Looking for a flashlight...

[why.kyle]

Im looking for a flashlight that has a high output monentary tail cap setting, and low output twist/constant on...
Does that make sense?
Anyone know of a light with those settings? My google fu isnt with me today.

Edit: Ive found the surefire LX2, its kinda what im looking for, but im looking for something a bit cheaper. I want to go cheaper because I tend to loose things before I break them.

 

[NYShooter]

I would take a look at the Elzetta ZFL-M60. http://www.elzetta.com/Webpages/faq.htm They are great lights and use the terrific Malkoff drop-ins. I have one on my Rem 870. It has performed flawlessly and is built like a tank.

You can configure the light with different tailcaps, bezels, etc., but the one I think you want is the Elzetta ZFL-M60-SS2D (standard bezel, 8 degree lens, high/low tailcap).

http://www.amazon.com/Elzetta-Flashight-Standard-Hi-Low-Switch/dp/B005MR5PSI

 

[DoubleTapDrew]

You may want to look into the 4sevens flashlights. They have great output at a MUCH lower price than surefire. I have surefires, fenix, and 4sevens lights and the 4sevens gets the most use.

 

[OregonJohnny]

A true tactical light fits these criteria:

1. Single output - no strobe, no high/low. Just on and off.
2. Momentary switch - press for on, release for off. Twist for constant on, untwist for off, untwist farther for lock out.

All other aspects of the light (brightness, battery type, materials, etc.) can vary. But those 2 criteria listed above are what make a light truly tactical.

One of the best tactical lights you can buy comes in 2 separate pieces.

Piece #1 would consist of a Surefire made of aluminum, with a glass lens, taking 2 CR123 batteries, with a Z41 tailcap (press-for-momentary/twist-for-constant), and a removable head. The models that fit these criteria are/were: 6P Original, C2 Centurion, and Z2 CombatLight. The C2 and Z2 both had rubber grip rings. Both have been discontinued. The 6P Original is still being produced.

Piece #2 would be an M61 drop-in LED module from Malkoff.

Other good options (if you don't want to piece together your own light) that still fit the 2 criteria are Surefire's newer tactical lights such as: G2X Tactical, 6PX Tactical, G2Z, G2ZX, and Z2X. The downside is that these newer lights either have heads glued to the body, or heads with the LED module sealed inside them, so they are not modifiable. Some people don't mind this.

My personal choice is a C2 Centurion body, with a 6P Defender crenellated bezel, running a Malkoff M61 HCRI (high color-rendering index) drop-in.

 

[why.kyle]

A true tactical light fits these criteria:

1. Single output - no strobe, no high/low. Just on and off.
2. Momentary switch - press for on, release for off. Twist for constant on, untwist for off, untwist farther for lock out.

All other aspects of the light (brightness, battery type, materials, etc.) can vary. But those 2 criteria listed above are what make a light truly tactical.

One of the best tactical lights you can buy comes in 2 separate pieces.

Piece #1 would consist of a Surefire made of aluminum, with a glass lens, taking 2 CR123 batteries, with a Z41 tailcap (press-for-momentary/twist-for-constant), and a removable head. The models that fit these criteria are/were: 6P Original, C2 Centurion, and Z2 CombatLight. The C2 and Z2 both had rubber grip rings. Both have been discontinued. The 6P Original is still being produced.

Piece #2 would be an M61 drop-in LED module from Malkoff.

Other good options (if you don't want to piece together your own light) that still fit the 2 criteria are Surefire's newer tactical lights such as: G2X Tactical, 6PX Tactical, G2Z, G2ZX, and Z2X. The downside is that these newer lights either have heads glued to the body, or heads with the LED module sealed inside them, so they are not modifiable. Some people don't mind this.

My personal choice is a C2 Centurion body, with a 6P Defender crenellated bezel, running a Malkoff M61 HCRI (high color-rendering index) drop-in.

Great advice OregonJohnny! And Ill use that advice when im shopping for that kind of flashlight...
But i didnt ask for tactical flashlight advice, im looking for one with the options I listed..
Thanks everyone so far youve given me some places to look.

 

[OregonJohnny]

But i didnt ask for tactical flashlight advice, im looking for one with the options I listed..

I don't know of any tailcap that works the way you described in the OP. The LX2/L1/A2/AZ2 tailcaps are probably the closest you're going to get. Press lightly for low, press harder for high. Surefire also makes the "max blast" tailcap, which is the same concept. A hard press of the tailcap gets you to high immediately, no matter what lower level you are in at the time.

