[WonderNine]

Everyone seems to be into surefires. What's wrong with maglites? They seem to be very durable and are cheap. I have several. And you don't have to worry about them like you do a $60 "tactical" flashlight. I understand one of the benefits of the surefires is that they get really bright so you can temporarily blind someone. Is that the only benefit? Are they made out of steel?

[Soap]

The aluminum 3.2 ounce Surefire E2 is probably brighter than a 3-D cell Maglight. As you said, you may temporarily blind someone, but don't count on it. I just like the fact that it is bright since that allows you to see your object or area more clearly. You trade battery life for this performance. But that is the only Achilles heel of the Surefire lights. I take care of my Surefire, but I certainly don't worry about it. Its only $60.

[WonderNine]

I like the mini maglites. The 2 AA cell thingys :rolleyes:

They're so handy :D

[Navy joe]

I have mini-mags, I treat them like a Swiss Army knife, as in utility tools. Car lights are Pelicans/Hubbells because the batteries don't corrode to the plastic body if left sit to long. You don't know fun until you beat leaky batteries out of a corroded maglite. The Surefire is a specialty tool, my bump in the night/ travel with me tool. I need to buy more, I only have the 150 buck version right now. Need some small ones as well as the 300 buck 500 lumen model.

Advantages:
-Much smaller than a maglite for comparable light volume. Minimags aren't bright and D-cell mags are huge.

-Lamp is much more durable and has a longer use life than a maglite.

-Lithium batteries provide a much longer shelf life/installed life than alkaline batteries with no charge degradation. 10+ years. Run time depends on lamp intensity.

-More ergonomic. Tailcap switch and small body make one handed use easy.

-Did I mention bright? My M-3 combatlight coughs out 250 lumens from a package 1/4 the size of a D-cell maglight. No dark spots in the light pattern, provides good light out to 200yds. Last person I illuminated became disoriented and compliant in a hurry. "Shock and Awe" as it were. Saves you the trouble of shooting them or beating them with your maglite(bad idea).

[WonderNine]

beating them with your maglite(bad idea).

But I like that idea. :D

[DigMe]

Maglites are fine for utility/practical purposes. However it's not the light that I keep next to my pistol in my nightstand mainly for one reason - if I need to get a light on as quick as possible with a gun in one hand, twisting the flashlight is not what I want to have to do. I could get a full-size one with a switch (like the one I keep in my car) but that's too big to carry while you're trying to shoot IMO.

Tailcap switches are simply the best option for defensive illumination when combined with handguns. One thing I don't like about Surefire is the twist-lock thing. Brinkmann flashlights with tailcap system such as the Rebel LED and the Legend LX (not steel but aircraft aluminum I believe) have two modes on the tailcap switch....you can press down until the light comes on and depress to turn off for temporary illumination (it stays on as long as you hold down...like SF lights) or you can press all the way down until it clicks for permanant on. It's not hard to do and I think it would remain simple even in crisis time. Plus...those xenon/lithium lights are da bomb when it comes to sheer blinding light!

That LED light that has 20 hours of battery life is nifty but the brightness level doesn't even compare.

brad cook

[George Hill]

I've had to go Babe Ruth with a maglight a couple times in Richmond. Great light... Good thing to have with you. It hits with authority. Enough to drive a drunk man to his knees with a swift shot to his shoulder.

On my belt was always my little Streamlight rechargable. I prefer the rechargables due to such short battery life in these brighter tactical lights.

[QuarterBoreGunner]

SureFire is a flashlight.

MagLight is an impact weapon that has a secondary function as a tool of illumination.

[TarpleyG]

What QBG said. You won't understand 'til you own one.

GT

[rebbryan]

the biggest thing is maglites are fine if you just need light, like if you're looking around in the woods for something. maglites aren't good for clearing a house b/c you shouldn't use the constant on capability which is all the maglite has. it's a pain in the ??? to twist anyways if you did try and clear your house.

i've read some issues concerning where a temp on switch is located. it's "said" that if the light switch is depressed by your weak hand's index finger it will make your trigger finger "creep" closer to the trigger. guess that could be why surefire's are on the back.

the LEO's i know have a surefire or stinger for clearing houses, and carry maglites when they just need light.

[xjer]

I always loved my maglights until I bought a scorpion by
streamlight on ebay for $27.00. It puts out as much light
as the big maglights and it is the perfect size. I still have
maglights in all the vehicles and nightstand but I go for the
scorpion evertime.

Mike

[cool45auto]

I am currently carrying a Mini-Maglite. From what everybody says I'd like to upgrade to a Surefire.

