Surefire L1 Mod

[RyanLF]

Hello everyone! I have the opportunity to buy a Surefire L1 at half off. It looks like it's the newer longer version, but it has a colored LED (blue or green). I would love to do a xm-l mod on it, but am worried about the driver. Does anyone know if the colored versions of the L1 have a lower power driver or anything? Will I just be able to swap the emitter like with the white L1's? Thanks a bunch!

 

[RyanLF]

So the green/blue L1's I found both say 4hr high and 92hr low for run times. That means it's driving the LED at much lower currents than the white L1's right? Thus different driver? :shrug:

 

[Kestrel]

I've got a few SF L1's, one of them being of the same generation that you're talking about I think ...?

As you are guessing, that driver won't be worth much these days, unless you don't even want a modern 'high', just a med and long-runtime low. I will be upgrading mine, but the driver must go IMO.

Here's a pic of the most recent L1 along with the previous generation (top, still in the package), from my L1 thread:

That longer body of the older version should house a 17670 / 2xCR123 configuration if the body (including where the driver is located) is bored out, needing a new high-current driver to be installed in the head. An extensive mod, but a good reason to shelve the original driver IMO. Does the one in the package look like your generation, or do you have an even older version (which limits your options to 1xCR123 or perhaps 1x17500).

Hope this helps?

 

[RyanLF]

Incredibly helpful! Thank you! The one i was looking at is the longer version i think, but I was hoping to be able just replace the led. I guess I'll have to keep an eye out for a white one! Thanks again for the help!