Browning CR123 lithium cells?

[capnal]

OK, yesterday's stop at Academy (sporting goods store here in Texas) I found a 2 pack of CR123 lithium cells. Brand name was "Browning". Package said "made in China". 2 cells selling for $4.99.
Any thoughts? Should I stick to "you get what you pay for" ?
Or, "a flashlight is only as good as the batteries running it" ?
Has anyone bought these?

 

[HarryN]

Well, here is my humble 2 cents on the subject.

I prefer to buy batteries (and most anything else) made in North America or Europe. (jobs thing, not any culture bias)

If you need 123 cells fast - then $ 5 is an ok price. If you can plan ahead, surefire sells 12 packs ( I am pretty sure made in North America) for around $ 15 on line from their site.

The CPF reviews here have been pretty good for these SF cells, with the normal occasional comment about someone getting a cell with mixed performance. I have days when I thing SF is overpriced in general, but this is a really good price for a well scrutinized, quality cell, and the domestic jobs thing to boot.

Most products that take 123 cells are expensive (cameras, higher end lights, etc) so to me it makes sense to be a little conservative about where you get your cells.

 

[capnal]

I feel pretty much the same way on buying cells. In fact, I am fortunate that there is a retail store about 1 mile from my office, called Cheaper Than Dirt.

http://www.cheaperthandirt.com

They sell some lights, Streamlight, Pelican, Surefire, etc. But, they also re-package the SureFire batteries and sell 4 for $7 bucks. I agree that better batteries are worth their price. I was just wondering if anyone had seen or bought these Browning cells and had any experience.

 

[Browning]

capnal,

Please, DO NOT purchase those batteries. All the Browning "Made In China" batteries were recalled due to a manufacturing problem. All Browning dealers were instructed to remove these items from their shelves, so these batteries should not have even been for sale. Browning has since changed battery suppliers, and all our new batteries are made in USA by Panasonic. They should be arriving in stores within the next couple weeks.

Could you please give me the town of the Academy store? I need to call them and make sure they remove these from their shelves.

Thank you,
Dan

 

[capnal]

These were at the Academy Store on Cherry Lane in West Fort Worth. There is at least one other Academy Store in Fort Worth, but I didn't get a chance to check that store.
Hope this helps! (Man, I wasn't trying to get any one busted!) /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ooo.gif

 

[Browning]

Thanks capnal. We'll make sure these get pulled.

Please don't feel bad about getting them busted. There have been 2 instances where these batteries have ruptured, causing the entire flashlight to break apart - one so severely that pieces were found 30 feet away. We immediately recalled these batteries and discontinued business relations with the battery manufacturer. These batteries are potentially very dangerous, so we need to ensure there are no more of these on the market.

For anyone that has purchased a Browning Black Ice flashlight and is concerned about the batteries, please check to see where they were made. The majority of our batteries that are packaged with the flashlight are made in Japan. These batteries have had zero failures, and are not a concern. It is only the "Made In China" batteries that were recalled. These batteries were packaged with our 6V 6LED models and as replacement 2-packs. If anyone has a set of these China batteries, please send them to me immediately and I will send replacement batteries. My address is:

Browning
Attn: Dan Whipple
One Browning Place
Morgan, UT 84050

All batteries are now made by Panasonic. The ones that come pre-packaged with the flashlights are made in Japan, and the replacement 2-packs are made in the USA. Panasonic has very high-quality products, so you can be sure that in the future all Browning batteries will be the best quality possible.

Thanks again,
Dan

 

[Browning]

Just a quick follow-up. The batteries on the shelf at Academy were made in Japan by Panasonic. These were shipped in bulk to the flashlight manufacturing plant in China where they were packaged. They mistakenly used the old packaging that said "Made In China", but on the battery itself it will say "Made In Japan". There have been no issues with the Japan batteries.

- Dan