[rebbryan]

cool i think you can still get a G2 from COHIBA for $29.95, i think the price is good till the end of May. i got one, it's nice, outshines my minimag by a lot. i think my bulb on my mag's a little dim though, but G2's still very bright. i carry it around with me

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?s=&threadid=20482&perpage=20&pagenumber=1

[WYO]

My SureFire is a backup light to my full size rechargeable MagLite. The rechargeable light is brighter and far superior in my opinion. The button switch is easier to coordinate with a handgun than the twist on or "hold on" SureFire switch. The only time I use my SureFire during building searches is when I have to open a door. I mount the Sure Fire on one of those TACM III magazine gadgets, on a magazine that is dedicated to building searches. I turn the light on then open the door with my off hand.

There are different theories as to constant on versus intermittent light. In one demonstration, we learned that cleared ground can become uncleared if the light is turned off during the search.

[WonderNine]

cool i think you can still get a G2 from COHIBA for $29.95, i think the price is good till the end of May.

Lots of places have them for that price. Also one I saw was selling a snotload of batteries for cheap.

[ruger357]

4 cell maglight under the seat of my truck. E2-HA Surefire next to my nightstand gun.

[cool45auto]

:cool: Thanks, guys!

[gudel]

maglites are great, great value with high usefulness value.
i keep one in my truck, under my bed (3D and 2AA :) ) and a minimag for my keychain.

i dont think i need a tac light, i got the USP always ready and so is my XD. if i'm out of ammo, i'll just throw the maglite or use it like a baseball bat.

[444]

I use a flashlight for work and tried for years to find a good light. The mini-maglite didn't work out. Everytime I went to use it, but bulb was broken. Plus, it was easy to activate the light unintentionally and run the battery down. So, I went with the big maglite. I work as a paramedic and thought it was counterproductive to have a flashlight that is viewed by most people as a weapon, so I tried to stay low key and used a two D-Cell light, The two cell was the answer for several years although it still had it's disadvantages. The big one was that it was still too big to just stick in your pocket. If I needed two hands right away, there was never anywhere to put the light. I usually ended up sticking it in my back pocket, and it almost always fell out or caught on something when both my hands were tied up and I had better things to worry about.
Then one day, I was on a call and was walking through an apartment complex using my flashlight to read apartment numbers. A paramedic from a private ambulance company was doing the same thing. But, his light was much brighter than mine. When we located the right apartment, he just stuck his light in his pocket and I still had this big pipe to worry about. After the call, I asked him about his light. It was a Surefire. I immediately realized that his light was superior to mine in every respect. It was the perfect product for my job. After getting one, I realized it was the state of the art in a flashlight and all those maglites I owned were old school technology. I of course still use my maglites because I already own them, but they are an idea who's time has passed. Think about this; Since I was a little kid in the 60s, the method of having a bright flashlight was to simply stack D batteries on top of one another. This went on for 50 years. Then someone realized that more is not better and built a light with a better battery and a better bulb. Voila ! A more powerful ight in a fraction of the size. And this is a bonus to anyone that really uses a flashlight. Anyone that really uses a flashlight doesn't need more weight or bigger size; they have enough gear and equipment to contend with.
The one drawback to my Surefire Z3 is that in some cases, it is too bright. So, I now carry one of those very small LED lights on a miniture carabinier on my belt loop. I consider this a great combination of lights that fit my needs perfectly.

I was recently at a shooting school where we played around with some lights at night. The insturctors had placed some targets at 25 yards. They were those kind of targets that are like a picture; some of the targets are reaching into a purse, some have a handgun being held in such a way that it is hard to see it etc.
We stood at 25 yards and tried to identify shoot/no-shoot targets using various lights. Without getting into every light we tried, the Surefire was really the only one that allowed you to reliably identify if the target was a threat or not. The intructors did talk about the disadvantages of using too much light indoors and advised trying your own choice of light inside your home to see if it works as well as you think it will.

[Doc]

I use my mag and my surefire and my scorpion. I like them all
But where we live, I can't carry my baton so QuarterBoreGunner and I agree

SureFire is a flashlight.

MagLight is an impact weapon that has a secondary function as a tool of illumination.

Just for the record thought ALL WEAPONS are forbidden on airplanes,
FLASHLIGHTS are not...just in case you were wondering...:evil:

[444]

With the mini-maglite when used in conjuction with a gun, you have two problems. One is that it isn't all that bright, but it may be bright enough for your needs. For example, you can probably identify the fact that the guy standing in your house at night doesn't belong there. But the main problem is that you have to twist the bezel to turn the light on and off, and also to adjust the pattern of the beam. So, you can only easily turn the light on and off with two hands. If you have to do it in a hurry, odds are you won't have the optimum beam pattern, and there is no easy way to turn it on and off while using it; in other words it doesn't have a momentary on/off switch.

