Tell me about Surefires

[Citori]

I think I need to buy a Surefire. I don't have many high end flashlights, a couple of MM modified Brinkmanns and an Arc AAA, plus a couple of M*gs. Around my house and cabin the M*ags are good enough as I can always grab another if I burn out a bulb or drop it in a puddle. What I need is a very dependable light for use when I'm out and about and wouldn't be able to grab another.

Every year I hunt Caribou in Alaska, do a lot of hunting here in Indiana, fish at night, etc. I am looking for a smallish light that I can clip (pocket clip is a requirement) to myself when I'm in the woods or on my boat. I like to travel light so size is pretty important. The Arc AAA is great to use as an area light for seeing things close up but I'd also like to carry something that will throw a beam a good distance. For lack of a better description, something that will throw a beam as well as my 3D M*g.

I've been looking over Surefire's site, and the Cruxial site that has all the reviews, and I'm thinking that an E1e would be the best fit from a size perspective but the E2e puts out a lot more light. It has to be water resistant but I think all the Surefires are. I guess it really comes down to how much difference in light output at a distance there is between the E1e and the E2e, or maybe one of the smaller Nitrolon lights.

If anyone who has any of these could compare them to a M*g I would appreciate it. All I can find around here to handle are 6Ps and G2s.

 

[Josh]

I would suggest the E1e and the E2e, E1e for task lighting and the E2e for times when you need more light. With SF batteries down to dirt cheap prices you can pick up a box of 12 for 15$. So here is the standard responce....GET BOTH

 

[Orcinus Orca]

Citori

To compare your 3D mag to the E2e and E1e:

Mag 3D: 30-35 lumens
E1e: 15 lumens
E2e: 60 lumens

If you want something far superior to your mag with a pocket clip and small size, the e2e is the way to go. Lithium batteries will give you better and more reliable performance under cold conditions, and as SureFire has reduced retail pricing to $15 per box of twelve, there really is no excuse not to own a litium light. If you keep your o-rings lubed, you shouldn't have a problem with water resistance, however you may want to test it in a water-filled basin before subjecting it to extremely wet environments (as some people around here have had water resistance problems with their SFs).

If price is a problem that you are not willing to overcome, I would highly suggest a G2, as they have come down to below $30 here lately. They are lighter with a slight output advantage over the E2e, but lack a pocket clip, lockout tailcap, pyrex lense, and are significantly larger.

If you can get past the price, buy and E2e. You won't regret it.

Respectively,
Dale

 

[Quickbeam]

Citori -

Always glad to hear someone found my site useful! Be careful asking about which lights to buy around here - everyone will tell you to buy ALL of them!

The E2e should be an excellent choice for your purposes.

If you plan on going with a G2 or 6P be sure to check out the Scorpion as well - also a good light and focusable, unlike the G2 or 6P. None of them are much larger than the E2 and they all produce a little more light, albeit for a shorter period of time on a set of batteries.

Would you like me to post comparison pics between beam output of mag 3-D, mag 4-D, E2, G2, and Scorpion? I have all of these lights, you'll just need to give me till tonight. I don't have an E1 or 6P. Don't bother comparing to a mag AA...

 

[Citori]

Price really isn't a big deal. I'd much rather pay a lot once and be happy than a little over and over and over and never be satisfied. As long as a light fits my needs I'd consider it.

Quickbeam,

I would appreciate beam shots if you have the time to put them up. Don't go out of your way or anything but they would help out quite a bit. I found this site (and yours) thorugh Bladeforums, which I found through RimfireCentral, and both of those places have people who recommend 'buying it all'. I'd like to think that I'll just buy what I NEED but if flashlights end up like just about everything else I get into I'll probably buy what I WANT.
Your review of the E1 and E2 is what prompted me to look at those lights in the first place. The beam shots on both look great but if I could compare them to the Mags I have, that would seal the deal.

 

[Sigman]

Absolutely the E2E-HA!!

If money isn't a problem, then get an E1E-HA and a KL1 for a task light. This way the KL1 can be used on both torches. There are several color filters available, though the Mini M@g filter kit also works.

 

[Bright Scouter]

Quickbeam, do you by chance have an E2O with the lola lamp to add to the beam shots? I thought that might be a good match to the 3D mag with a longer burn time.

 

[Quickbeam]

sorry... no lola...

I have a limited budget and resources - otherwise I would have everything possible!

 

[llvo]

I second that:
1) E2e HA
2) E1e with KL1 <--luxeon star LED

Then you have a bright 60lumen flashlight with a great LED backup - The KL1 is over ten times brighter than my ArcAAA!

 

[nihraguk]

a 3D maglite, though lesser in lumens output, throws a much tighter beam than any surefire without a turbo head. when shining a 3D maglite and a surefire at a wall a few metres in front of you, the surefire will blow the maglite away but once you increase the distance significantly, the maglite will still win.

you might want to check out the E20, since the longer runtime and longer pocket clip might come in handy (doesn't have much throw though). its targeted at outdoorsmen (hence the name), so it might just be what you're looking for

the longer clip and body will also allow it to be clipped more securely to your pocket than an E1e. i personally like the C2 for its grip ring and pocket clip. with the C2, you can also upgrade it with a turbohead kit for more throw.

