Tactical Flashlights

[Michael Janich]

Ok. Ihave gone from skeptical to interested in terms of the surefire, particularly with the SD end plate. However the whole lumens thing is all greek. Can someone say how the brightness compares to a mini-mag?
FQ13

Maglights list their brightness in candlepower. This is different from lumens. Here is the best explanation I've seen of why there is no direct conversion between the two, especially when it comes to focusable lights like the Maglight. I borrowed it from Candlepower forums:

There is no conversion or direct comparison between Lumens and candlepower. Candlepower is the measure of the brightest spot in the light beam. However this can vary depending on the focus of the beam, and the distance it is measured. No manufacturer lists the distance at which they measure the cp rating. Also they don't state the size of the hot spot they are measuring. It could only be a 1 inch bright spot in the edge of the beam. Lumens is the measurement of the total light output of a bulb, but not it's brightness. Most 60 watt incandescent light bulbs are rated at 800 lumens. This is more than even the brightest SureFire light, but compare the brightness of even the dimmest SureFire light to a desk lamp and the SureFire will be much brighter. Candlepower also changes by the focus of the beam, and the size of the reflector.

The best thing to do is to find a well-stocked store and compare the lights side by side. The difference will be obvious.

Stay safe,

Mike

[Timothy]

To confuse us even further!

Candlepower is a rating of light output at the source, using English measurements.
Foot-candles are a measurement of light at an illuminated object.
Lumens are a metric equivalent to foot-candles in that they are measured at an object you want to illuminate.

Divide the number of lumens you have produced, or are capable of producing, by 12.57 and you get the candlepower equivalent of that light source.

So, that one candlepower equivalent equals 12.57 lumens.

[Erusen]

Has anyone seen the Bushnell HD square light up close? I just wondered if this thing has any solid force multiplier tactical value, or if it is just a light.

[MikeBjerum]

When I bought my SureFire I tried a light with strobe.  The strobe made me so nauseous that I decided I'd be better off without a light than with a strobe, so I saved the extra money and went without.

Maybe I'm just a queezy wuss, but taking a timeout to puke during an attack does not sound like effective self defense to me ... unless the attacker is as week stomached as me.

[Kid Shelleen]

A good tac light doesn't have to come from a high priced specialty company. I've got a recommendation that meet's all of Mike's requirements and you can get it at Wal Mart for about 30 bucks.

It's the Coleman Max. It's LED, puts out 115 lumens, has a momentary tail cap switch, has a lanyard to drop and recover when changing clips, it's the right size and easy to carry and it has an 8 hour run time on 3 standard AAA batteries. It does not have a case or clip, but I easily found a belt case for 3 bucks at our last gun show.

Not bad Huh?

If anyone else has tried one I'd love to hear your thoughts. Especially regarding the long run time on low cost batteries. Most of the high dollar Tac Lights that I have checked specs on can't run at 115 lumens for anywhere near as long and require more expensive lithium batteries.

[Sponsor]

[fightingquaker13]

A good tac light doesn't have to come from a high priced specialty company. I've got a recommendation that meet's all of Mike's requirements and you can get it at Wal Mart for about 30 bucks.

It's the Coleman Max. It's LED, puts out 115 lumens, has a momentary tail cap switch, has a lanyard to drop and recover when changing clips, it's the right size and easy to carry and it has an 8 hour run time on 3 standard AAA batteries. It does not have a case or clip, but I easily found a belt case for 3 bucks at our last gun show.

Not bad Huh?

If anyone else has tried one I'd love to hear your thoughts. Especially regarding the long run time on low cost batteries. Most of the high dollar Tac Lights that I have checked specs on can't run at 115 lumens for anywhere near as long and require more expensive lithium batteries.

Great tip Kid, and welcome aboard. (Although you shouldn't talk to me because I'm bad. I'm one of those libertarian people, not that there's anything wrong with that. Too much time in Austin dont'cha know.)
FQ13

[Hazcat]

A good tac light doesn't have to come from a high priced specialty company. I've got a recommendation that meet's all of Mike's requirements and you can get it at Wal Mart for about 30 bucks.

It's the Coleman Max. It's LED, puts out 115 lumens, has a momentary tail cap switch, has a lanyard to drop and recover when changing clips, it's the right size and easy to carry and it has an 8 hour run time on 3 standard AAA batteries. It does not have a case or clip, but I easily found a belt case for 3 bucks at our last gun show.

Not bad Huh?

If anyone else has tried one I'd love to hear your thoughts. Especially regarding the long run time on low cost batteries. Most of the high dollar Tac Lights that I have checked specs on can't run at 115 lumens for anywhere near as long and require more expensive lithium batteries.

Pet peeve

[fightingquaker13]

[
Pet peeve

Nice welcome to the group Haz. I take it you were never voted Miss Congeniality. Ignore Haz, he's more ot less ok as long as he gets his catnip and keeps his shoes on .
FQ13

[Kid Shelleen]

Great tip Kid, and welcome aboard. (Although you shouldn't talk to me because I'm bad. I'm one of those libertarian people, not that there's anything wrong with that. Too much time in Austin dont'cha know.)
FQ13

Thanks for the welcome. Austin is a great town. As for being a Libertarian we all should begin to think that way. As I understand it Libertarians believe in more personal rights and in minimal interference from the Federal government. With President Obama pushing us toward Socialism we should all become Libertarians to counteract him. Either that or Texas should take our Governor's advice to heart and consider seceding from the Union.

[jc451911]

If you really want to make your head hurt, try reading through all of the information on this site....

http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/

...I thought I knew what i was talking about when it came to CCW lighting.....

I had no idea!!! Great information here, to make a good, solid choice in a tactical light.


Now for my take....for regular, everyday lighting needs, a light with multiple brightness levels, and complicated UI, will work fine, but IMHO, if you're going to use this for the serious task we're all talking about here, then the 'KISS' principal should be followed to the letter! The simpler the better...

My EDC lights, (yes I carry two!), are a Surefire C2 with a Malkoff M60 drop-in, for about 230 lumens of light. This light is the primary CCW unit. It's interface is simple, bright, and efficent. Battery life is about 1.5 hours of contiunous 230 lumen range light, which lasts somewhere around a month or more before battery changes, as it doesn't get used as much as the other light.

The other is a Surefire E2DL. It is nearly as bright as the Malkoff drop-in, though it is only rated at 120 lumens on it's high setting, (independent testing of a couple of the E2DL's show it to be closer to 170 to 210.... http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=229135) but a low of 5 lumens.
This is the more utilitarian light for me, because of the switching between high and low settings. The light comes on high, but if you turn it off and then back on in a strobing action or to illuminate a dark area, if you don't wait long enough it will come back on in the low mode which does little more than give away your position. So, while it may not be ideal for CCW, it is one heck of a general purpose light. This light is used more in low mode than any other light I have in the house.

For an idea of output, see below....
Surefire/Malkoff M60(LED) Combo

6D MagLite (incan)


The Surefire/Malkoff combo is noticably brighter in person, and is a fraction of the 6D's size and weight!
And there are less expensive hosts that will accomodate the Malkoff drop-in, including the Cabela's models listed earlier in his thread.

Hope this helps....

J.

oh, almost forgot...

http://www.malkoffdevices.com/shop2/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=1_14_18