TL-122A WPG Reproduction

[James Miller]

I figured I'd share with you all my latest purchase; a WPG TL-122A reproduction, in case anyone was curious about getting one (or for future generations that may search this forum for information on it in particular). I had no idea they were even making reproductions of these things, but I like to buy brand new, even if they're cheap knock-offs, just for curiosities sake. This particular model came out of the United Arab Emirates (Can't say I've ever bought anything made in the UAE that I know of), but it arrived fast and is an interesting little piece. I was also surprised to see it is considerably smaller than the Fulton MX-991/U's, and despite being a D cell, is *almost* pocket sized.





To start off, I was pleased with this repro, as the body is made entirely from brass, and the lens are made from actual glass. It certainly feels like something that would be made in the 1940s. I had to bend the connectors inside a tad to get it to touch the bulb but when I turned it on for the first time, the light output was actually pretty strong for a 2D, all I remember was a blast of scorching yellow light when turned on. I'm planning to knock out the incandescent and replace it with a 10mm Nite Ize LED or 1W bulb and turn it into a survival light. Unlike the Fultons however, this lamp does not include filters in the tailcap, although filters can be fitted in the nosecap. Although the flashlight itself is tiny compared to the Fulton MX-991/U's, the nosecap is larger, so the diffuse filter is hard to get centered. There are also no waterproofing seals and upon close inspection of the reflector, it has somewhat of a beehive horizontally-challenged hexagon pattern.






The nose/tailcaps could definitely use some form of lubrication and can be tricky to screw on/unscrew at first, but overall it feels quite solid for a simple reproduction. The pocket/belt/harness-clip is solid, and I think I'll be turning this into my survival lamp.



(TL-122A, Fulton, and maglites for comparison)

Just figured I'd post this here for anyone who may be curious or interested in getting one. An interesting buy for $20, and may make an interesting brass survival lamp with a good LED mod.