Stand by for LED cop light "goodness"

[michiganstud]

Thought I'd post my current lineup of lights I use for duty. I've went from xenon in the 90s to what I have now as current carry. I'm an admitted flashaholic, particularly partial to Streamlight . I carry all of these from time to time, switching around as I see fit.

Left to right...starting with the big swingers, car lights...

SL20X incan with Terralux 550 lumen upgrade. Started carrying in the 90's.

MagLite - mag-charger. Also converted with the Terralux MiniStar upgrade. Supposedly 1,000 lumens, but I really doubt it. Hardly carried. It serves as a home light.

SL20L - no upgrades, just a boring 350 lumen light that I rarely carry. It's my night stand light. Have to keep it on the charger as it self discharges fast.

Now for the belt series....

Streamlight Stinger - Original 90s xenon model. It's seen 1 upgrade to the Terralux 450 lumen upgrade. It's seeing its second upgrade as I just ordered the 800 lumen upgrade from Lumens Factory.

Stinger LED - no upgrades, but it's the high lumens 800 model.

Streamlight Protac HLX - 1000 lumen light. Predominately carried now because it's just as bright as any others, and doesn't heat up.

Surefire 6P - bored to accept 18650 batteries, current drop in is the Sportac XHP35 single mode 1000 lumen.

Backup pocket duty lights....

Streamlight Protac 2Lx - 500 lumen

Not pictured....

Protac 2AA - runs on 2 AA batteries

Macrostream - 500 lumen EDC off duty light.


As you can see....I'm a Streamlight guy. They are simply tanks that have never failed me. They all have distinct uses and features that I love.

My current projects are to 1) decide between the Protac HLx and the 6P and 2) decide which Stinger to carry when I get my Lumens Factory upgrade.

 

[hsa]

I've been watching "on patrol live" the last couple weeks and to my surprise most cops are carrying big lights. Big Mags and long Streamlights. They use the heck out of them too.

 

[bykfixer]

Thanks for the look into mind of a police officer when picking a duty light.

Things have really changed in the last 10 years. Down sized while still being very bright.

Maglite achieved the reputation of being a cop light but they never really were. In the beginning perhaps, but in the big scheme of things Streamlight has long dominated. Between the SL20 and Stinger ole Tony Maglica has been running a distant second.

I was a big fan of Streamlight for years but as more and more of their packaging says "made in China" I have drifted to Maglite products more and more when updating. Them and Elzetta. There's no disputing Streamlight has done a much better job and rolling with the changes though. Their catalog shows a vast array of lighting tools. And they conistantly update their lineup.

 

[knucklegary]

MI Stud, I'd carry your Stinger once upgraded from LF. Let us know how you like it after installed..
Btw, what's that blue painted thingy sitting next to gloves/cuffs?

 

[kerneldrop]

I use the heck out of those yellow microfiber towels

 

[Dave D]

I've been retired 10 years this year following 30 as an LEO, below are some of my lights.

I preferred Surefire.

The below are my current recommendations for Bag Light, Belt light and back-up light.
The Streamlight ProTac HL 5X, the Stinger HL DS or the Malkoff M91T MD3, the current Surefire G2X LE makes a great back-up light.

Stay safe out there.

 

[michiganstud]

MI Stud, I'd carry your Stinger once upgraded from LF. Let us know how you like it after installed..
Btw, what's that blue painted thingy sitting next to gloves/cuffs?

That is a shark fin, hailer, or side stop. Converted for 110v. Sorry for the messy desk.

 

[rwolfenstein]

I used to have a Surefire R1 lawman, I wish I never got rid of it. I have so many of those Maglite magchargers. All of them are either LED or upgraded to such. It was rather refreshing to see a streamlight SL20 with the terralux upgrade, made it so much better and impervious to drops. (Dunno why streamlight used porcelin as the housing for the bulb).

 

[DRW]

"to my surprise most cops are carrying big lights. Big Mags and long Streamlights. They use the heck out of them too."

Those lights are versatile and indestructible. That's what I carried as a cop.

 

[michiganstud]

I've been watching "on patrol live" the last couple weeks and to my surprise most cops are carrying big lights. Big Mags and long Streamlights. They use the heck out of them too.

Although most cops are carrying newer smaller lights on the belt, the 3 cell, longer sized lights still have their place. I like the convenience of putting it through a ring holder, and I like to be able to tuck my light under my arm. In my years I've only struck one person with one, and that was when they took a swing at me.

I don't think they'll ever be totally phased out and I really think Streamlight is missing the mark by not putting a 1,000 or 1,500 lumen LED into that platform. They would sell just as many, or enough to be worth it, as they did in the 90's if they did!!

 

[rwolfenstein]

My coworker was a cop back in the 80s, he carried one of the old Streamlight SL20s that was the polymer body. On a traffic stop he was doing SFSTs (DUI field test) and the guy took a swing. He smacked him upside of the head and the flashlight disintegrated into many little plastic pieces. I always preferred the mag-charger because the county I volunteered in issued them. Eventually I upgraded to a single LED Terralux drop in that put out 400 lumens and had a focused beam that would become a flood at distance. Dropped it many times and it never failed me.

 

[bykfixer]

I used to have a Surefire R1 lawman, I wish I never got rid of it. I have so many of those Maglite magchargers. All of them are either LED or upgraded to such. It was rather refreshing to see a streamlight SL20 with the terralux upgrade, made it so much better and impervious to drops. (Dunno why streamlight used porcelin as the housing for the bulb).