"In one demonstration, we learned that cleared ground can become uncleared if the light is turned off during the search."

That is very true, but what if you are on the defensive. Where you might illuminate the target and then move; you don't want to have the light telegraphing the fact that you are moving. This would also be ackward if you are working with a partner. I have almost no light training, but in one thing I did learn that I thought was a great idea was to have one guy behind cover to illuminate the threat while the other guy manuvers on the threat. The threat is blinded and distracted by the light, and the manuvering guy is less visible. If the manuvering guy can't easily turn his light on and off as needed, it would be a pain.

[Pat S]

This is what Insights Training Center recommends for a flashlight. I couldn't agree more. Pat S
[url]http://www.insightstraining.com

Q: What kind of flashlight do you recommend?


A: Use the Laser Product Sure-Fire 6P. Don't waste your time with the 6Z, though if you already have one it is totally usable. You'll just use it like a 6P.

Make sure to bring at least one extra set of batteries for your flashlight. If you have a 6P also bring a mag-lite if you have one so you can do a little training with it. If nothing else you can see how we had to do it back in the stone age of shooting. Using a mag-lite type flashlight is a big step up from carrying a burning torch but a 6P is that much ahead of the mag-lite.

[Combat-wombat]

I don't have a surefire, but I hear they're bright as hell.

[gudel]

cops here uses big maglite. i haven't seen them with tac lights attached to their guns.

[stevelyn]

Nothing is wrong with mag-lites if you just need some plain old light. But in a self-defense situation, you are better served with the retina-searing power given off by a Sure-Fire type light. It becomes a force multiplier possibley making use of lethal force unnecessary because the combination can put you at a much greater advantage over your adversary and descalating the conflict.
On my duty belt I carry a Pelican Black Knight Series M-6, a mini-mag, and a Sure-Fire 6Z w/ a P-61 lamp in a pocket on my vest carrier. My primary light is a Streamlight SL-20X rechargeable. I also have vehicle mounted and rechargable hand-held spotlights available.
When I'm off, or on vacation traveling the Sure-Fire always goes with me.

[DigMe]

When I'm off, or on vacation traveling the Sure-Fire always goes with me

Yeah, I'm definitely taking my Brinkmann Legend LX and my SOG Pentagon Elite folder with me on my honeymoon to Kommiefornia. Not even going to try taking a handgun...even just to keep in the room.

brad cook

[Ron L]

I guess one question would be; there are folks that would buy a plain jane gun and put extras on it or modify it to make it work better or to suit their liking. Well then, why not flashlights?

Maglites are good utilitarian lights. They just plain work. Sure, you can get into Surefires, which offer better performance, but at a higher cost, both initially and then in operating expenses.

For about the cost of a Surefire, I bought a Mini Maglite, added the Elektrolumen Luxeon Star LED bulb, collimator, and tailswitch. Maybe not quite as bright as the Surefire, but it still runs on AA batteries and the Luxeon bulb offers 3-5 times the battery life and even after a couple drops, hasn't broken. I haven't seen a Mini Maglite that's brighter. And a Luxeon Star bulb in a Surefire is even better. :D

[ReconTech]

Heh, you can go to www.candlepowerforums.com and beat this thread to death....

But my $0.02:

While on duty and off duty, I always have a Surefire M2 with me, a Streamlight Stinger on my duty belt as well, a Streamlight Ultrastinger in the car.

My M2 has the P61 (120 lumen) lamp assembly in it, which with the low price on 123 batteries now, its great.

The way I see it, especially since my life depends on all my gear, not just a gun, is that, a maglight is like a Hipoint or maybe at best a raven, whereas a Surefire is like a Glock, HK, Sig.

The same way you would not buy bullets that would be ruined by cold weather, you shouldn't have a flashlight that has batteries that are junk in cold weather. (alkaline, nicds, nimhs, etc), lithium is not affected.

But in all reality, if my life is going to depend on it, or also in my case, the life of others constantly, I will only buy and use the best...Because I cannot imagine thinking to myself "what if I had just spent the extra $20"

These days with the prices of the G2 and the lithium 123 batteries being so affordable, it amazes me that not everyone has tactical flashlights who needs them..

