So I ended up with a Surefire LX1 and want to pick your opinion on if it is real??

Hey guys. I'm new here and have quite an odd request. I acquired some lights and AR accessories from a buddy that owned me some money. I started to sell one of them on eBay (The Surefire LX1) and have had a mass of messages wanting me to sell it to them before the auction ends, asking me a bunch of questions, etc.

One user that bid on the light from out of the country came back saying "cancel bid, it is not real" and it had me thinking. Is there a possibility of this light being a fake?

I started googling and apparently this if real is a very rare light and possibly a prototype. The friend I got it from does go to the shot show that is in vegas yearly, and also is the VP of a sporting good store that is an authorized surefire dealer, but that doesn't guarantee anything I know. I do know he's not a light junky by any means.

After looking into this more, I did notice this light seems to have a different shade of green on different pieces of the body. Also, the tail cap is different than other surefire lights I received from him. The others have stamps of Surefire on the tail cap and this does not. Also, the spring to make battery contact inside is different than my other lights I was selling (that came from him).

Looking at the photos, what are your thought? Could this just be a prototype that was tinkered with and put together slowly so that's why the paint is different?

If you guys come to the conclusion this is fake, I need to remove this before the auction ends. I looked all over the internet and could not even find a fake.

I just don't know enough about lights to even begin to know.

The surefire side says X00001

On Surefire 2009 catalog, LX1 was announced, but it wouldn't be released on Market as far as I knew.

Also there is fake Surefire LX1 from FireKylin.

Above item's marking is VL1

http://www.eprice.co.kr/attach/2010/08/20100826213072.jpg

http://www.eprice.co.kr/attach/2010/08/20100826213002.jpg

http://www.eprice.co.kr/attach/2010/08/20100826213078.jpg

One is VL1 and the other is LX1.
Both are fake model.

In my thought your LX1 is real latter than fake.
But there are some doubts.

1. Why the head and tail is not same with Surefire's catalog?


Above is same photo on Surefire 2009 catalog.
As you can see, the head and tail is same with Surefire LX2.
But your LX1's head and tail is same with Surefire L1.

http://www.knivesandtools.de/productimages/surefire/large/l1ha.jpg

However, the serial number X00001 is more like first batch or test model latter than fake.
Because there is same serial number on Surefire LX2, exactly it starts X.
Here is LX2 serial number's thread
http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?238089-Surefire-LX2-Serial-Number-Registry

They say "X" is First run of LX2 and "A" is Second run.

So your LX1 with X00001 is maybe first run of LX1. I don't know why the Surefire didn't sell or launch LX1 on market, but they were ready to sell it.
Maybe one of test version is yours, so your head and tail is not same with LX2.

Anyway if you really want to know your LX1 is real or fake, contact Surefire.
They maybe confirm that.

thanks
Kim.

Image tags removed see Rule #3 Do not Hot Link images. Please host on an image site, Imageshack or similar and repost – Thanks Norm

there's a "Night Evolution" brand of tactical flashlights on eBay at the moment using the same namings as Surefire. Scout, Outdoorsman, etc...

I got an E2D style tailcap off eBay used, with no markings at all, and I think it may be a Night Evolution one. it's reverse clicky instead of forward clicky, and the switch/boot retaining ring is plastic. it also does not fit my regular SureFire bodies very well. fits better on an older E1e I have.

Hm... that's an interesting lego there...

Body and tailcap appear to be genuine Surefire (and what looks like from L1-gen5, as Shrike suggested)... is the lens on the bezel rounded or flat ???

As for the body... hm... Before I even start thinking there is a SLIM chance that could be one of few genuine prototype bodies, any chance of making few more detail close up of the body ??? In particular, head threads, clip attachment and clip itself and most importantly - tailcap threads on the body... Surefire threads on all L's and A's are square... fakes have regular with some "flattening" on top...

Also, when looking inside the tube (body) from the tailcap end, is there an insert of different material inside, about 5mm deep (I believe SF used stainless steel there, not sure but they seem to have that insert to prevent future wear from twisty tailcap vs. bare aluminum)...

Here are some more pictures. The back threads are flat.

That looks freakishly legit... Even the tail threads are done as Surefire did on all L's and A's - square threads... (but I've been fooled few or many times in my life... so in this case, you never know... never underestimate the power of copycats, lol)...

