Classic Surefire P60 Back In Service

[sween1911]

Family is over for Easter Sunday (distanced and masked!). Brother-in-law says "You want a project?" and hands me his light that stopped working. It's an incan "NextTorch" brand, one of many 6P clones on the market that he picked up on clearance somewhere. I take it into the shop. Good thing about an incan, it's batts or bulbs. Batts good, bulb fails continuity test. Looks like a standard 26mm, so I dig out my parts, still have some P60's. Found one still sealed in a bag, drop it in, no gots. Hmmmm... negative spring not making connection. Head tightened and it still rattles a bit. Give it a little stretch. Works like a champ now! Prolly be good for another 15 years or until he wants to convert to an LED.

 

[ampdude]

Stretching springs is often not a long term solution. But as long as it's working now that's good. If it's a new bulb as you mentioned, the springs were probably fine to begin with, the 6P clone was probably slightly out of spec from what you describe.

 

[sween1911]

Yeah, I was careful with the stretching, not ideal but it worked. It wasn't a Surefire branded clone just another (2) CR123 incan light of the same basic design. The original bulb had a larger pronounced negative spring contact that you might see on LED drop-ins. It seemed robust and I think it had a glass lens, should be a good host for an LED. We were doing family stuff so I couldn't mess with it but now that I think about it I may have had something I could have dropped in there. Hmmmm. Maybe I'll mail it to him.

 

[bykfixer]

If you place an order with Malkoff anytime soon toss a Scout head adapter ring ($2) in the cart. If not, a box store is a possible source of 26mm o'rings.
Often the 6P clone has a head that is deeper than the 6P so by placing a 2mm (or so) thick o'ring between the module and the lens pushes said module back in towards the body to make proper contact without a spring stretch. I did it with Seraphs and Solar Force lights.

 

[ampdude]

If you place an order with Malkoff anytime soon toss a Scout head adapter ring ($2) in the cart. If not, a box store is a possible source of 26mm o'rings.
Often the 6P clone has a head that is deeper than the 6P so by placing a 2mm (or so) thick o'ring between the module and the lens pushes said module back in towards the body to make proper contact without a spring stretch. I did it with Seraphs and Solar Force lights.

Interesting. I had a contact issue with the one Seraph I had and that makes perfect sense.