Is A Momentary Button Even Necessary?

I thought it was, until I got my SW-01. Now I find I can access constant on easier and still do momentary with just my thumb against the tail cap fins. I don't use the momentary pushbutton much at all anymore, even in conjunction with a handgun. I'm starting to feel like the button may as well be left off the twisty, if anything the light should be just a little bit more watertight and have fewer points of failure without it.

welll though i dont own a gun, i do own flashlights with both forward and reverse clickies. I find it more convenient when i just need the light for a few seconds, to use the momentary button rather than click on and click off.

Anyone in the tactical worlds would be killed, period.

That makes it extremely necessary.


People in general could get by without it, even while being an extreme annoyance to most people.

I find that I personally use it a lot because most of the time I just need the light for a few seconds to see into a dark space etc when searching for things.
I'm guessing it to be really necessary in combat situations.

The only lights I really use constant on for are headlamps. Momentary suits my needs most of the time with my hand held lights.

My EDC is used on momentary 90% of the time...I don't see how momentary can be considered nonessential:green:

I never use the momentary function. I also am not killing things that might kill me. I find the switch om my inova x1 to be a pain not because of the momentary but because it takes 2 hands to turn it on all the time.

I think what he meant, is the momentary button on the "twisty" tail caps such as the z41, where it push for on, twist for constant. He is saying that push lightly for momentary, and push harder until it clicks for constant on.

think of it as C2 vs L5.

I still like the C2 switch... it feels like the most reliable to me.

Crenshaw

hyperloop said:

welll though i dont own a gun, i do own flashlights with both forward and reverse clickies. I find it more convenient when i just need the light for a few seconds, to use the momentary button rather than click on and click off.

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I'm not talking about a clicky, that's the SW-02. The SW-01 is a twisty with momentary. My point is that momentary and constant on can both be accessed through twisting thanks to the raised fins on the tail cap. Holding the light in a reverse grip the tail cap is easily switched on and off with a modest movement of the thumb. I mostly use momentary too, I have just found the button isn't necessary with the better designed SW-01 tail cap. It makes sense to me, the SW-01's were designed to be easy to activate.

GreyShark said:

I'm not talking about a clicky, that's the SW-02. The SW-01 is a twisty with momentary. My point is that momentary and constant on can both be accessed through twisting thanks to the raised fins on the tail cap. Holding the light in a reverse grip the tail cap is easily switched on and off with a modest movement of the thumb. I mostly use momentary too, I have just found the button isn't necessary with the better designed SW-01 tail cap. It makes sense to me, the SW-01's were designed to be easy to activate.

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The recessed tail-cap is a big no no for proper low light shooting. Using the Rogers/SureFire technique it's useless. Using anything else (ie. Harries, Modified FBI, Kneck-Index, etc.) it has a place.

However, you are "that guy" that feels it's more natural to yourself when paired with a gun. Most others, myself included, would need a forward-clickie or twistie where the tailcap was not recessed and while being pushed, activated momentary on.

As far as everything else you would need a flashlight for, then that is still personal preference.

I can see what you are saying, but like everything else, can only be used in certain situations. As far as general use, I can see what you are saying. Just slightly twist with your thumb and forget. It's less physical work than clicking and un-clicking and as easy as momentary, but you don't have to continously hold it.

Search said:

The recessed tail-cap is a big no no for proper low light shooting. Using the Rogers/SureFire technique it's useless. Using anything else (ie. Harries, Modified FBI, Kneck-Index, etc.) it has a place.

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Honestly I don't like Rogers/SureFire. I can see what they were thinking and it would be a good basic idea but it puts the light too close to the mag release for most autos. There's a few other holds that are similar in that respect. For revolvers it's no problem and it may have been initially developed for that kind of platform but I'm not even sure if SureFire promotes that technique anymore. I mostly use Harries but I like Hargreaves too and for that you need a button on the tail cap.

However, you are "that guy"

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I'm usually "that guy." I even got over CS gas pretty quick. Sometimes different is bad, sometimes different is different and sometimes different is good. :thumbsup:

I can see what you are saying, but like everything else, can only be used in certain situations. As far as general use, I can see what you are saying. Just slightly twist with your thumb and forget. It's less physical work than clicking and un-clicking and as easy as momentary, but you don't have to continously hold it.

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The biggest downside I've found is that while you can switch it on and off quickly and easily it doesn't actually turn itself off when you're not using it. Generally that's not a real problem but it is a desirable feature.

I want extreme reliability from my lights.

I've heard of numerous forward-clickie failures.

Momentary switch = 1 failure. (And that was due to extremely heavy use).

So yeah, still necessary.

I know many companies will replace a forward or reverse clickie if it fails.... That's not going to help me if it fails when I need the light to work.

A forward clickie is extremely useful to me. I don't really need it, but I prefer it. I am more likely to buy a forward clickie light, so maybe that makes it necessary for manufacturers. :candle:

strinq said:

I find that I personally use it a lot because most of the time I just need the light for a few seconds to see into a dark space etc when searching for things.
I'm guessing it to be really necessary in combat situations.

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Couldnt agree more, infact given the choice, I would rather have a Z41 tailcap over anything else on a SF light

tx101 said:

Couldnt agree more, infact given the choice, I would rather have a Z41 tailcap over anything else on a SF light

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I've got more z41 tailcaps than I do C-series bodies. :twothumbs