There is a small movement in the firearms industry that is streamlining accessories and technology. We have things like the Crimson Trace RIG and the BLK LBL handguard with integrated bipod. The Radtec grips with a shot counter, and now the 4LUX from Viridian Weapon Technologies. I can’t help but like or downright love this movement. Who doesn’t like the streamlined integration of accessories and gadgets? I want lights integrated into frames. I want handguards that power accessories and more, but for today I’m going to settle on the Viridian Weapon Technologies 4LUX.
I’ve reviewed the Crimson Trace RIG, which is a similar idea. However, the 4LUX is much smaller and a little more streamlined than the RIG. That doesn’t necessarily make it better, but it makes it an alternative, especially if you prefer to keep things minimalist and lightweight.
Digging Into the 4LUX
The 4LUX weighs only 1.76 ounces. That’s it. A light that weighs less than two ounces is pretty dang impressive. It’s about five inches long and is an M-LOK-only design. Three M-LOK attachment points make sure it’s nice and secure when attached to a rail. It certainly won’t slide or slip when attached. The light/grip design is made from high-impact polymer that’s become the average for firearm accessories.
The 4LUX is not modlite or Cloud Defensive light. We only get 400 lumens from a fairly small emitter. While the light is made for long guns, it packs the power of a light made for compact handguns. Behind the 400 lumens, we get 850 candela, which again keeps this on the lower-powered light side.
The light uses two CR123A batteries which provide 400 lumens of power for about 90 minutes. One of the key features of the 4LUX is the instant activation mechanism which makes it easy to fire up as soon as you grab the grip. A very small white button sits at the forward position of the grip, and as soon as it’s touched, the light springs to life. It works very well, enough that it entertained me with its responsiveness.
As A Grip
The 4LUX is an angled foregrip with a dominant rear grip. A slight hump in the middle houses a small white button which activates the light. This is the type of grip that is supposed to be paired with a modern shooting style. It mounts to the front of the rail and mates well with the Magpul dynamics type of C-Clamp grip.
The longer portions of the grip are where the majority of your hand fits. You can pull it tight into your shoulder to fight recoil and keep the gun under control. Your trigger finger reaches over the hump and activates the light. Loosen your grip just a bit, and the light shuts off. It’s all very ergonomic.
The thin nature of the grip makes it super ergonomic and easy to grip. Oftentimes when I reach so far forward on my gun, my arms naturally want to pull it back just to rest the effort my shoulder is putting in. When paired with this grip, that natural feeling is taken advantage of, and the gun is very easy to control.
When mixing a light with a grip, the grip is often sacrificed in terms of ergonomics to accommodate the light. However, that’s not the case here. The grip is quite ergonomic and provides an excellent degree of control over the gun. It’s easy to hold onto, efficient in its design, and it just happens to have a light.
As A Light
Here is where things get tricky. We like to state that mission drives gear. That’s one of those phrases that is getting a bit overused, but it does apply here. Mostly. The 4LUX is not an incredibly powerful light. If you take it outdoors, you’ll feel underwhelmed at the 400 lumens backed by 850 candela. Four hundred lumens and 850 candela don’t override most photonic barriers either. It’s not a great setup for police or duty use.
It’s not an impressively powerful light by any means. On top of the limited lumens and candela, we also have a fairly small emitter. The beam the light throws is a spotlight-type design that’s made more to fill rooms than to throw a powerful, focused beam downrange. Let’s bring it indoors and place it in a home defense scenario.
In that role, the 4LUX does surprisingly well. The big spotlight design is impressive from the rather small flashlight emitter. It leaks light into every corner and crevice imaginable and does a fairly impressive job at that. Indoors, in the rooms, hallways, and closets, the 4LUX shines brightly.
The Big Why
Why would someone choose the 4LUX over a more powerful light, like the Surefire Scout, the Cloud Defensive Rein 3.0, or any other more powerful light? Powerful lights work well both indoors and outdoors. Admittedly one reason to choose the 4LUX is the streamlined design, and another is the fact that it’s a fairly affordable option all around.
The 4LUX is also a light that’s integrated into the grip, and I appreciate that. Besides being cool from a technical perspective, the light itself presents a more streamlined design overall. It’s not likely to catch on anything and won’t get tangled up when you retrieve the gun to respond to a threat.
Not to mention it weighs less than two ounces in total. Most lights are heavy, and if you want to keep things light (pun intended), then the 4LUX does that. I don’t like front-heavy weapons, so lightweight lights can help prevent that. If I’m only using the light for home defense, then I can deal with the reduced lumens and candela.
If you’re wielding an SBR or PDW, then the lightweight design keeps things manageable. It also bears mentioning that, as of this writing, the ATF is perfectly fine with angled grips on pistols. Meaning you can attach this to an AR pistol, and according to the ATF, it’s hunky dory. Don’t take this as legal advice because they are known to randomly change their mind.
Lights Up
The Viridian Weapon Technologies 4LUX is an interesting design. It’s built well and meant to be ergonomic and capable in its role. Admittedly the 4LUX is somewhat limited in its application. For indoor use and home defense, it’s capable, but outside of that role, the 4LUX doesn’t shine so brightly. As long as you keep this in mind, the 4LUX will serve you well, and outside of being a light, it’s a damn fine grip. Check it out here.