[444]

My Z3 is more like a 1911. :evil: :D

[Prodigalshooter]

My Maglights are for looking around in non-threat situations, like under the bed, in the closet etc, if it is a real threat , I want one of my Surefires. Then I have the Photons for minimal light needs, looking for right key, reading something briefly in the dark, when I don't want to have blinding illumination.
I have my wife carrying a Surefire Executive constantly, I'd rather buy a new battery every week than have her rely on anything less. I've done quite a few flashlight required IDPA matches in total darkness, believe me, the Surefires are far easier to use with a handgun than most other lights. Not all, I know, but most.
Besides, I don't want to use a cheaper one!:p
I've got an Aviator waiting to be picked up tonight, it looks to be the best of both worlds.
Good price on it too, at Island Security Store, I think it's
www.islandsecuritystore.com
Best price I've seen yet on Aviator with blue led.:cool:

Update; got my Aviator, very nice. Mine is the blue led version, nice to have both types of light in one pkg.
This will now be my dedicated combat/self defense light.:cool:

[gun-fucious]

When you really need to see whats going on, get a brinkman Q-Beam million CP spot light. One of the neighbor's kid's was missing one night and the Q-Beam was able to scan the far side of the soccer field like it was day light.

The kid turned up watching videos at a friends house.
:scrutiny:

The new Streamlight TwinTasks look cool:

http://www.streamlight-flashlights.com/twin-task-tt-2l.html
Streamlight TwinTask 2-Cell Lithium LED/High-Intensity Xenon Flashlight

The Twin-Task line of flashlights offers a patented LED/xenon combination, so you can choose between a super bright light (xenon) and an incredibly long runtime (LED). And the LED Task-Light provides the longevity of an LED with the brightness and range of a conventional high powered bulb using a super high- flux Luxeon. Both the Twin-Tasks and LED Task-Light are ideal to use in a wide variety of applications, including industrial, automotive, security, household, even recreation. And no matter what task you're performing, you'll find them remarkably durable. All are constructed of computer machined aluminum with an anodized finish, are 0-ring sealed, feature an unbreakable polycarbonate lens, and are water resistant.

[cratz2]

Here's my problem with MagLights... they're fine for hitting implements that also illuminate close objects to some degree. But compare these two lights. The MagLight 2D is about $20. The Princeton Tec Surge is about $30. Granted, the Mag 2D runs about twice as long as the Surge does but is considerably larger than the Surge, weighs more than the surge and puts out about 1/6th the light as the surge (18 Lumens compared to about 105 lumens.)

Beams at 74 inches:

http://photos.imageevent.com/cratz2/lights//1M%20Surge%208AA.jpghttp://photos.imageevent.com/cratz2/lights//1M%20Mag%202D.jpg

[Penforhire]

I just picked up a 3C-cell TwinTask and I'd have to say the Xenon bulb is not as bright as I would like it to be. Cool concept though. Note the various models have different numbers of LED's. (mine's got 6 but the D-cell model has 10).

[Mr. Black]

4D cell maglight in left hand, over shoulder, finger on button.
1911 in right hand.

If I need to stop you, I'll shoot you.

If you touch my gun, I'll clobber you.

Baton with lighting capabilities.


Now out of the house is a different matter, and because of the dimness and mostly, their operating mechanisms, a mini-mag is totally unsuitable.

[WonderNine]

Ok, I ordered an E2E off of Ebay yesterday. I hope it's all that everyone claims it is. Also, what are the best batteries to buy?

And anybody know any retail estabishments that carry these type of batteries? Walmart doesn't carry Surefires or the batteries as far as I could see, so I assume Target and Kmart don't either.

Seemed to be a pretty good deal too. If anyone's interested this guy seems to have the best price on E2E's.

The auction. (http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3612022500&category=7307&rd=1)

[Kevlarman]

Wal-Mart doesn't carry 123A batteries? That's kind of hard to believe.... in any case, I got my batteries at K-Mart.

[WonderNine]

Hmm, ok. I guess I'll have to look harder next time.

[444]

The only batteries I have purchased at a regular store were infinitely more expensive than what I paid buying them direct from Surefire. I bought like a couple dozen batteries from Surefire.

http://www.san.surefire.com/cgi-bin/main.pl?pgm=co_disp&func=displ&pgrfnbr=273&sesent=0,0

[dhoomonyou]

Problem with a Mag lite is the bulb, after being lit a short time the bulbs "frost" and it cuts the
light output.
but they all serve a purpose.
I have maglites 2aa & 3d
surefire's
and underwater kinetics 2aaa & 4aa
I recently saw a surefire g2 for $26 at wholesale hunter.com

[WonderNine]

I was going to buy my E2E from Wholesale Hunter for $71 until I noticed mine on auction for $58. and $7 shipping instead of $11.

WSH has really good prices on most things though.

[DigMe]

WalMart definitely sells 123A batteries. I remember having to look kinda hard to find them too. Don't waste your money though when you can get 12 for 15 bucks from surefire's website!! At WalMart they are considerably more expensive!

brad cook