Noob question re: C and M series

[ab1ht]

I've noticed a number of references to "M" series (e.g. Surefire M3, M6) and "C" series (e.g. Seraph SP-6).

Q1: Are these industry standards? Does one company's "M" series fit another company's "M" series?

Q2: Are these "C" series the same standard as a "C" mounts used in the optics industry (i.e. 1" with 32 threads per inch)?

 

[buickid]

C series refers to the "Classic" series of Surefire lights, ie the (discontinued 3P) 6P, 9P. The M series is the Surefire M series. (Stands for Millennium?) Some other company's lights fit the Surefire threading and such. The Solarforce L2 is for the most part, a clone of the C series. Solarforce bezels and tailcaps will thread on, and most of the time work. Its not an industry standard.

I'm not sure about the mounts. I would have to hazard a guess that they're not.

 

[Size15's]

SureFire's M-Series or "Millennium Series" is a range of high-end Tactical Lights including both handheld and WeaponLights.

When people refer to the "M-Series" they most usually mean a flashlight that uses bezels with "Millennium threads" - the standard "Z46" aka "M3" bezel, the Millennium TurboHead, and the KL6 LED bezel.

FYI The M1 and M2 do not fit with this.

"C-Series" is not a 'formal' family in the same way - especially the way most people use it on CPF.
I much prefer 'Standard' rather than "C".

Technically the C-Series refers to just the C2, C3 and lately C2L.
However, some people put the likes of the 6P, Z2 and other standard body models in with it. I'm a pedant and dislike this laziness.

Essentially people want to know whether the body excepts E-Series bezels, the standard Z44 bezel (used by the 6P/C2/Z2 etc), or the Z46 Millennium or M-Series bezel.

 

[JBorneu]

Surefire produces lights in series, which - mostly - have body parts, tailcaps and accessories which can be switched between lights of the same series. For example the Standard -series (thanks for the clarification Size15's) and E-series lights.

Various other manufacturers make lights, parts and accessories which are designed to be compatible with surefire lights, because of their reliability and popularity.

The Seraph SP-6 is NOT a C-series light, it is a light of which the tailcap threads are Standard-series compatible so all (well, most, there are always exceptions) Standard-series compatible switches fit, both those from Surefire and from other manufacturers. Surefire Standard-series momentary-twist switches (known as the Z41 switch) are the most reliable switches on the market, so it is an advantage if you can use that switch on a non-surefire (cheaper / with features which you can't find in a surefire) light.

I have no idea about the optics industry C-series, but my guess is that they arn't compatible.

 

[ab1ht]

Thanks for clearing this up. I work with C-mount optics and cameras from time to time in my work.

I thought I was having a glimmer of understanding and starting to see how the universe was fitting together... never mind

Pity there is not a set of industry standards for flashlights.