I like the idea of tailcap that will not go into any mode other than high when you press it, but can still be switched on to low by twisting the tailcap. Unfortunately, I don't think it exists.

 

[NYShooter]

A true tactical light fits these criteria:

1. Single output - no strobe, no high/low. Just on and off.
2. Momentary switch - press for on, release for off. Twist for constant on, untwist for off, untwist farther for lock out.

All other aspects of the light (brightness, battery type, materials, etc.) can vary. But those 2 criteria listed above are what make a light truly tactical.

One of the best tactical lights you can buy comes in 2 separate pieces.

Piece #1 would consist of a Surefire made of aluminum, with a glass lens, taking 2 CR123 batteries, with a Z41 tailcap (press-for-momentary/twist-for-constant), and a removable head. The models that fit these criteria are/were: 6P Original, C2 Centurion, and Z2 CombatLight. The C2 and Z2 both had rubber grip rings. Both have been discontinued. The 6P Original is still being produced.

Piece #2 would be an M61 drop-in LED module from Malkoff.

Other good options (if you don't want to piece together your own light) that still fit the 2 criteria are Surefire's newer tactical lights such as: G2X Tactical, 6PX Tactical, G2Z, G2ZX, and Z2X. The downside is that these newer lights either have heads glued to the body, or heads with the LED module sealed inside them, so they are not modifiable. Some people don't mind this.

My personal choice is a C2 Centurion body, with a 6P Defender crenellated bezel, running a Malkoff M61 HCRI (high color-rendering index) drop-in.

You seem to be focused on SF lights. I have owned several and, as I said earlier, IMO, the Elzetta is superior in many ways to SF. One of the nice things about the Elzetta is the availability of different tailcaps, i.e. high/low, constant, srobe/constant, etc. It is nearly indestructible and is built to take Malkoff's. This, from a post on another forum:

"You get the hi-low choice in the tailcap, which is not easily available in some other surefire lego setups.

You get a strobe option! A great option that is even less easily available in the surefire lego setups with Malkoff drop-ins.

You get continued availability of the M60! This is now not normally offered by Malkoff devices, as they have moved on to the M61 line. Yet may of us liked its optic much better (as always, for certain uses) than the reflectored M61. So this is great to ensure continued availability.

The "tolerances" of this light are tighter than with the Surefire legos, which often need some tweaking to work--maybe copper rings, copper tape, other tinkering here and there. The extra "gasket" type water protection (inside the light) also helps protect this against water incursions. You can achieve something similar with surefire legos, but maybe not as easily (since it is not in the design, as such) or reliably".

 

[OregonJohnny]

You seem to be focused on SF lights. I have owned several and, as I said earlier, IMO, the Elzetta is superior in many ways to SF.

I was just giving all the examples of Surefire tactical lights I could think of. I have heard good things about the Elzettas.

When people think of tactical flashlights, a lot of them picture crenellated bezels, strobe modes, 500 lumens, clicky switches, etc. I was just trying to illustrate that a true tactical flashlight - one to be used in conjunction with a handgun - needs to be single mode with a momentary tailcap. I then just tried to give examples of Surefires that fit that criteria.

I just checked out Elzetta's website. For their most basic model (2-cell, single-mode, rotary tailcap), they charge $170. I'm a little surprised by the price, but I've seen (and own) even more expensive lights than that.

 

[NYShooter]

I just checked out Elzetta's website. For their most basic model (2-cell, single-mode, rotary tailcap), they charge $170. I'm a little surprised by the price, but I've seen (and own) even more expensive lights than that.

In this case you do get what you pay for, and it can be purchased for less:
http://www.tacticalgeargroup.com/elzetta-flash-lights/elzetta-tactical-weapon-light-2-cell-with-standard-bezel-and-rotary-switch/

 

[Clark]

At
http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/forum.php

There are over 1,000,000 posts about flashlights.

I have micro photon on my keychain, and my Mag-Lite flashlights I convert to LED.

But I know nothing, those guys the build flashlights are as into it as we are into guns.

 

[Bigtime Sexy]

I EDC a Fenix Tactical LD-20 which sounds almost just like your description. I'm very happy with it. http://www.fenixtactical.com/fenix-ld20.html $59.95 MSRP, about $50 on eBay. Its 180 lumens. The LD-20 R5 is 205 lumens.