The Surefire L1 Evolution

[DaFABRICATA]

DM, is the E1e with the L1 head in direct drive?

No mods or something? Or...

If its the one McGizmo modded, I own it now.

It has a LUX V and a driver in the head with a reflector.
The E2D tailcap has its guts ripped out and replaced with a McE2S 2-stage switch.

[Team Member]

As I thought then...looked to good to be true..


Nice snag DaFab

[DM51]

DM, is the E1e with the L1 head in direct drive?

LOL, I'm afraid I have no idea!

[Ny0ng1]

Yes, that combination does work although the old head really needs an upgrade to bring the performance in line with current technology. I've done some custom variants of my Milky L1 builds in exactly that configuration.

nice! pictures please.........................

[saabgoblin]

Has anyone used a Surefire Diffuser and or filter on a 1st or second generation L1? Since mine is at home, I am assuming that it has a 1" bezel and the E1E, E2e...(SF#F03) filters say they fit 1" but there are also SF Filters for the Cree L1(SF#FM55) and I was wondering if any of you have any direct experience on an older L1.

Thank You

[gswitter]

I use F04's on both a first gen L1 and a Cree L1. They work fine on both.

[saabgoblin]

Thank You Gswitter, looking to grab a F05-Red for a Bug Out Bag. long live the 1st and 2nd Gen L1's.

[Vox Clamatis in Deserto]

The originals (still my favorite) and the second major variation were, IIRC, available also in red, green and blue.

Anybody know how late, revision-wise, the colored LED's were made? I've got an early red L1 (and a couple of whites) and see some NIB blue and green L1's popping up online recently.

Anyone? Bueller? Al?

[Size15's]

I think there were two types of colour L1 bezel. The old style and the new style.

[Vox Clamatis in Deserto]

Thanks as always Al. I'll try to snag a couple of the online deals and seewhat I get. I didn't follow the L1 that closely in recent years but at some point it seemed that the color models were discontinued, perhaps prior to the introduction of the Cree emitters. There seems to be a lot of NOS - New Old Stock hitting the market recently, perhaps earlier SF closeouts that were sold to distributors and other stuff from retailers that have shut down during the recession.

[TIME1200]

my L1

[Vox Clamatis in Deserto]

I think there were two types of colour L1 bezel. The old style and the new style.

Was the Cree emitter ever put in the colored L1's? So far I've got various combinations of colored and white LED L1's in Gens 2 through 5. I've got a white Gen 6 L1, is the Gen 6 colored variant a Cree emitter or is it just the Gen 6 body with the earlier 'new style' head (Luxeon III and optic)? The last couple of dealer closeout L1's with colored emitters I received appear to be Gen 5's.

[angelofwar]

Never seen, or heard mention of (even in the SF catalogs/website) of a 6th gen colored L1. They can be confusing though, since with out seeing the optic, they both fairly identical. Only colored variants I've seen have been the old aviator style bezels, and the newer style bezels, but with the domed optic as opposed to the TIR.

The only useful colored L1 is the red. How cool would an L1 YG be???

[Vox Clamatis in Deserto]

Never seen, or heard mention of (even in the SF catalogs/website) of a 6th gen colored L1.

Thanks AOW, I think I may have gotten the idea of a colored LED Gen 6 L1 from your comment on an earlier thread here:

AFAIK, every generation of L1 were offered in red, including the most recent one (6th gen), before they discontinued it :0(.

http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/...=1#post3673038


Some of the online retailers still list color selection with a picture of a Gen 6 L1 but often the web page designer uses manufacturer's clip art and copied text in the product description. The color selection may be from an earlier listing.

The only useful colored L1 is the red. How cool would an L1 YG be???

I've got an early red L1 and it's nice but lately my favorite has been a Gen 4 (flat sides, TIR Lux III head) green. It has nice levels to maintain dark adaptation and my acuity seems to be much better with the green light.

[leon2245]

Have someone tried an old Gen1/2 short head on Gen6 short body? if it works, it would be the shortest L1 , maybe even shorter than LX1

What about the opposite, the new head on a gen1 body? They all have the same electronics in the body?

