[P95Carry]

My E1e 10 days ago came unclipped from my belt whilst snow shovelling. It landed in snow and so was not heard dropping. It was not till way later after more shovelling and snow blowing that I saw (with horror!) when I took my coat off - it was gone!! Yikes!

I did a search and even got out the metal detector but - some piles were I guess to thick and also - a lot of snow was blown under hedges - no access for detector. After appropriate (THR INappropriate utterances :p ) ... I gave up.

Not many days later after some useful thaw and still no flashlight - MORE snow!!!! So more shovelling and blowing - adding to the piles remaining. Great!! Further delay for finding it.

Late yesterday, after a very good thaw all day - I spotted the recalcitrant E1e - just freshly exposed in a large pile of remaining snow.... quite wet snow.

So, for ten days it had suffered extremes of cold (tho I guess insulated a bit inside the heap) ... but also with thaw cycles at times, obviously been quite wet potentially.

Good news is - brushed off bit of snow, hit the button and - 100% function, as if never lost.

I daresay these will take way more punishment but gotta say - was impressed, as well as relieved, as with the LED head this represents quite a spendy lil' number!! Makes the cost seem more bearable.:)

[yesterdaysyouth]

i guess a snowblower would make for a good torture test...:eek:

[Arc-Lite]

interesting story....guy over on the CPF...in Italy, took his, tied a line to it...and droped it in 10 meters of water....(33 feet+) for an hour.....came up still ticking... say allot for these pocket torches.... glad it worked out...man I hate to lose things !!!! better get a new inside pocket.....and a better detector.

[Del3030k]

This is kinda related, not in the Surefire itself, but more as to the condition.

I keep my keys on a REAL carabiner. Always have, for at least the last 7 years or so. And, it is a locking, screw type type, made by Petzl, to those in the know (Retired to keychain duty after a 60 ft drop onto rocks- just can't trust them 100% after that)

Anywho, 2 years ago, while out Christmas shopping with the girl, we went to Best Buy. There were a million cars a lot built for 200 cars, so I parked my pickup in the grass/snow/mud/wetness over the curb way out away from the store, and away we went.

Later, after shopping, it was dark, and as I was loading the purchases into the shell of my truck, I must have hit my carabiner that was clipped, but not locked on my belt loop, and knocked off the keyless entry remote to my girlfriends 2 week old Focus right there. It was dark, and had been snowing, and we didn't even notice. I didn't even realize until I wanted to drive the new car a couple of days later and the remote wasn't there. She FREAKED OUT!!!! I didn't notice it was gone, because I was only carrying it for like 2 weeks until I lost it.

Well, we lloked EVERYWHERE we could think, with no success. Until 3 weeks later, after Christmas, when we were back at Best Buy and needed to make a return. I thought, maybe, just maybe, we should look out in the grass. And sure enough, it was there. And, IT STILL WORKED!!! After 3 weeks of Cincinnati winter, it still worked on the first try.

So, these little electronic devices that are meant to be carried are now being built MUCH tougher. I think your light and my remote will last a long time, if we can keep our hands on them!!! :neener:

[Kevlarman]

Actually someone on CPF dropped his L4 into the snow and found it days later after it got into a fight with a snowblower.

Of course, the light was beat to hell and has several deep gouges in it, but the light worked! A testament to the durability that is Surefire!

http://www.candlepowerforums.com/ubbthreads/showflat.php?Cat=&Number=866719&page=&view=&sb=5&o=&fpart=all&vc=1

[GLOCKME]

Great luck on your part!!

I know that this Surefire is the "itty bitty" of the bunch!!

I know that if my Lab didn't find it-it would be lost till spring!! :)

[P95Carry]

Brenden - I was impressed - tho at same time after the loss - hoping it would indeed live up to expectations.

I realized that the belt clip had gotten rather slack and wondered whether to try and contact Surefire for some form of replacement. I then tho found that careful use of a small vice - exerting squueze immediately over the top of clip did revitalize that quite easily.

[Size15s]

I find that I have to adjust the tension of the pocketclip of my EDC (L2) every once in a while. I remove the clip and give the "U" part a bit of a gentle squeeze with my Leatherman. This can weaken the clip over time so be careful. I'm sure that you call SureFire and explain that your clip is more as retentive as it once was they will be able to set you up with a replacement.

Al

P.S.
I lost my cellphone - it sat in the middle of a pub car park for about 48 hours in the rain until I could return to the pub and locate it. It's the same cellphone I've had since 1998. Still works.

