especially if you want to run it as a handheld light.

However, at 900 lumens and offering only one mode (high), it can be too bright for a dedicated EDC light, especially if you use it indoors or close quarters often. That’s the only “con” I can speak to, as I prefer a low/high/strobe option for different scenarios.

Regardless of how you decide to utilize it, you can expect roughly an hour and twenty-five minutes of run time from the two CR123 batteries. Even with the two batteries installed, it weighs only 4.9 ounces, which helps keep your rifle or pockets relatively lightweight.

Don’t let the lighter weight fool you, though; the anodized aluminum body is very durable, and the light is waterproof and shockproof for up to one meter.

Since the CWL-202 can be used as a handheld or weapon light, I made sure to hit the range with it several times and carry it around my house and property.

Throughout my time at the range with it, I had it mounted on a Springfield Armory Victor PCC (9mm) and a Primary Weapon Systems AR-15. With a few hundred rounds through both guns, the light never came loose, always activated when intended, and stayed on through my groupings.

It was hard to see if it flickered at all since I typically shot in daylight or early evening, but I didn’t notice any flickering in the minimal amount of lower-light shooting I did.

At home, I could play with the light more at night. The 900 lumens easily lit up areas 60+ yards away, and the spill covered a wide enough area to keep your peripheral areas sharp.

I don’t think I would carry it often as it doesn’t have a low output mode, but if you have a decent-sized property or only intend to use it in wide open spaces, it may work for your purposes.

A lot of times, I’m working in the garage or on the patio, so I don’t need all 900 lumens at once.

Reliability (10/10)  

During my time with it so far, it’s stayed mounted perfectly, turned on/off only when desired, and worked flawlessly with the pressure switch and tail cap.

Light Output (9/10)

900 lumens with a balanced throw and spill is nothing to turn your nose up at.

Appearance (9/10)

The light isn’t too large and has clean lines, but I wish the branding was less obvious.

Value (9/10)

With an MSRP of $99, and often found underneath that price, you get a ton of bang for your buck.

The CWL-202 checks a lot of boxes. It’s affordable, versatile, and durable. It’s a light that I wouldn’t hesitate to suggest, if you weren’t needing additional power modes.

Personally, I like all of my dedicated defensive firearms to have a light with a strobe feature, so I probably won’t be replacing all my lights with these. However, I can see picking a few of these up for certain rifles or shotguns due to their price and performance.

At a minimum, I’d suggest checking one out for yourself to see if it will fit your needs. If you decide it will, I’m sure you can find one for a heck of a deal.

As always, stay safe, train hard, and have fun.