Olight sent us a sample of the Olight PL-Mini 2 Valkyrie Tactical LED weapon light to review.
The Olight PL-2 Mini Valkyrie is a compact rechargeable weapon light with an adjustable rail. We found it to be compact, straightforward, and easy to use, with a 600 lumen light to provide illumination when you are venturing into darkness with your gun.
The Specs
From the Olight website:
| LIGHTING LEVELS | |
| TECHNICAL CHARACTERISTICS | |
| Beam Distance (ft) | 328 |
| Beam Distance (m) | 100 |
| Max. Performance (lumens) | 600 |
| Charge type | Magnetic USB charge base |
| Compatible Batteries | Customized Li-Ion Battery |
| Light Intensity (candela) | 2500 |
| Light Form | Standard hotspot diameter with impressive distance. The perfect all-around beam profile. |
| Lens / Reflector Type | Smooth reflector (central area and flood area) |
| Mode Operation | Side Switch |
| Form/Size Factor | Small size (Car key / Zippo Lighter) |
| Series | Series PL (gun flashlight) |
| Unique Characteristics | Adjustable rail(authorized patent): Slide the rail adapter back and forth freely to fix the light in the desired position for your specific tool, making the PL-MINI 2 compatible with most light including subcompacts.Huge performance: 600 lumens with 100 meters of throw. Performance comparable to mid-sized lights.Convenient charging by connecting the light directly with the included magnetic USB cable. There is no need to remove a battery or plug into a port that will wear out over time.Quick install and removal within one second. Ultra-compact and lightweight. |
| LEVEL 1 (lumens) | 600 |
| Run-time LEVEL 1 | 600lumens (~60lm);1+60 minutes |
| Strobe | No |
| SOS / BEACON | No |
| Waterproof | IPX6 |
| Weight (g / oz) | 73 / 2.57 |
| Length (mm / in) | 52.5 / 2.07 |
| Head Diameter (mm / in) | 32 / 1.26 |
| Body Diameter (mm / in) | 32.5 / 1.28 |
| Led | Cree XP-L HD CW |
| Packaging | Carton box |
| Use | Police, military, tactical use |
| Package Contents | Flashlight x 1MCC (magnetic charging cable) weapon light edition x 11913 Rail Mount (for 1913 Rail) x 1T6/T8 Socket Head Wrench x 1Instruction Manual |
The Aesthetics
Thr Olight PL-Mini 2 Valkyrie Tactical comes in black, green or desert sand to match the color of your gun. We received the black one, which looked great on our FNS9.
This compact gun light boasts smooth, rounded edges and solid, sturdy materials. The Olight insignia adorns the left side and product name and serial number are printed on the right in white letters.
Ease of Use
Having just reviewed the Baldr Mini 600 Lumen Laser/Light Combo, (read my review here), I was familiar with Olight’s controls.
They perplexed me when I did my first review, but now I find them easy. If you are looking at the word “Olight” the beam is pointing to your left. Look to your right and find two little wings hanging off the back of the light.
Press one wing or the other to activate the light. A short press turns it on. A longer press keeps it on just while you are applying pressure. There are no adjustments to be made because the light has only one setting.
The key is to press in the right direction. Because it is solidly built, you will think the wings are immovable. They won’t go up, right, or left –only down.
The listing for the light includes an option to download a user manual.
Capability
The PL-Mini 2 Valkyrie gives a strong, constant LED light. If you shine it in someone’s eyes, like I just did with a mirror across the room, it will momentarily obscure the vision. This could give you a tactical advantage in dealing with an intruder.
For comparison, according to nadaguides.com, the low beam on a car is around 700 lumens and the high beam is around 1200 for a halogen light.
If turned on and left on, the PL-Mini 2 Valkyrie will maintain 600 lumens for one minute and gradually decrease to 60 lumens to avoid running out of power quickly. That’s a lot of light in a very small package.
Power Source
The included charger attaches magnetically to the PL-Mini 2 Valkyrie at the bottom and can even be charged without removing it from the gun. The charger plugs into your computer’s USB port or a regular plug with a USB adapter.
The red light next to the word “Olight” comes on when the power is low. I was typing this review on my Macbook when the light came on.
The Macbook charges with a lightning plug, and I have it attached to a docking station that allows the charge to flow through while I plug in SD cards and other accessories.
I plugged the magnetic charger into the docking station and simultaneously charged the PL-Mini 2 Valkyrie and the Macbook. The magnetic disk sat attached securely to the light and glowed red to let me know it was working.
The indicator on the charger turns green to indicate that it is done charging, in about an hour.
Adaptability
The light comes with a Glock rail adapter already installed. Our guns have Picatinny rails. The Glock rail will attach loosely to a Picatinny rail but once you snap it into place and secure it with the lockable side arm it will stay in place nicely.
I changed to the 1913 adapter. I used the included very tiny Allen wrench to unscrew two tiny screws from the sled of the PL-Mini 2 Valkyrie and remove the adapter and set it aside with its screws.
I seated the 1913 adapter into the inset on the sled, dropped in two more tiny screws, and tightened them with the same tiny Allen wrench. I am more verbal than spatial, but this task was simple and straightforward enough that I had no problem with it.
Attaching the PL-Mini 2 Valkyrie to the gun
While pointing the unloaded FNS9 in a safe direction, I grasped the PL-mini 2 Valkyrie in my hand with the beam pointing in the same direction as the barrel of the gun.
The sides of the sled that attaches the light to the gun have a measure of lateral movement that is activated by pressing the rotation point of the moveable arm.
You can’t just slide the light onto the rail. You have to attach the right side first and then swing the light to attach the left side. The lateral movement allows the momentary widening of the space between the arms. Tighten it into place by moving the the arm backward to lock it.
You can unlock the arm and move the light off the gun while leaving the sled in place if you desire. This also allows you to adjust it forward and backward to adjust the reach for the length of your finger.
The arm is very solid and is not going to unlock without an intentional act on your part.
The wings that operate the light end up on either side of the front of the trigger guard. This allows you to reach forward with a finger or thumb and activate the switch while holding your gun.
The trigger guard of the FNS9 is too long for my short fingers to reach with only one hand on the gun. My husband has enormous hands, and he can activate the switch easily with his index finger while holding the gun in one hand.
I can just barely reach it one-handed with it mounted on the Sig P320, which has a shorter reach to the end of the trigger guard.
After changing back to the Glock rail, I tried it on the Ruger SR22, a much smaller gun, and I was able to activate it one-handed.
Packaging
Olight’s packaging is solid and secure. The PL-Mini 2 Valkyrie came in a soft bubble mailing envelope. The carton itself is a compact rectangular box. The light was in a molded plastic insert along with the magnetic USB charger.
A thick paper insert printed with a thank you note was folded around the plastic insert, with a pull tab. The Allen wrench was inserted into slits in the paper insert and the extra adapter with two screws came in a zippable plastic bag taped to the paper insert.
The Company
Olight is known for high quality and durable lights. The packaging lists an address in Shenzhen, China. Olight does have a location in Georgia which supplies US orders.
The Warranty
Olight promises a 30 day money back guarantee and a 2 year warranty on the PL-Mini 2 Valkyrie with free shipping for returns.
Our Recommendation
The PL-Mini 2 Valkyrie is a solid piece of equipment that is easy to use and looks nice attached to our guns. If you are looking for a weapon light, this is a good choice.