Why all the Surefire weapon lights and Helmet lights on Ebay?

[purelite]

How come there are so many weapon mount lights and helmet lights from Surefire listed on Ebay all the time? Does the military let soldiers keep their lighting devices upon discharge or return from active duty? I thought they had to turn everything in unlike back in WWII where soldiers could even keep their .45s !!!

Is this just all of them trying to make a few bucks on their old duty gear?

 

[angelofwar]

Non-flashaholics getting them issued when they went to Iraq, and now they're all coming back, and don't have a need for them.

 

[Mr Bigglow]

Returning GIs were allowed to keep trophy sidearms after WWII, but OTOH were sternly required to turn over machine guns, bazookas, hand grenades, and similar ordinance.

 

[cland72]

I think that with the recent withdrawal of troops from the Af/Pak theater, you're seeing lots of guys try to raise a few bucks by selling off their issued items.

Another possibility is contracting companies (Triple Canopy, Xe, etc) trying to recoup some of their purchase price as contracts dry up.

 

[chmsam]

Could be that some civilian buyers of "tacti-cool" stuff are feeling the pinch. However a lot of that is probably dealers just making regular sales. That seems more likely since a lot of that stuff is NIB and there aren't all that many pages of items.

Seems to me that these days the military wants to hang onto most gear after personnel come back to the states.

 

[ElectronGuru]

My understanding is that large numbers of lights were issued improperly. When subsequent commanders discover the lack of paperwork (or correct paper), its safer to leave them off the books (in soldiers hands) rather than trying to put them on the books. Then its just a matter of time before they're made 'available'.

 

[Vox Clamatis in Deserto]

My understanding is that large numbers of lights were issued improperly.

Hmmm, a couple of the lights I've bought online were in sealed clear plastic packs with cage codes and NSN's. I was wondering if they were issued comshaw or just surplus from a military contract.

Maybe it's better not to know...

 

[Size15's]

The Military has contacts for the current generation of SureFire WeaponLights (that use the Vampire bezel) so that's also likely a factor in why so many old M95s are escaping - they are being replaced. Of course it'll take a while given how many were issued over the years.

Returning troops would seem to be the major factor.

 

[purelite]

what I am seeing is alot of used lights with lots of battle scars. Idont have a problemw with it at all. I just thought you were supposed to turn everything in upon discharge from the military. Excluding clothes/boots of course. Do they let you keep you r helmet also? It just kind of amazes me that there doesnt seem to be any accounting for this stuff in the military? They just let all this expensive equipment "walk" out the door? I mean a toilet costs about $800 . What does a Surefire weapon light cost the military? Oh also seeing alot of those helmet lights on Ebay also
With a nationwide budget crisis you would think things like flashlights/helmets and firearms would be reissued to new enlistees so as to keep costs down. I guess i am wondering where is the line drawn on equipment?
I keep looking at those lights and to me it would be kinda cool to have a battle hardened light with scars that saw action over there.

 

[Henry50]

I just thought you were supposed to turn everything in upon discharge from the military.

as people have said before, sometimes issuing errors are made. From being on the receiving end of army issue gear, i know many mistakes are made - particularly in the field. On top of that you've got the usual Q-store theft.

Can anyone please point me in the direction of models/search results that would show these lights being sold? kinda curious (i found the IFF light, but not sure of what else to look for)

 

[purelite]

just go to Ebay and put in Surefire

It will give yu about 20 pages of the stuff.

I like the "Issuing errors" term. I wish I could use words like that in my job. I can imagine with 100 of thousands of troops some stuff is gonna leak thru the cracks. It just seems like there is more of it lately. The extraction from Iraq makes sense.

 

[angelofwar]

The weaponlights are issued "as is" to the troops...much like rain-gear, cold weather gear, etc. Once they issue it to you, they count it as an expenditure...most of the lights are in to rough a shape to be re-issued...so, instead of paying some-one 70-80-g's a year, they give the soldiers, that require them, the light for there weapon before they deploy...and they're expected to USE IT...if they have it for there second tour, so be it. They get back, they're done with Iraq, and decide not to re-enlist, they have all this cool "gear" that they realize is worth something...

I'm in the AF, and I have about 3k-4k worth of gear (some new, some used) that will never see the light of day if I don't use it. But, me being the "survival type", I'll hold onto it...just in case...

Flashlights are just like underwear...once they issue it to you, they don't wan't it back...and keep in mind, while these weaponlights might seem expensive to us, compared to the $2k body armour, $500 helmet, etc., al., it's a drop in the bucket for them. Wasteful? Maybe...but, that's part of what the military industrial complex was designed to do...support American companies, and so forth. Uncle Sam get's it back eventually.

 

[Chrontius]

More to the point, some of these grunts buy their own kit if issued gear sucks (sometimes they don't get issued lights at all) and are trying to recoup the costs after their tour of duty ends.

 

[ElectronGuru]

Can anyone please point me in the direction of models/search results that would show these lights being sold?

Here's the biggest example, from September

 

[Henry50]

thanks

 

[purelite]

Holy crap EG. I didnt even see that one!!!!

What did that guy do put up a GoodWill donation box with a flashlights only sign on it? There must have been some sort of Gov't auction for the lot of those!!! Probably got them all for $20 and they cost the tax payer about $3Million!!!

Thanx for the input Angel. Thats what I was wondering , so they do look at things like flashlights as disposable personal gear .

 

[chmsam]

Here's the biggest example, from September

If you look at the "quantity available" for that particular model (M9601XM07), even though the image shows a lot of lights the actual quantity is 1.

They could well have a ton more or it could be down to 1 by now but...


I've seen too many sales pitches to not read very carefully and read between the lines as well. My favorite non-light example was found when looking for a computer battery. Found three places on the web that were within pennies of each other but I like to use the phone before I order on-line. Hmmm, all three web sites had the same number. Reverse look-up found that the number was a cell phone. Hey, what could be wrong with that, right?

Maybe I'm just too skeptical.

 

[purelite]

nah you have to be skeptical of Ebay. Thats smart.

That listing had a higher quantity listed when I check it out. So someone is buying them. They all look new unused in the pic dont they?

 

[Heyjowee]

Like said before, the lights are issued out and not really accounted for. If you want a cheap one, look on Craigslist around a military town like Killeen and you'll get them for a good deal. i gave mine to some new soldier that weren't issued it yet.

 

[MGRS]

The supply discipline of many units downrange is very poor compared to garrison stateside- equipment is purchased and not properly accounted for, especially TPE (theater provided equipment) that stays in theater when units transfer authority.

I'm sure many of the lights on ebay have been paid for in part by somebody after the FLIPL investigation went through- most likely a supply sgt, executive officer, or company commander. My battalion never had weapon lights issued with no strings attached.

Helmet lights, yes.