Best Tac Light?
- Thread starter Willyboi
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Sheldon J
Member
For hand held my "Scorpion" is a nice dependable light, not too bad on the price. On the other end of the scale I have a M6X for the drop dead serious times, it's a good 40% brighter than the "Scorpion", and the laser is very handy for quick target acquisition too.
aaronrkelly
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- Sep 11, 2005
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I carry a Inova X5 daily but just ordered a G2 in OD Green.......will see which one I like more when the G2 shows up.
IZinterrogator
Member
I have a Surefire A2 Aviator that I really like, you can go with real bright incandescent or bright enough LED with a twist of the switch.
Check out
http://www.flashlightreviews.com/
It won't necessarily answer your question, but it will give you a good comparison of everything out there.
http://www.flashlightreviews.com/
It won't necessarily answer your question, but it will give you a good comparison of everything out there.
I think there are a few good lights being made today. I think Surefire is in a class by itself. Across the model line, the quality, and dependability is the best. They aren't the least expensive, but I can't afford the best house, or the best car, but I think the few dollars extra are well spent with Surefire. That philosophy extends to weapon choice as well….
If you want an excellent tactical light that you can carry clipped to your pocket, you might want to take a look at the Surefire E2e or the discontinued version Surefire E2 (you can sometimes find a Surefire E2 on ebay for a good price).
black bear
Member
I think that we should start defining "tactical".
To me "tactical light" differs from a flashlight, a flashlight is a device that will put a decent amount of light for a good period of time.
Let say a Mini Maglite will run for 5 hours on two AA batteries and put out a lousy (but still useable) light.
I Princeton Tech 40, will run in 4 AA batteries and produce a 30 lumens amount of light for 4 or 5 hours. (That is great)
Most flashlights outputting 30 lumens or so are great flashlights, especially if you can run them in regulars alkaline for 4 or 5 hours.
Even if the output drop by 50 % after the first hour (typical alkaline battery problem, see chart) is still a good flashlight for household chores, walking the dog, and going to be basement to change the fuse.
Now a "tactical light" as invented by Surefire and by their definition have at least 60 lumens of blinding white light (a P-60 lamp is really yellow) and it have a tail switch to take advantage of the many shooting positions that use that switch. (See shooting in low light) link:
http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=153616
It doesn’t matter if the device have the word or the "T" for "tactical" incorporated in the name (ex. Inova 5 XT) if it don't produce 60 lumens minimum as for Surefire standards it can not be considered "tactical"
The purpose of the tactical light is to blind momentarily an opponent, for this chore the more lumens the better, I don't care much about the run time, for me 20 minutes run time in a tactical light is okay, just because I will use it only in tactical situations, for non tactical use of a light, I will get myself a flashlight.
A Surefire E2e "tactical" light can be converted to a flashlight just by removing the MN03 bulb (60 lumens) and replacing it with the MN02 (25 lumens 2 1/2 hours)
A Princeton Tech 40 can be used as a flashlight, while your tactical light seat on your duty belt.
Like I stated in the above lines, the more lumens the better in my tactical light. I think that 60 lumens is very marginal, and I replace the P-60 lamp (60 lumens one hour for the P-61, 120 lumens 20 minutes) when using a G-2, 6P, Z-2, C-2, etc.
Better still is the three batteries body, like the Centurion C-3 or the 9 P.
With those lights (9 volts systems) you can go to a P-91 lamp for an excellent 200 lumens. (Now we are cooking)
Actually that is what I have been using for years in conjunction with my .45,
Of course not from the last year to now, when I am using a MAG 951 (951 lumens) of my own creation.
But still the old 9 P or better still the Centurion C-3 with the Rogers-Surefire grip ring is one of the best belt lights.
If you want more lumens than that, I will jump over the M-3 to go directly to the Surefire M-4 with the HOLA lamp for 350 lumens, (made famous now for the exposure that is getting in CSI) or better still one of my affordable, rechargeable Polar Bear for 426 lumens.
I think that a Police Officer should have on him at least three lights, his belt light "tactical" (Surefire 6-P, C-2, Z-2 etc for the 120 lumens available only with P-61 lamps) or a 9 volt system like the Surefire 9 P Centurion C-3 with the P-91 lamp for the 200 lumens.
