Surefire Twisty Switch Question/Comment

kelmo

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Aug 27, 2004
Messages
3,092
Location
Sacramento
Greetings Fellow Photon Fanatics,

I like a lot of you out there have more than a few Surefire lights.

1st the comment. The twisty switches I have have an extremely tight tolerance for the constant on mode. That is they turn on right when the tail cap is snug against the battery tube. There is no room for error. Great precision machining.

My question is should I be worried about this? Has anyone ever had a switch failure due to this snug fit?

I am just a little paranoid because I had a clicky switch go bad and my confidence is a little shaken in SF switches at this point in time.

Comments?

Thanks,

kelmo
 

Flash_Gordon

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Apr 3, 2005
Messages
1,246
Location
NC USA
Sounds about normal. Should go constant on when all the way down. Momentary should work ¼ to ½ turn from bottom and lockout will happen somewhere about ½ to ¾ turn. (Approx)

The real benefit of twisties is simplicity and reliability, which they generally are.

Mark
 

CLHC

Flashaholic
Joined
Dec 25, 2004
Messages
6,001
Location
PNW|WA|USA
Flash_Gordon summed it up very well. Mine SureFires are quite "tight" when twisting too. . .No problems on my end.

Enjoy!
 

FlashaholicX

Newly Enlightened
Joined
Dec 5, 2004
Messages
26
I think I can explain the "precision machining" that you are referring to.

The tightening of the tailcap lowers the shim that the spring is connected to towards the body of the flashlight. When the shim makes contact with the body, the circuit is closed, and voila, you have constant on. At the same time, the setting becomes an natural end stop to the twist switch because there is no longer any room between the body, the shim and the tailcap body to go any further. It's actually quite the simple and ingenious design.

Hope this was elucidatory,

FlashaholicX
 

RebelXTNC

Enlightened
Joined
Feb 8, 2006
Messages
433
Location
North Carolina
After 2 and a half years of pocket carry my E2e with KL1 head did suddenly have an intermittent problem with the twisty, both full on and momentary modes. I cleaned the switch out twice without actually disassembling it as well as cleaning the end of the body tube. It improved but wasn't perfect but then after a day it was working again fully and hasn't acted up since.
Probably a bit of trash that worked its way in and out so I'll pay more attention to a regular cleaning from now on.
 
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