DL223AC Replacement for 618 Weapon Lights

[JNewell]

I thought I'd bookmarked a thread on this, but I am not finding it and searching didn't turn it up, either - what is the correct replacement for the shrinkwrapped 2x123 cell that was sold as the DL223AC? I recall reading that the coupling was important to prevent recoil impact damage to the cells (?).

 

[Size15's]

For a while SureFire offered their updated version of the DL223AC comprising of SF123A's called the SF223AC.
However, these 'shock isolated battery packs' were more necessary back before SureFire decided to offer affordable American-made CR123As batteries.
This is because there was a tendency for operators to try not to replace batteries used in WeaponLights until they were 'used up' and that could mean they were exposed to the prolonged impacts of recoil from heavily-used firearms and after a while the battery terminals would become crushed preventing reliable contact etc.
Thus the need for a shock-isolated battery pack.

Of course with affordable American-made SF123As people can change out the batteries either once they are used, or once they observe them starting to become crushed.

So just use SF123As and check them on a regular basis (for example when cleaning the firearm and preparing it for next use)

 

[NotRegulated]

Here

This battery contains two welded 3-volt SF123A Lithium batteries electrically connected within the plastic sleeve, which eliminates the possibility of individual batteries pounding together during firing. The batteries are arranged end-to-end in the plastic sleeve and buffered from cell-to-cell pounding by a load washer.

 

[Justin Case]

I personally would get a DL223AC or SF223AC stick, rather than go with two separate cells and SF's current "disposable item" doctrine. You may not have the luxury of having time to check the cells for battering or swap out the cells if they are getting battered. Better not to get battered in the first place, than to suffer a failure due to inability to handle weapon recoil.

If I changed out the 123As after every training or practice session where I fired my weaponlight-equipped firearms, I'd be swapping cells constantly. That might be workable for an organization that is rolling in money and can buy tens of thousands of cells at a pop. Doesn't work for me.

If I am going to swap out cells at the first sign of getting battered, I guess I have to be checking the cells after every shot string if I want to avoid excessive battering and associated reliability problems. That's also unworkable for me.

And if cells are prone to battering, I don't want to discover it when I'm shooting to save my life. If I'm lucky enough to discover the problem in training instead, guess what? I'm not going to be using separate cells any more, regardless of how cheap they are.

This seems like an easily avoidable risk to me that costs an extra couple of dollars per pair of 123As.

 

[Size15's]

If you experienced occasions when a pair of SF123As didn't perform as you require on a regular basis then that is a strong argument for using the battery sticks. And if you can't afford (time/money/effort etc) to determine whether you will experience these occasions for yourself through training and drills etc then that is another argument for using the battery sticks.

The fact that SureFire is no longer openly offering their battery sticks indicated to me there isn't the need or the demand. It may be worth calling SureFire and speaking to some WeaponLight specialists to try to get a handle on SureFire's perspective?

 

[JNewell]

If you experienced occasions when a pair of SF123As didn't perform as you require on a regular basis then that is a strong argument for using the battery sticks. And if you can't afford (time/money/effort etc) to determine whether you will experience these occasions for yourself through training and drills etc then that is another argument for using the battery sticks.

The fact that SureFire is no longer openly offering their battery sticks indicated to me there isn't the need or the demand. It may be worth calling SureFire and speaking to some WeaponLight specialists to try to get a handle on SureFire's perspective?

I will do that. I had found the non-SureFire sticks but honestly am reluctant to use batteries in a weaponlight if I'm not sure that (1) the individual cells are top quality/highest reliability and (2) the cells were appropriately matched. We see too many incidents here caused by poor quality and unmatched cells. The very last place I want to worry about this is in a weaponlight.

 

[Justin Case]

If you experienced occasions when a pair of SF123As didn't perform as you require on a regular basis then that is a strong argument for using the battery sticks. And if you can't afford (time/money/effort etc) to determine whether you will experience these occasions for yourself through training and drills etc then that is another argument for using the battery sticks.

