It has been asked a number of times how the Elzetta Bones stacks up against the Bravo.
Questions like "is it like an AVS?"
I now have a Bravo and a Bones. I can say "yes" to that one. Which one is brighter? Well that is a tie pretty much. The 650 lumen Bravo and 650 lumen Bones are both good at throw to about 2-300 feet with a really wide spill.
The Bones feels lighter, both with primary fuel. Now perhaps that is due to bit thinner barrel wall from inside being large enough for an 18650. Combine that with a business end machined using a solid chunk of alluminum where the Bravo head and body separate requiring more grams of metal to ensure connection point is bomb proof on the Bravo and that area of the Bones solid one piece design allows gram savings there. When balanced on a finger tip at the center of the body on each, the Bravo is noticably weight forward where the Bones is balanced.
Tail switch is pretty close to same with a short travel to momentary but long to click on near silently. My Bones is no louder than it was the day I bought in back when it first arrived at Elzetta.
Hi/lo switch from my Bravo does not hi/lo on my Bones. My Alpha hi/lo did however do a 100/90% type switching.
Knurling on the Bones is a bit more aggressive. The grip 'area'on the Bravo is longer. Neither feel slippery by any stretch but the grip does feel more confident with the Bones.
Bones allows an 18650. My Bravo came with an AVS (auto voltage sensing) head that allows 2 or 3 cell primary use depending on the body. The Bones allows 2 primaries or one rechargeable. RCR's? I do not know about either light there.
For all intents and purposes both occupy practically the same real estate. Both allow an Elzetta speed clip and/or lanyard ring to be used. Both use the same type of optic with a white reflector.
The Bones has almost 3 distinct beams with a hot spot, a secondary wider spot and a huge spill. The Bravo is more like a Malkoff-esque bright center with a gentle taper from there to spill. It has a the three beam thing only not as pronounced in a wall shot as the Bones. The Bones emitter sets a few millimeters deeper into the head than the Bravo.
The optic for the Bravo is a few millimeters shorter than the Bones but they can interchange. Using the Bravo optic in the Bones exagerated the 3 beam looks, where a Bones optic in a Bravo resulted in no noticable change of beam character. Bezels can be swapped as well. When using the Bones optic in a Bravo the bezel does not screw all the way down. No biggy but noticeable.
Both are quick fuel swap threaded where a lot less twists are required to remove the tailcap than many other brands. I love that feature.
My Bravo hi/lo tailcap has zero flicker where my Alpha one has it, regardless of which light they are on. Like the Alpha, the threads of the Bravo provide enough "play" to allow a quick change from low to high via a press forward beside the button on the tailcap. In other words you can cause it to run on high until releasing pressure, which then turns it back to low via cigar grip, over hand or underhand without twisting the tailcap. I also love that gas pedal type feature.
Both the Bones and Bravo are fantastic flashlights. But each has its own distinct personality so owning one or the other does not result in duplication. Yet they are enough alike that if you don't have both you're not ill equipped.
Almost identical optics.
Practically the same size overall.
Note the more aggressive knurling on the Bones and one piece body.
Oh and the Bones is a dull gray natural hard anodize where the Bravo is a dull black. Both have just enough sheen though to warrant a completely flat coating for the really really really dangerous assignments where absolutely positively no sheen is best.
If anybody else can add, please do.
Questions like "is it like an AVS?"
I now have a Bravo and a Bones. I can say "yes" to that one. Which one is brighter? Well that is a tie pretty much. The 650 lumen Bravo and 650 lumen Bones are both good at throw to about 2-300 feet with a really wide spill.
The Bones feels lighter, both with primary fuel. Now perhaps that is due to bit thinner barrel wall from inside being large enough for an 18650. Combine that with a business end machined using a solid chunk of alluminum where the Bravo head and body separate requiring more grams of metal to ensure connection point is bomb proof on the Bravo and that area of the Bones solid one piece design allows gram savings there. When balanced on a finger tip at the center of the body on each, the Bravo is noticably weight forward where the Bones is balanced.
Tail switch is pretty close to same with a short travel to momentary but long to click on near silently. My Bones is no louder than it was the day I bought in back when it first arrived at Elzetta.
Hi/lo switch from my Bravo does not hi/lo on my Bones. My Alpha hi/lo did however do a 100/90% type switching.
Knurling on the Bones is a bit more aggressive. The grip 'area'on the Bravo is longer. Neither feel slippery by any stretch but the grip does feel more confident with the Bones.
Bones allows an 18650. My Bravo came with an AVS (auto voltage sensing) head that allows 2 or 3 cell primary use depending on the body. The Bones allows 2 primaries or one rechargeable. RCR's? I do not know about either light there.
For all intents and purposes both occupy practically the same real estate. Both allow an Elzetta speed clip and/or lanyard ring to be used. Both use the same type of optic with a white reflector.
The Bones has almost 3 distinct beams with a hot spot, a secondary wider spot and a huge spill. The Bravo is more like a Malkoff-esque bright center with a gentle taper from there to spill. It has a the three beam thing only not as pronounced in a wall shot as the Bones. The Bones emitter sets a few millimeters deeper into the head than the Bravo.
The optic for the Bravo is a few millimeters shorter than the Bones but they can interchange. Using the Bravo optic in the Bones exagerated the 3 beam looks, where a Bones optic in a Bravo resulted in no noticable change of beam character. Bezels can be swapped as well. When using the Bones optic in a Bravo the bezel does not screw all the way down. No biggy but noticeable.
Both are quick fuel swap threaded where a lot less twists are required to remove the tailcap than many other brands. I love that feature.
My Bravo hi/lo tailcap has zero flicker where my Alpha one has it, regardless of which light they are on. Like the Alpha, the threads of the Bravo provide enough "play" to allow a quick change from low to high via a press forward beside the button on the tailcap. In other words you can cause it to run on high until releasing pressure, which then turns it back to low via cigar grip, over hand or underhand without twisting the tailcap. I also love that gas pedal type feature.
Both the Bones and Bravo are fantastic flashlights. But each has its own distinct personality so owning one or the other does not result in duplication. Yet they are enough alike that if you don't have both you're not ill equipped.
Almost identical optics.
Practically the same size overall.
Note the more aggressive knurling on the Bones and one piece body.
Oh and the Bones is a dull gray natural hard anodize where the Bravo is a dull black. Both have just enough sheen though to warrant a completely flat coating for the really really really dangerous assignments where absolutely positively no sheen is best.
If anybody else can add, please do.
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