The second light will be for using for any other chores requiring a flashlight, a good quality one like the Surefire E2e with the LOLA lamp (MN02 with 25 lumens 2 1/2 hours run time) or if he likes Luxeon LED's a Nuwai Q III will put out the same amount of lumens or a little more.
The third light should be something that you put into the belt holder when you come out of the cruiser, something really powerful like a Surefire M-6 (500 lumens) or my own MAG 951 lumens or my black bear 678 lumens.
For civilians I don't see a great variation, I have permanently in my belt a Maglite holder and a pouch containing the Nuwai Q III, when I go out in the dark, (to take the garbage or get something from the car) I sleep into the holder a MAG 951 but I use for illuminating my path the Nuwai Q III (or the Surefire E2e with LOLA lamp or it used to be my PT -40)
For jogging (I don't do it anymore) but I used to, I carried a big Maglite 3 "D" in my hand, a great tool to fend dogs that like to chase you, a MAG 951 will be ideal because it have the heft and the incredible power of the light, that can be used to fend cars too.
For those that have Scorpions, Steamlight TL-2 Night fighter II and similar lights as "tactical" I will tell them that they will serve, but marginally, if you haven't see the power of an upgrade 6 P with the P-61 lamp (120 lumens) you are missing something worth to have.
One word of caution with lights made by Companies other than Surefire, they wares have highly inflated lumens; they quote you "bulb" lumens without taking into account the losses thru the reflector and the losses thru the lens reflection.
What I am saying here is that "bulb" lumens from Streamlight are different than the "torch" lumens from Surefire that are measured coming out of the flashlight in a Integrated Sphere Spectotometer.
As an example, the Streamlight TL-3 is quoted at having 200 lumens, but in reality is more like 120 "torch" lumens.
Now I am not attacking any particular light, I own one of the TL-3 and I like it, but I know and many others in my field know what the real lumens of the light are.
This Integrated Sphere Spectotometer is a laboratory instrument costing over $20.000, the Surefire Company have one, some government agency too, and the White Laboratories and some big super bulb manufacturing Company.
No many flashlight manufacturers do, and are easier for them to quote you the "bulb" lumens provided by the manufacturer of the bulb.
As an aside I like to tell you that a group of friends of mine (crazy flashaholic all) like to get together to pool their lights and compare them in light ceiling bouncing tests. After a while and testing hundreds of light you get very handy at estimating lumen output.
And since we are in the subject of lumens, let me tell you that lumens from a LED or Luxeon I III or V are different than lumens from incandescent lights.
The LED's figures are more inflated, as an example my Nuwai Q III is rated at 70 lumens, -fat chance- it produces no more that 30!!!
Well, by now you know that a "tactical" light should not be used as a flashlight, conserve the batteries and the power for really using it in a tactical situation and use a regular flashlight with good output (25 -30 lumens) for your flashlights chores.
Best regards
black bear
To me "tactical light" differs from a flashlight, a flashlight is a device that will put a decent amount of light for a good period of time.
Let say a Mini Maglite will run for 5 hours on two AA batteries and put out a lousy (but still useable) light.
I Princeton Tech 40, will run in 4 AA batteries and produce a 30 lumens amount of light for 4 or 5 hours. (That is great)
Most flashlights outputting 30 lumens or so are great flashlights, especially if you can run them in regulars alkaline for 4 or 5 hours.
Even if the output drop by 50 % after the first hour (typical alkaline battery problem, see chart) is still a good flashlight for household chores, walking the dog, and going to be basement to change the fuse.
Now a "tactical light" as invented by Surefire and by their definition have at least 60 lumens of blinding white light (a P-60 lamp is really yellow) and it have a tail switch to take advantage of the many shooting positions that use that switch. (See shooting in low light) link:
http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=153616
It doesn’t matter if the device have the word or the "T" for "tactical" incorporated in the name (ex. Inova 5 XT) if it don't produce 60 lumens minimum as for Surefire standards it can not be considered "tactical"
The purpose of the tactical light is to blind momentarily an opponent, for this chore the more lumens the better, I don't care much about the run time, for me 20 minutes run time in a tactical light is okay, just because I will use it only in tactical situations, for non tactical use of a light, I will get myself a flashlight.
A Surefire E2e "tactical" light can be converted to a flashlight just by removing the MN03 bulb (60 lumens) and replacing it with the MN02 (25 lumens 2 1/2 hours)
A Princeton Tech 40 can be used as a flashlight, while your tactical light seat on your duty belt.