[LE6920]

The difference between Gen 1,2 and 3 seem the most confusing. If I am reading this right Gen1 did not have the scalloped bezel and 2-3 did? What are the other differences between 1-2-3, tailcap? Thanks, this is a very informative thread.

[archimedes]

The difference between Gen 1,2 and 3 seem the most confusing. If I am reading this right Gen1 did not have the scalloped bezel and 2-3 did? What are the other differences between 1-2-3, tailcap? Thanks, this is a very informative thread.

Yes, I think that the main difference between Gen2 and Gen3 was just an emitter change. Gen4 and later had the new head and optic, Gen 5 and later had the new rounded body. Gen6 was much shorter, with both a new emitter and new optic. It is indeed confusing

[akarc]

Can Gen5 use Gen6 head?
Thanks

[ammd]

Hi,
my L1 cree came with old type Surefire laser logo and I saw one of my friends with new style of logo....are those 2 Flashlights being evolution also,Thanks
amd,...

[Lucky Jim]

I stumbled across what appears to be an early 2nd gen L1 NIB on clearance this week so thought I'd better add it to my collection. Scalloped bezel, 4 flat sides, oldest emitter style, no lanyard or attachment ring, serial no. A00856, original style box - photo below (if I've managed to upload it! ... I'm new to this game). I'm impressed by the usefulness of the very low output on low setting - but wondering if I should keep it stock or mod it.

[F250XLT]

I stumbled across what appears to be an early 2nd gen L1 NIB on clearance this week so thought I'd better add it to my collection. Scalloped bezel, 4 flat sides, oldest emitter style, no lanyard or attachment ring, serial no. A00856, original style box - photo below (if I've managed to upload it! ... I'm new to this game). I'm impressed by the usefulness of the very low output on low setting - but wondering if I should keep it stock or mod it.

How much did you get it for? I like to keep the classics stock, but it also makes a great mod...All you really need is an emitter swap, and it makes a great light.

[Lucky Jim]

I paid around $80 (but in £). Having used it for a while, I think I'll keep it stock as I have plenty of newer LEDs which can deliver some extra light if needed.

[Benchiew]

What generation did the blue and green first appeared?
The 2005 and 2006 catalogs listed the availability of these 2 colors. The red appears thru all the generations.

[archimedes]

What generation did the blue and green first appeared?
The 2005 and 2006 catalogs listed the availability of these 2 colors. The red appears thru all the generations.

There is an old archived MorpheusT1 thread with a photo that appears to show Gen1 red, blue, and green emitter lights in WTS (along with a Gen2/3 white and a Gen2/3 L1-BK-WH ! ) ... so seems that these were all available since Gen1.

[Benchiew]

Wow. Didn't know that those existed

[Benchiew]

I have a L1 Red Gen 2/3 four flats with flat lens. Unfortunately there was small chip on lens which I had it sent to Surefire.
They fixed it and returned it back but it now have the tir rounded lens.
Does this now make this a Gen 4?

[milkyspit]

I have a L1 Red Gen 2/3 four flats with flat lens. Unfortunately there was small chip on lens which I had it sent to Surefire.
They fixed it and returned it back but it now have the tir rounded lens.
Does this now make this a Gen 4?

Not certain without seeing a photo of the newly-returned light, but it sounds like they swapped your head for a newer one rather than trying to repair the head you already had. Not a big deal either way, just a shame to have lost the older head. (I'm biased here: the oldest-generation head remains one of my all-time favorite SureFire creations.)

[Benchiew]

The top surface of the lens is flat although it looks rounded. I also noted that the beam now looks very even without any hotspots much like their headlamps.
A friend looked at it and said the optics looked like the ones found in Malkoff's M60 drop ins.

[Benchiew]

Surefire fixed the lens and also fixed the tail cap which was not so responsive.
They also fixed a few other lights for me.
If Surefire keeps this up, they have got me as customer for life.

[milkyspit]

@Benchlew: it's still a gen2/gen3.