Edges seem a little rough but machining and anodization "smells" like SF... few minor details that stand out from usual SF approach, but then again - this thing has prototype serial so... don't have to have all exact bits (that LX2 has, for example)...

One thing is for sure... now that I've seen both ends properly done, I would LOVE to pair it up with LX2 bezel and tailcap, mod it slightly and make it looks EXACTLY as LX1 was supposed to be offered to the world - many people were hoping to see LX1 in SF offer but it never saw production...

Tana,
Was SF using the new logo in 2009?
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autogiro said:

Tana,
Was SF using the new logo in 2009?
Auto

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Heh... check my CPF join date - I started my flasholism (should I say Surefirelism) about 6 months earlier...

Good point but it shouldn't be much of a pointer, honestly... is there LX2 with older logo ??? Mine has newer but then again, I've never seen any of those first one that had 120 lumens output (per SF) - maybe they had older logo... if all LX2's have newer logo - LX1 proto would have the same, right ???

AH! I see...

I do have a couple of LX2s and A2Ls with the old logo. Some with the new logo as well.

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Tana said:

Heh... check my CPF join date - I started my flasholism (should I say Surefirelism) about 6 months earlier...

Good point but it shouldn't be much of a pointer, honestly... is there LX2 with older logo ??? Mine has newer but then again, I've never seen any of those first one that had 120 lumens output (per SF) - maybe they had older logo... if all LX2's have newer logo - LX1 proto would have the same, right ???

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autogiro said:

AH! I see...

I do have a couple of LX2s and A2Ls with the old logo. Some with the new logo as well.

Auto

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Where are those LX1 teaser pics when you need them, huh ???

Is this still up on ebay???

scout24 said:

Is this still up on ebay???

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I pulled it until we can confirm, then I will relist it. I didn't want somebody buying it and being disappointed. However, I don't know how close we will get to confirming it as I called Surefire and the first rep wasn't sure, and transferred me to somebody that could identify. He told me "Yeah, we didn't make a LX1" and that was about it. I got an email address from a third rep to send pictures in to confirm. Maybe I will get some answers there.

kmad86 said:

I pulled it until we can confirm, then I will relist it. I didn't want somebody buying it and being disappointed. However, I don't know how close we will get to confirming it as I called Surefire and the first rep wasn't sure, and transferred me to somebody that could identify. He told me "Yeah, we didn't make a LX1" and that was about it. I got an email address from a third rep to send pictures in to confirm. Maybe I will get some answers there.

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One thing is for sure, it's NOT LX1... even if all parts are genuine SF, it's lego made of LX1 body and L1 bezel/tailcap...

But we here on CPF LOVE lego stuff... I for one would love to grab that body, genuine or not... those tail threads are enough to convince me to try to make it "true" LX1 with right parts...

That LX1 body looks legit. OP, where did you acquire that light?

Wow, I am quite shocked to see this response. I really expected them to at most not confirm as I figure prototypes aren't supposed to go to the public.

I sent Steven in tech support a message with pictures and he replied back.

Hello Kyle,

It appears to be genuine. The LX1 was a prototype. Let me know if you have any other questions.

Thank you,

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Not a surprise, I have two prototype Ti Titans among others
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kmad86, how did you acquire that light? Just curious where it came from.

Very cool to see Surefire confirm!

cland72 said:

kmad86, how did you acquire that light? Just curious where it came from.

Very cool to see Surefire confirm!

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It came from a friend with some other lights and AR parts. Like I mentioned above, he's in the industry and I suspected it to be legit but wasn't sure as I figured prototypes never leaked. I will have to ask him sometime. I don't know if surefire has attractive reps at the big gun shows, etc but if so there's a good chance he got it from a random at Shot shot from the crazy stories I have heard him tell.

kmad86 said:

It came from a friend with some other lights and AR parts. Like I mentioned above, he's in the industry and I suspected it to be legit but wasn't sure as I figured prototypes never leaked. I will have to ask him sometime. I don't know if surefire has attractive reps at the big gun shows, etc but if so there's a good chance he got it from a random at Shot shot from the crazy stories I have heard him tell.

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Lots of bartering and favors happen at SHOT, especially if you know someone.

Nice score man! You are holding a holy grail of flashlights for some. My LX2 was my favorite flashlight from 2009 until earlier this year when I lost it.

I agree with the others looks like the real deal to me.
A proto-type with Lego parts is not unusual.