Impact resistant flashlight lens

[gerakkhas]

Hi guys,

I'm a newb here and would really like some advice on flashlight lenses. Basically I'm an airsofter in the UK and the sport is almost like paintball but we have 1:1 replicas of guns that shoot out bb's instead. Its infinetely less painfull as the bb's are 6mm diameter compared to paintballs. The only trouble though is that the bbs travel at about 350 feet per second, enough to shatter just about any flashlight lens I know.

I currently have a surefire 9p and will be moving on to use the surefire m6 with 2.5'' turbohead conversion lens soon. The trouble with the pyrex lenses is that they're great in terms of thermal resistance but pants when bb's strike them. I know that I could probably use polycarb on them but I simply refuse to as they soak up so much light.

I want to swop the lenses in the surefire flashlights with something a lot more durable and perhaps you would be able to guide me on this. I also need to find a tool that can remove the lens from the bezel and would also appreciate suggestions on how I can do this.

Thanks!

 

[dougmccoy]

gerakkhas,

IMHO replacing the pyrex lenses cant be done easily and certainly not effectively! If you replace the pyrex with plastic you'll loose up to 10% of the light produced by absorbtion to the plastic lens and probably also have waterproof issues, not to mention possible melting/distortion problems from the heat of the SF lamp assemblies! Of course even if you can find plastic replacements that don't absorb light are you sure that they will resist BB ammo? It would be pointless to go to all the trouble to replace the pyrex only to find the replacement lens wasn't any better? Wouldn't it be better to opt for Maglites etc? If you must use Surefires why not employ the filters and replace the the lens with clear lexan/plastic? At least it wont cost too much and the problems of disassembling the Surefire lights will be avoided.

 

[wasabe64]

Hi gerakkhas,

Welcome to CPF! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink2.gif

What dougmccoy said. Stick with the Pyrex, it is tough enough to survive most drops, I'm not sure about the BB hits though. It is also easier to maintain than a polycarbonate window.

The P/C series lights did have snap-in windows when they were made from polycarbonate, I'm not ssure that it would be the same replacement process with the Pyrex window.

There are sources for sapphire crystal windows, which will be tougher, but at a higher cost plus some light loss.

 

[gerakkhas]

Thanks I will have a look at the filters and see how I can do in modifying them. Hope you don't mind me asking more questions if I'm stuck,

Cheers,

Jonathan

 

[Anglepoise]

I have no idea if it is possible to remove the lens, but I have got various sizes of Sapphire lens from
Otto Frei
www.ottofrei.com
www.ofrei.com

126 2nd Street
Oakland, CA 94607
1-800-772-3456

About $20 each and come in many sizes.