[P95Carry]

Al - not sure just by cursory glance - just how the clip would be removed for replacement. Mine is good for another few ''squeeze-downs'' but could well be a replacement will be wise.

So - anyone know the method for clip removal?

[Size15s]

Remove the bezel.
Remove the o-ring.
Here there are several techniques.
1) I push the clip up out of it's location grove (mind the plastic widget) by placing the clip on a hard surface (like a metal rule on the edge of a desk top) and carefully force the flashlight down and in doing so the clip out of the grove.

2) Using a bootlace, string or paracord looped through the "U" of the clip pull out of the grove.

3) Return it to SureFire (or your Dealer) for clip replacement.

4) Discard flashlight (I can provide a suitable shipping address for environmentally responsible disposal) and replace with one featuring a better clip.

If you examine the desks in my office you'll be able to spot mine because I didn't use a steel rule for a while (one of my Technicians stole it because it was calibrated). Anyway, the marks along the desk top edge give my desk away. That, and the Shelby Chan photograph of, well, that would be telling...

[P95Carry]

Size15s - thx. In fact as soon as I removed bezel and really looked - I could see the groove and widget etc. I reckon mine'll be OK for another coupla tightenings but probably will call Surefire sometime and get a spare.

[Size15s]

So you won't be needing that shipping address then? :(

[P95Carry]

Hahaha - not this time around!! :p

I might be interested in the Shelby Chan photograph tho! :evil:

[Size15s]

One day I found my admin assistant had laminated it. A post-it note informed it was now wipe clean.

Back on the topic of snow and SureFires for a moment...
http://www.littlefresher.co.uk/torch/photos/P159.jpg

http://www.littlefresher.co.uk/torch/photos/P160.jpg

No harm to the 10X. I remembered to take in back inside with me (difficult to forget about a £500 flashlight!)

Al

[Size15s]

Sorry to follow my own post, but to contrast with the SureFires in the snow here is an A2 that was in a fire (not caused by the A2 itself)
http://www.littlefresher.co.uk/torch/photos/P162.JPG

http://www.littlefresher.co.uk/torch/photos/P163.JPG

I was on the SureFire booth at SHOT Show this year when somebody showed up with it (we managed to get him a replacement A2 right there I believe).

Al

[P95Carry]

Al - the casing seems to have survived remarkably well - considering Aluminum's low MP. The internals .... well even there, surprising. I wonder - what happens to that Lithium battery under such temps? Must be a shade ''explosive'' I'd have thought.

Sounds like you work for ''the firm'' .... despite the high prices, I am totally converted to these since having my E1e. Despite its diminutive size - even with the LED head (great addition IMO) it surprises anyone who questions the ''paltry 15 lumens'' - when I flash it into their eyes! :D

[Size15s]

Sorry to disappoint but I'm a civi working for a testing & research lab here in the UK.
I've got some friends at SureFire and I visit the SHOT Show and lend a hand on the booth. Don't judge me too harshly for considering it "fun"!

I began to attempt to remove the TailCap. It woulld have made a nasty mess and I was not prepared. I would have needed gloves and such.

Not all batteries explode in fire. I do not have any details of the incident but from handling it what ever caused the damaged was not the flashlight itself. It was burnt and cooked. It smelt like it had been in a camp fire. Likely was dropped, knocked or thrown into a camp fire by accident (!) and rescued the next morning.

Al

[P95Carry]

No disappointment Al - more a simple misassumption! Good tho you could spend time at SHOT show - something I would very much like to do one year - as long as someone could get me in.

So - Brit eh - well maybe you have noticed me mention - I am an ex (very EX) Brit .... and do not miss the place one bit - just a few folks. Test and research lab ... for some reason that makes me think of ''Which'' magazine! :D

[Size15s]

Close... We have worked for them several times in the past. However, we are more specialist.

[TechBrute]

I'm pretty sure Surefire would let anyone who has as many Surefires and as much knowledge about them as Al work at their booth... :D

[Sportcat]

My E1E elite with the LED head is my every day carry in my briefcase!

[Beren]

I lent my Surefire 9Z - one of the earlier models without the silly 'Combatlight' logos - to my ex while she was at a camp.

I never saw it again. She has no memory of having had it.

Surefires may survive some extremes, but don't loan them to absent-minded redheads without a security deposit!

[Size15s]

I'm interested to learn more about absent-minded redheads - find out what they do with the SureFires I can give them...

Al :scrutiny: