[ShelledPants]

Dollar for dollar, a light made by a Western company will outperform a Chinese clone.

That being said, chinese clones can look cool, and if you know your way around a soldering iron, you can throw a higher power CREE led into the clone body. This way you get the "tactical" features of the clone with a higher power LED.

Surefire is your best bet for ~$200-300
Fenix (by a long shot) is your best bet for under $100.

Keep in mind you have to buy a mount for said light, and you're faced with a similar conundrum. Do I buy a Chinese clone of a mount or a Western made mount. This is also dependent on how handy you are with metal. The Haley line of mounts are really quite nice, and the clones are pretty bang on, but your mileage may vary.

Worst case, electrical tape the fucker to the rail. It works in a pinch.


IMPORTANT EDIT:
When buying a light, look at "throw" reviews. This is what you want outside. Raw lumen count means fuck all when it's 100 feet wide at 100 feet. A tight beam which evenly lights a narrow cone is way better than a light that broadly illuminates an area dimly. Also, with lumen count in mind, you want to be able to preserve your own natural night vision and prevent backwash intensity (light bouncing back at you from foliage, walls, etc) keep your light between 120-300 lumens. It's enough to light an area within airsoft ranges and prevents your whole team from hating you every time you push your switch.