 

[freewheelin']

I've found my E1e with it's needlelike hot spot suits my needs at the deer lease more than most other lights. I'm talking super small and will throw 200 feet easily. I alsocarry a Scorpoin, mostly for its focusing ability, sometimes the E1e is too focused for tracking. If I could take only 1 (not happening) light it'd be the Scorpion for flexibility. My E2e's are great but I think they are too purdy to beat around the woods.
Just my opinion.

 

[Quickbeam]

CPF will be down tonight so I'll post the pics to my "beam comparisons" page. The link is near the top of my Reviews page on my site.

I have to wait till my wife comes home - she has the 3-D in her car...

The mags can focus to a little tighter of a spot. Only problem is that they're heavy frikin' things to be dragging through the woods ...

For that matter, if you need a light about the size of a G2 and the brightness about equal to an E2 but with longer runtime you could consider the PrincetonTec Tec 40... Just another option.

 

[binky]

If it's your first Surefire that you're deciding on, I'd like to echo what nearly every single post says of their new Surefire, because it may influence which light you're willing to carry:

"Gee, my new Surefire [any model name here] is much smaller than it looks in the picture."

I'm guilty of the same. Twice. I bought an 8nx as my first light last year, and I just recently bought my wife an E2e+KL1 from TactialWarehouse. Both times, when I saw the light in person, I thought "Gee, it sure is much smaller than it looks in the picture." And BTW I also have an Arc LSH-P which, when it arrived, was actually a little bigger than I expected (but much brighter too!)

Now I'm thinking that I bet the M6 & 10X are probably much smaller than they appear in the pictures.

So I guess I'm suggesting you base your consideration more on the lumens than the size because they're all pretty darned small. And every Surefire is much, much smaller than the 3D Mag you mention. (Smaller than the 2D as well!)

I know that 110 lumens from my 8nx kicks the big Mag out the door, by the way. I bet that even 60 from the E2e does also. I'm sorry I can't provide a beamshot because you'd be much gratified to see what you're about to pay for. I didn't get the regular head anyway, just the KL1.

Plus it's not insignificant that the beam on a Surefire is nice and smooth so it simplifies the things you're looking at/for in the dark. Others may argue differently, but my experience is that a smooth beam makes a big difference and it's no joke or marketing ploy. You may not actually be able to point to the rings as you're pointing the beam into the woods for example, with all the sticks and twigs going every direction, but you'll sure as heck notice the qualitative difference if you turn on a smoother beam of equal brightness. It really simplifies the scene so you can concentrate on finding what you're after.

 

[Skyline]

Actually, I would recommend the M2 here. It has the pocket clip, but it also comes with both the 120 lumens HOLA and 65 lumens LOLA. Pyrex lense, shock resistant.. what more could you ask for?

If the pocket clip is not an absolute necessity, you can get the G2Z. Half the price, it comes with a lanyard and you can get the HOLA for it separately.

The E2 lights are nice, but 60 lumens isn't enough for me. I like 120+ lumens.

 

[TrevorNasko]

Oh man, stop! If i were to say all that i know of surefires it would take 2 weeks - just get an e2 and be done with it.

 

[Skyline]

You haven't even heard my M6 sales pitch yet.

 

[ToddM]

My vote would go for the E2e. If size is not a big issue maybe the M2.

The E1 series has never impressed me in it's brightness. It's bright for it's size, but I'll take twice the brightness with a little longer body size of the E2e anyday.

The M2 with the P60 bulb probably has more throw than an E2e just because most of the P60's I've seen are a tighter beam than the E2e's.

It realy depends on what focus you use your maglight at. If your using tightest focus on a 3D maglight even a P60 is probalby not going to impress you in throw distance. It will throw a lot more area light and more quality of light but if you want super long distance I'd look into a turbohead version. Something like a M3 turbo head.

Todd

 

[I_rv_too]

Consider runtime.

If you are a hunter, you'll know how long you occasionally have to follow a blood trail in the dark ...

I don't think flashlight with a 1 hour runtime is going to work for you.

Remember, you have to find your way back out of the woods after you find the downed game.

I know, I know. You're a great shot. Everything drops dead on the spot it's shot.

But I think you need more than an hour runtime.

So double check the runtime on the surefires.

Nice bright lights ... for a little while ... unless you switch out heads to the LED ... but then you don't have the output you need.

 

[Sigman]

Originally posted by I_rv_too:
Consider runtime.

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">--------------------
E2E = 60 lumens for 75 minutes according to Surefire. Okay, take a few extra 123s with you. I always have some in my pack, wouldn't go hunting without extra backup "fuel"!

 

[kakster]

as long as you can live with the burn time and cost of CR123's, go for an E2e HA. you wont be disappointed, this thing is bomb proof and small enough to fit in a back pocket without it being too noticable.