It seems like Streamlight opting for the bi-pin bulb then a soft copper to hold the bulb was a bit of an achiles heal. My old Strion got where the bulb would fall out unless the pins were bent some but that seemed to 'woller' out the holes in the copper even more so I'd order a new bulb holder from Streamlight.
For the record I've never been a police officer but have used "cop lights" since my youth. They generally held up better than the wack-a-palm Rayovac and Eveready lights of the day. My parents used them so I had access to them back in my youth.

 

[michiganstud]

MI Stud, I'd carry your Stinger once upgraded from LF. Let us know how you like it after installed..
Btw, what's that blue painted thingy sitting next to gloves/cuffs?

I'm thinking of trying to do beam shots at night of all of these lights and the new stinger upgrade.

 

[KITROBASKIN]

Interesting thread, but if I try to pull it up at work?
'Porn' in the title will cause inflammation of the firewall and maybe (doubtful) get a visit from my institution's authorities. I was blocked before on a diysolarforum thread with porn in the title! It was about high quality products made by Victron Power. Maybe they thought it was a pretty woman scantily clad named Victron?

Any more failures or steadfast reports from the field, regarding certain models of flashlights?

 

[knucklegary]

Interesting thread, but if I try to pull it up at work?
'Porn' in the title will cause inflammation of the firewall and maybe (doubtful) get a visit from my institution's authorities. I was blocked before on a diysolarforum thread with porn in the title! It was about high quality products made by Victron Power. Maybe they thought it was a pretty woman scantily clad named Victron?

Any more failures or steadfast reports from the field, regarding certain models of flashlights?

This thread obviously (mens rea) is not porn in the sense you're referring to..

Now, your post makes me wonder if you have history of visiting sexual porn sites while at work.

 

[DRW]

... the flashlight disintegrated into many little plastic pieces...

Never carried a plastic light on duty.

 

[bykfixer]

Interesting thread, but if I try to pull it up at work?
'Porn' in the title will cause inflammation of the firewall and maybe (doubtful) get a visit from my institution's authorities. I was blocked before on a diysolarforum thread with porn in the title! It was about high quality products made by Victron Power. Maybe they thought it was a pretty woman scantily clad named Victron?

Any more failures or steadfast reports from the field, regarding certain models of flashlights?

So you're saying you chat at a forum while on the clock? Now now now kitro....

 

[aznsx]

Thought I'd post my current lineup of lights I use for duty. I've went from xenon in the 90s to what I have now as current carry. I'm an admitted flashaholic, particularly partial to Streamlight . I carry all of these from time to time, switching around as I see fit.

Left to right...starting with the big swingers, car lights...

SL20X incan with Terralux 550 lumen upgrade. Started carrying in the 90's.

MagLite - mag-charger. Also converted with the Terralux MiniStar upgrade. Supposedly 1,000 lumens, but I really doubt it. Hardly carried. It serves as a home light.

SL20L - no upgrades, just a boring 350 lumen light that I rarely carry. It's my night stand light. Have to keep it on the charger as it self discharges fast.

Now for the belt series....

Streamlight Stinger - Original 90s xenon model. It's seen 1 upgrade to the Terralux 450 lumen upgrade. It's seeing its second upgrade as I just ordered the 800 lumen upgrade from Lumens Factory.

Stinger LED - no upgrades, but it's the high lumens 800 model.

Streamlight Protac HLX - 1000 lumen light. Predominately carried now because it's just as bright as any others, and doesn't heat up.

Surefire 6P - bored to accept 18650 batteries, current drop in is the Sportac XHP35 single mode 1000 lumen.

Backup pocket duty lights....

Streamlight Protac 2Lx - 500 lumen

Not pictured....

Protac 2AA - runs on 2 AA batteries

Macrostream - 500 lumen EDC off duty light.


As you can see....I'm a Streamlight guy. They are simply tanks that have never failed me. They all have distinct uses and features that I love.

My current projects are to 1) decide between the Protac HLx and the 6P and 2) decide which Stinger to carry when I get my Lumens Factory upgrade.

I appreciate your contribution, and your thoughts / observations.

Although it's a very 'different' type of 'Stinger' animal, if you have an opportunity to check one out, I'd also be interested in your thoughts regarding the latest / future direction of the 'Stinger' product name / line, the Stinger 2020. I've had one for a couple of years now, and I'm quite impressed with the design / engineering. I must say it's hard to evaluate on paper though, as I didn't begin to fully realize its better qualities until I'd handled one for a while.

 

[michiganstud]

Interesting thread, but if I try to pull it up at work?
'Porn' in the title will cause inflammation of the firewall and maybe (doubtful) get a visit from my institution's authorities. I was blocked before on a diysolarforum thread with porn in the title! It was about high quality products made by Victron Power. Maybe they thought it was a pretty woman scantily clad named Victron?

Any more failures or steadfast reports from the field, regarding certain models of flashlights?

But yet......here you are.

 

[chillinn]

Enviable collections shown here. Couldn't help but notice that, besides the Streamlight ProTac, none of the lights shown in this thread have crenellations. Maybe these Surefire and Malkoff models, the other Streamlight models, and the Maglite model, never had crenellations. But crenellations were invented, for some inscrutable reason, especially for LEO and military, and with so many lights shown it's hard to fathom why there aren't more with crens unless they were intentionally avoided.

What's the dillio, michiganstud and Dave D? Coincidence, due to these particular models, or personal and/or professional preference?