The fact that SureFire is no longer openly offering their battery sticks indicated to me there isn't the need or the demand. It may be worth calling SureFire and speaking to some WeaponLight specialists to try to get a handle on SureFire's perspective?

It indicates to me that SF believes that lower 123A prices allow for an operational adjustment that can mitigate recoil battering problems. That may be the case for some units, agencies, and organizations. But it is not universal. It doesn't repeal the laws of physics, just because the price of 123A cells is much lower now.

If unknown cells quality is an issue, I'd take genuine SF123A cells, get some shrink wrap and some fiber washers, and make some glorified sticks myself. You won't get the benefit of the spot-welded nickel strap to ensure electrical contact. Oh well.

 

[JNewell]

It indicates to me that SF believes that lower 123A prices allow for an operational adjustment that can mitigate recoil battering problems. That may be the case for some units, agencies, and organizations. But it is not universal. It doesn't repeal the laws of physics, just because the price of 123A cells is much lower now.

If unknown cells quality is an issue, I'd take genuine SF123A cells, get some shrink wrap and some fiber washers, and make some glorified sticks myself. You won't get the benefit of the spot-welded nickel strap to ensure electrical contact. Oh well.

What you write in the first paragraph may be true - or it may be that in actual service, recoil impact is not a significant problem? I don't know.

I am actually quite concerned about unknown cell quality. One variation on what you write in the second paragraph was to simply load the two individual SureFire cells with a salvaged buffer from a used SureFire 2x123 stick.

 

[Size15's]

Perhaps this presents an opportunity to put a bucket-load of heavy recoil shells through your shotgun and examine the SF123As for signs crushing or intermittent contact at regular intervals?

 

[angelofwar]

Perhaps this presents an opportunity to put a bucket-load of heavy recoil shells through your shotgun and examine the SF123As for signs crushing or intermittent contact at regular intervals?

I actually plan on doing this...next time I go shooting I'm going to put fresh SF primaries in my dedicated fore-end of my 870 marine magnum and then put about 10 magnum turkey loads through it...I'll post the results here for future reference.

 

[Justin Case]

What you write in the first paragraph may be true - or it may be that in actual service, recoil impact is not a significant problem? I don't know.

I am actually quite concerned about unknown cell quality. One variation on what you write in the second paragraph was to simply load the two individual SureFire cells with a salvaged buffer from a used SureFire 2x123 stick.

This is a typical risk-based assessment -- likelihood times consequence. One's tolerance for the level of risk dictates the course of action. Since I've experienced 123A battering in an AR-15, my perception of risk is high and my tolerance for it is low.

I exclusively use battery sticks in my 2-cell weaponlights.

 

[JNewell]

This is a typical risk-based assessment -- likelihood times consequence. One's tolerance for the level of risk dictates the course of action. Since I've experienced 123A battering in an AR-15, my perception of risk is high and my tolerance for it is low.

I exclusively use battery sticks in my 2-cell weaponlights.

OK, good data exchange here. Are you buying the brand linked in the post several further up in this thread???

 

[Justin Case]

I have a stash of genuine SureFire battery sticks that I use and which are getting old. I was not aware of the Batteryspace sticks until now. I'm going to check them out.

I've disassembled SF battery sticks before. As far as I could tell, the "load washer" looked like some regular hard, black, fiber washer of the appropriate thickness to prevent the cells from squishing into each other. It's just a glorified donut in-between each cell.

 

[NotRegulated]

Rotate them.
Use rundown battery sticks for training and newer ones for deployment or take the battery sticks out completely for daylight training where no light will be used.

[FONT=&quot]The 6 volt battery stick is NSN 6135-01-503-1616 [/FONT].

 

[angelofwar]

Rotate them.
Use rundown battery sticks for training and newer ones for deployment or take the battery sticks out completely for daylight training where no light will be used.

[FONT=&quot]The 6 volt battery stick is NSN 6135-01-503-1616 [/FONT].

Or use the ran down "sticks" in a battery vampire or a low drain L.A., like the P60L...

 

[GarageBoy]

Shock mount your own?