SureFire D3 Defender

kamagong

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May 9, 2006
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Just bought a SF D3. Does anybody here have one? Care to share your thoughts? I've read all I could find on them, both here and elsewhere. Information is quite sparse. I couldn't even find any recently completed sales on eBay.

This is my first P90-based light.
 

Kestrel

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Oct 31, 2007
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Congrats on the D3; along with the Z3, they are prob. the rarest production SF's. I had a near-mint D3 for a while, unfortunately they seem to be regarded as more utilitarian than collectible. A 9P with a pocket clip, what's not to like ?
Anyhow, like most of the 3xCR123 SF's, they got buried by the 1x18650 revolution. An interesting footnote for production SF's at any rate - my favorite config for your light would be a Malkoff M91 dropin & 3xCR123 primaries for a top-notch backup light around the house. :thumbsup:
 
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kamagong

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Congrats on the D3; along with the Z3, they are prob. the rarest production SF's.

That's what I gathered. Only made for a couple of years?

Pics or it didn't happen ;)

I don't have it in hand yet, but I'll post pics as soon as I can. Until then, here's the seller's image to whet your appetite.

46300341865_3105e3f19b.jpg
 
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Helmut.G

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Congrats on the D3; along with the Z3, they are prob. the rarest production SF's.
I think the D2 is rarer still, I've only ever seen very few pictures of that.

I have two D3's that I picked up cheap from the bay, they used to show up quite a lot over here a couple of years back.

That's what I gathered. Only made for a couple of years?



I don't have it in hand yet, but I'll post pics as soon as I can. Until then, here's the seller's image to whet your appetite.

46300341865_3105e3f19b.jpg

Interesting, the light on the picture has the new logo but the old-style round bezel. Both of mine have the new logo as well but came with the early hex anti-roll bezel with the plastic lens.
 
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kamagong

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Interesting, the light on the picture has the new logo but the old-style round bezel. Both of mine have the new logo as well but came with the early hex anti-roll bezel with the plastic lens.


Care to share the serial numbers on your lights?
 

Helmut.G

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Care to share the serial numbers on your lights?
serial numbers are A05782 and A02791. the one with the higher number has the same body shape as yours, the other one has a more pronounced radius (no sharp edge) where the body widens next to the bezel.
 

kamagong

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I know the D2s at least had heads like mine.

PC032991.jpg

Image by DimeRazorBack

 
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Helmut.G

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I know the D2s at least had heads like mine.
yeah, dimerazorback's is an early model. it has a different style of clip, probably the crosshairs logo and an older style tailcap with unusual lettering.

despite not being in production for too long, the D3 was sold in a variety of slightly different incarnations.
at least 3 different bezels, different clips, different names, different logos, (subtly) different body shape, at least 4 different tailcaps (if tempest_uk is right in the defender thread).

I don't believe the serial numbers can be used to reliably date the lights, either.
 

nimdabew

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Nov 24, 2008
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I had no idea a beast like this existed. Now you have me hunting for a D2 at the very least.
 

kamagong

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Good luck. They're not common at all. My cousin, who knows I like SureFires, picked this up for me and sent it my way. I know nothing about this light, which is why I created this thread. I doubt I could have found this one had I been deliberately looking for it.
 

nimdabew

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Nov 24, 2008
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Good luck. They're not common at all. My cousin, who knows I like SureFires, picked this up for me and sent it my way. I know nothing about this light, which is why I created this thread. I doubt I could have found this one had I been deliberately looking for it.

It took me years to find stuff I have been lusting for. Now that it is on the radar, one will show up eventually. If not, well it will be a bucket list item.
 

kamagong

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May 9, 2006
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Received the D3 today. Unfortunately it's not mint. It might have been a cop's old light because it came with an old Bianchi holster. The body is excellent, but there are marks of usage on the lens and tailcap. The light must have been activated and left on face down because there are bubbles and deformation on the lens. The rest of the head looks good aside from one very minor ding. Most of the marks are on the tail cap, the light was probably carried with the tail cap exposed.

40267551583_c40a6ea212_c.jpg


Pocket clip!

40267555223_60b44a61e1_c.jpg


32290537757_6a92d42d26_c.jpg


Still, a very cool and uncommon light.
 

Helmut.G

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I'm surprised to see that your light has the notch on the body where you would align the tailcap's notch, but has the non-lockout "laser products" tailcap with no notch.
 
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