Like I stated in the above lines, the more lumens the better in my tactical light. I think that 60 lumens is very marginal, and I replace the P-60 lamp (60 lumens one hour for the P-61, 120 lumens 20 minutes) when using a G-2, 6P, Z-2, C-2, etc.
Better still is the three batteries body, like the Centurion C-3 or the 9 P.
With those lights (9 volts systems) you can go to a P-91 lamp for an excellent 200 lumens. (Now we are cooking)
Actually that is what I have been using for years in conjunction with my .45,
Of course not from the last year to now, when I am using a MAG 951 (951 lumens) of my own creation.
But still the old 9 P or better still the Centurion C-3 with the Rogers-Surefire grip ring is one of the best belt lights.
If you want more lumens than that, I will jump over the M-3 to go directly to the Surefire M-4 with the HOLA lamp for 350 lumens, (made famous now for the exposure that is getting in CSI) or better still one of my affordable, rechargeable Polar Bear for 426 lumens.
I think that a Police Officer should have on him at least three lights, his belt light "tactical" (Surefire 6-P, C-2, Z-2 etc for the 120 lumens available only with P-61 lamps) or a 9 volt system like the Surefire 9 P Centurion C-3 with the P-91 lamp for the 200 lumens.
The second light will be for using for any other chores requiring a flashlight, a good quality one like the Surefire E2e with the LOLA lamp (MN02 with 25 lumens 2 1/2 hours run time) or if he likes Luxeon LED's a Nuwai Q III will put out the same amount of lumens or a little more.
The third light should be something that you put into the belt holder when you come out of the cruiser, something really powerful like a Surefire M-6 (500 lumens) or my own MAG 951 lumens or my black bear 678 lumens.
For civilians I don't see a great variation, I have permanently in my belt a Maglite holder and a pouch containing the Nuwai Q III, when I go out in the dark, (to take the garbage or get something from the car) I sleep into the holder a MAG 951 but I use for illuminating my path the Nuwai Q III (or the Surefire E2e with LOLA lamp or it used to be my PT -40)
For jogging (I don't do it anymore) but I used to, I carried a big Maglite 3 "D" in my hand, a great tool to fend dogs that like to chase you, a MAG 951 will be ideal because it have the heft and the incredible power of the light, that can be used to fend cars too.
For those that have Scorpions, Steamlight TL-2 Night fighter II and similar lights as "tactical" I will tell them that they will serve, but marginally, if you haven't see the power of an upgrade 6 P with the P-61 lamp (120 lumens) you are missing something worth to have.
One word of caution with lights made by Companies other than Surefire, they wares have highly inflated lumens; they quote you "bulb" lumens without taking into account the losses thru the reflector and the losses thru the lens reflection.
What I am saying here is that "bulb" lumens from Streamlight are different than the "torch" lumens from Surefire that are measured coming out of the flashlight in a Integrated Sphere Spectotometer.
As an example, the Streamlight TL-3 is quoted at having 200 lumens, but in reality is more like 120 "torch" lumens.
Now I am not attacking any particular light, I own one of the TL-3 and I like it, but I know and many others in my field know what the real lumens of the light are.
This Integrated Sphere Spectotometer is a laboratory instrument costing over $20.000, the Surefire Company have one, some government agency too, and the White Laboratories and some big super bulb manufacturing Company.
No many flashlight manufacturers do, and are easier for them to quote you the "bulb" lumens provided by the manufacturer of the bulb.
As an aside I like to tell you that a group of friends of mine (crazy flashaholic all) like to get together to pool their lights and compare them in light ceiling bouncing tests. After a while and testing hundreds of light you get very handy at estimating lumen output.
And since we are in the subject of lumens, let me tell you that lumens from a LED or Luxeon I III or V are different than lumens from incandescent lights.
The LED's figures are more inflated, as an example my Nuwai Q III is rated at 70 lumens, -fat chance- it produces no more that 30!!!
Well, by now you know that a "tactical" light should not be used as a flashlight, conserve the batteries and the power for really using it in a tactical situation and use a regular flashlight with good output (25 -30 lumens) for your flashlights chores.
Best regards
black bear
MaterDei
Member
With the exception of the L7 I have all the Surefire L series lights. They are good lights. I would like to get a Gladius next.
http://www.blackhawkvideo.com/videos/night-ops/gladius.html
http://www.blackhawkvideo.com/videos/night-ops/gladius.html
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