In search of RCR123

[Seabee26]

]Hello, all.

First post (other than intro). I"m a battery novice so forgive the questions if them seem rather silly. Did a search for a thread on the following question but my search-fu is weak.

I burn threw CR123 pretty quickly and am looking for a rechargeable option to use in my Surefire X300 and maybe my MAWL. A fellow student told me about Shoshine RCR 123's as a viable option but as i Iook for them it appears like they have been discontinued or maybe offered by some sketchy retailers. I've been warned about choosing retailers so as not to get fakes.

Does this crew have a recommendaton for a viable RCR123 and retailer?

Thank you.

 

[Timothybil]

A Lithium Iron Phosphate (aka LiFePO4) 16450 should work. The big thing to be careful about is that a CR123 has a nominal voltage of 3 volts. A regular 16350 comes off the charger at 4.2v, and is nominally 3.7v. Some lights can handle the difference in voltage without a problem, others won't. Surefire was always adamant about using RCR123 cells because they had a nominal voltage of 3.2v. An L:iFePO4 cell also has a nominal voltage of 3.2v, so should work well as a replacement. Of course you will need to acquire a good charger to go along with the cells.

 

[Seabee26]

A Lithium Iron Phosphate (aka LiFePO4) 16450 should work. The big thing to be careful about is that a CR123 has a nominal voltage of 3 volts. A regular 16350 comes off the charger at 4.2v, and is nominally 3.7v. Some lights can handle the difference in voltage without a problem, others won't. Surefire was always adamant about using RCR123 cells because they had a nominal voltage of 3.2v. An L:iFePO4 cell also has a nominal voltage of 3.2v, so should work well as a replacement. Of course you will need to acquire a good charger to go along with the cells.

Thank you! Do you have a recommended battery? A recommended retailer? A link would be very much appreciated. Thanks again.

 

[ChrisGarrett]

Just go to SureFire and buy their branded batteries and charger, or they're $39.00 at BatteryJunction IIRC.

Chris

 

[fivemega]

You can also use these 3V regulated batteries.

 

[sween1911]

Hey fivemega, those look pretty sweet. I might want to try them in my Gladius lights if they only put out 3V.

 

[fivemega]

Hey fivemega, those look pretty sweet. I might want to try them in my Gladius lights if they only put out 3V.

3 volt output is at no load. Voltage will drop to 2.5 at 1 Amp load.

 

[hamhanded]

A Lithium Iron Phosphate (aka LiFePO4) 16450 should work. The big thing to be careful about is that a CR123 has a nominal voltage of 3 volts. A regular 16350 comes off the charger at 4.2v, and is nominally 3.7v. Some lights can handle the difference in voltage without a problem, others won't. Surefire was always adamant about using RCR123 cells because they had a nominal voltage of 3.2v. An L:iFePO4 cell also has a nominal voltage of 3.2v, so should work well as a replacement. Of course you will need to acquire a good charger to go along with the cells.

Just a note on this, the terms RCR123 and 16350 alone don't guarantee the chemistry (and resulting voltage) of the cell. I've seen some manufacturers even use both to describe the same product, so I would consider them a size, not a type.

I have used LiFePO4 cells in surefires and they work fine. Surefire also sells them and claims they are safe to use as a replacement for CR123 in any of their LED (not incandescent) models. They are 3.2v nominal. I think that's your best bet, but you can also count on roughly half the life when compared to a primary. I wouldn't use a 3.6/3.7v chemistry in a Surefire.

The 3v regulated batteries are also a good choice, but remember they will suddenly cut off when the cell is depleted. You can count on full output right until sudden darkness.