Opinions on weak hand flash lights? (Surefire)

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Playboypenguin

Moderator
I am thinking about getting my brother-n-law one of the Surefire lights to use as a weak hand light. I am not sure which one to get yet but leaning towards the model pictured below. I like the simple design and aluminum body.

I would be also getting him the high intensity bulb (120 lumens) to add to it.

Does anyone have one of their lights? What do you think of them?

6PD-BK_large.jpg
 
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Hey Playboy- when you say weak-hand, this leads me to believe you're intending to use it in conjunction with a handgun. Surefire is by far one of the most respected "illumination device" manufacturers in the world. They back their products with lifetime warranties. I myself carry the pictured model (with DNA extractor ;)) and use it every night; never had a problem. The only thing with these is that when the batteries get low, there is no discernable indication that they are doing so. You'll go to turn on the light and it won't work (keeping spare batteries recommended). That being said, Surefire actually has good prices on their batteries at their website.

Along those lines, I believe in "two is one, and one is none". I don't know what type of weapon you're using. If it's equiped with an accessory rail, get a weapon mounted light. I recommend this one:

streamlight.jpg


They can be found for under $100 and you get 120 Lumens of intense white light while not having to sacrifice your weak hand :)
 
That being said, I believe in "two is one, and one is none". I don't know what type of weapon you're using. If it's equiped with an accessory, get a weapon mounted light. I recommend this one:
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Cool, thanks for the review...but as for the last part, he and I both despise rail mounted lights. :)
 
Surefire sets the industry standard. I have or have had several of their hand held models over the years: E2E, 6P, G2, and Z2. Additionally, I've had access to several of their other models through friends and collegues.

Depending on your needs, you could do much worse than deciding on the 6P defender you posted, or the G2 LED if you aren't as concerned about its use as a contact weapon. The regular 6P and G2 modelsis offer excellent bang for the buck.

Note: Hammer fisting someone's grape with a flashlight doesn't require it to has cranellations to be effective; or for it to be aluminum, for that matter.
 
PBP

That is the setup I use at work. The 120 lumen lamp will hurt, yes pain will be felt in the eyes, when flashed into them when it is totaly dark out.

When I used it on people they were hurt, blinded and not able to fight back and if they did they just shot wildly (obviously missing ;) )

It sits next to my safe now as I type this in hopes I will never need to use it over here.......
 
Advice from a confessed flashlight junky

PBP,

I have that exact light (6PD). It is an excellent choice. I also have the E2D, several G2's and two Streamlight TLR-1's (also an excellent choice in weapon mounted lights).

If you decide to go the surefire route for your brother in law, take a look at the Cree LED 290 lumen upgrades currently for sale from wolfammoman on this forum. They are MUCH brighter than the standard P60 bulb assembly and increase runtime to somewhere between 5 and 8 hours as opposed to the 60? minutes of the standard P60 bulb. The P90 upgrade decreases this runtime further.

My bedside gun at night is a Ruger P345 with a Streamlight TLR-1 mounted. The 6PD rests on the shelf beside the gun with that LED upgrade in it. If I can't hit the badguy he's at least gonna be blind as a bat! :D.
 
fisherman66

Those look very interesting. The only thing they seem to lack is that I cannot see where they can be used a "blinders" with an instant on button. Can they be used that way? Some say they are turned on and off by twisting the front like a standard light.
 
Not sure what you mean by a "weak" light. So far everybody else has gone to tactical lights.

As a 'weak' light, MagLite products makes a few really nice kits with different colored lenses. I carry a very small one that takes a single AA battery in my pocket at all times. I have another that takes 2 AAA batteries and with the red lens can get you around in the woods without waking everybody up and destroying your night vision.

Another one is the Hubble Lite Toolbox. It comes with the red lens, spare bulb and what they call a 'light bender' that makes a really good bore light.
 
Geez, now I am torn between the Surefire I mentioned in the OP or this one from Fenix.

Anyone have experience with this one? Can it be used as an instant on blinder?

p3d1.jpg
 
With the Fenix lights there is a normal mode and a turbo mode. In normal mode it starts out on low then you soft touch your way from low-med-high-etc. Then if you turn the bezel fully clockwise you get turbo mode. In turbo mode you'll start out at the highest setting possible then go to strobe. So from that perspective, yes it can be used as an instant on blinder. I don't have the P3D so I can't comment on it's brightness, except to mention that it puts out more Lumens (215 for the Premium Q5 model) then the Surefire P6 or the L2D I have (175 lumens). Since the 175 on my light is pretty blinding I think the P3D would be as well.
 
With the Fenix lights there is a normal mode and a turbo mode. In normal mode it starts out on low then you soft touch your way from low-med-high-etc. Then if you turn the bezel fully clockwise you get turbo mode. In turbo mode you'll start out at the highest setting possible then go to strobe. So from that perspective, yes it can be used as an instant on blinder. I don't have the P3D so I can't comment on it's brightness, except to mention that it puts out more Lumens (215 for the Premium Q5 model) then the Surefire P6 or the L2D I have (175 lumens). Since the 175 on my light is pretty blinding I think the P3D would be as well.
Click to expand...

While all that stuff might be fun to play with sittin' watchin TV or blinding the neighbors cat :eek: When the ball drops and the elephant charges will you have it on brightest constant easy to use mode? With that question, can it be left idle, pickedup and instant on constant or flash on mode with the press of a button? If so I might get one at them brightness levels, but for now the 120 my light gets is plenty fine.........
 
I prefer the Fenix L1T. Instant on or constant on, and it uses a single AA battery. In the long run it is significantly cheaper than the 123A batteries, especially if he plans on using it for anything more than a bedside flashlight.

As well, there are some excellent rechargeable AA batteries out these days,
 
While all that stuff might be fun to play with sittin' watchin TV or blinding the neighbors cat When the ball drops and the elephant charges will you have it on brightest constant easy to use mode? With that question, can it be left idle, pickedup and instant on constant or flash on mode with the press of a button? If so I might get one at them brightness levels, but for now the 120 my light gets is plenty fine.........
Click to expand...

From Fenix:
Operation
Depress the tailcap button to turn the light on and turn the bezel to select the mode. A fully-tightened bezel will select Turbo Mode, and a loosened bezel will select General Mode. Soft-pressing the tailcap button while the light is on will change the output level of the selected mode. Turn the light off for over two seconds and the regulative circuit will be reset.
Click to expand...
 
I ended up ordering two of the P3D Premiums. These little babies put out 215 lumens. That should blind the hell out of someone. I like the semi-press function on the Surefires, but the strobe effect and other features on the Fenix really won me over. :)
 
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