Welcome aboard, sir!
Being located in Welsh Wales, I know how you feel about overseas shipping costs.
I`ve bought my lights from a few places- Ebay is often good as you`ll find sellers who ship overseas by US postal air (cheapest) at cost, and there are some bargains on there too. But, avaliability and prices are uncertain at best- it being an auction site and all.
There are one or two places in the UK who sell Surefire, etc, but they`re so darned expensive that it outweighs the savings you make on postage! You don`t want to know how much I paid for my E2 from Heinnies in Cardiff
.
One good online place is
Toolshop from Germany. ASP, Streamlight, Surefire, ahem,
Maglitecough, splutter. Their prices aren`t the cheapest but what you see is what you pay. No customs fees, no postage. Delivery times are usually good too, and a colour-coding system they use will tell you how long you`ve got to wait before it gets sent (varies from immediately to 2 weeks).
For the absolute lowest prices, buy from the States. Trouble is, you are then liable for Customs fees which means writing out a cheque when the postman brings your parcel- and it can be quite a lot. Customs can be hit and miss, sometimes you`ll get away with it but otherwise- especially for high value purchases, watch out!
I`ve heard nothing but praise for
Texas Tactical Supply. Apparently they will send stuff overseas by US airmail, not by some ridiculously expensive way that wants £50 to send one torch to you. Prices are good too.
Another reccomended supplier is Tim Flanagan, he`s not got a web site but is a member here and a lot of regulars buy from him so they can give the contact details. Apparently he can get all sorts of things, even some hard to find stuff- just ask! Myself, I`ve not bought from those two, but they do come highly reccomended.
Department Services, I have bought from- under the guise of John "Jrac1" on Ebay. Good service and affordable shipping costs. They have a fairly wide range of the more high-end torches.
To sum up, shop around if you`re after something specific as there are some good deals out there. And don`t buy from UK suppliers cos they`re just too expensive.