The Interesting Maglite 7D

[Grimaldus7]

Hey all, I thought I'd share one of my rare and interesting lights. This is a Maglite 7D. I believe they were produced for 3 years in the late 70s and early 80s.

Here's the 7D compared to a 6D and 2D. The button on the 7D is slightly to the rear compared to the newer mags and there's a "PATEN PENDING" stamp on the older 7D that is not present on the newer mags. The total length of the 7D is 22 inches. One thing I'd definitely say is that the anodizing has held up remarkably well for a 40+ year old light.

Here's a close up of the serial number. It seems to be stamped on rather than laser engraved when compared to the newer mags.

Here's a pic of the bulb and reflector. Whoever owned it before me took care of it.

Anyone else own one of these? I plan to add a 3D, 4D, and 5D to my collection to complete the set :laughing:

Best.

 

[bykfixer]

Nice find. Really nice low serial number.

2 and 3D's are about the extent of my classic Maglites. I have a 4C though.

There's a couple of Maglite experts here that can tell you more about your particular light. Back then Maglite could hardly give them away for whatever reason. Now they are likely the most sought after of Maglite products.

 

[lightfooted]

They couldn't even give them away because they were ridiculously large and unwieldy for most tasks people would need a light for. Pretty sure they made them as Security Guard flashlights so that you could carry something that would work as an improvised impact weapon but the size was too much. One company I know of actually restricted employees to 4D cell lengths and smaller. Even the Sheriff Dept. I was with at the time restricted us to 5D cells and shorter. This was about the time that Surefire started to get noticed as well so alternatives really started coming in.

 

[bykfixer]

Search and Rescue lights long before Maglite were very large in order to be really bright and have super long runtimes. The S&R Rayovac Sportsman came with a shoulder strap. Those were typically made of a rolled sheet metal and had a slider switch up front.
Bright Star was the first one I've seen. It was a 7D barrel with a 1 cell extension for an 8th battery. That one was built in the 1930's and used a screw in E10 type light bulb before PR base were the norm.

Rayovac and Eveready made search and rescue lights as well. The Rayovac Sportsman was a big seller and can still be found at eBay including the leather shoulder strap in some cases.

A company called DogHouse Supply from Detroit made S&R lights in the 1960's and 70's of rolled copper with gigantic 6" heads and super mirror reflectors. A 6 cell with add on 1 cell extension could easily toss light a few hundred feet thanks to the enormous mirror reflector. They also made lights for Kwik-Lite and others.

When Don Keller started Kel-Lite he did 7c and 7c numbers. A big ole Kel Lite with large head and a washer moving the bulb forward was quite the thrower.
LA Screw did 3 and 4 cell barrels you could screw together with a switch in between for better balance. LA Screw inovated a few ideas, some of which did not pan out. But when they began using halogen bulbs and metal reflectors the giant S&R light was no longer as viable other than extended run times. They also dabbled in rechargeable upgrades which also led to the demise of the giant flashlight later on thanks to the StreamLight SL20 largely.

A policeman who depended on their flashlight rarely used it for impact devices due to breaking the filament in the bulb. Lawsuits made things appear much worse than they really were regarding 6 and 7 cell flashlights. The 3 and 4 cell Maglite were/are similar to batons in length. But lawsuits caused the larger lights to become an endangered species for patrolman. Actually Maglite was not as popular with police as folks think. They sold by the millions to consumers and professionals who wanted super reliable flashlights. Streamlight dominated police use not long after buying Kel Lite in the early 80's.

I have an LA Screw light from about 1974 that is a 2 and 3 cell barrel number made for baton maker Monadnock that was made for police duty. Buy a "5 cell" LA Screw and it came with a Monadnock baton.

By the time Tony Maglica introduced the 7c and 7d flashlight their fate was already sealed for police use. They were more aimed at a search and rescue market that was never a very big group. But they were mighty fine S&R lights even though they were only a tad brighter than 6 cell Maglites.
Plus consumers bought batteries packages containing even numbers. 6 packs and 8 packs were popular back then. That may have played the largest role in the demise of the 7 cell coplight.

 

[lightfooted]

Most of the S&R lights I saw used the most were either large cable and battery pack types or the battery box types with handle and all, similar to the camping types but I think the heads were larger to get a brighter beam. My father used a 5D Kel-Lite for a number of years before upgrading to a Baton light...possible the LA Screw...not sure though as I don't recall the manufacturer. It was a nice long light that I think used C cells. It had a standard rubber baton stop on it as well. The head was only about 2.5 inches in diameter...still produced a decent beam, for the day.

 

[Grimaldus7]

Ahh very interesting history there, thank you for sharing.

 

[bykfixer]

Hunters used the big lights too.

 

[chillinn]

MagLite incan mods (I expect) are the most popular of incan mods, but I haven't heard of a Screw-in-bipin adapter, where a female bipin socket is sunk into a Mag screw socket. That should be a thing. Also, mini 3500lm 30A 26v halogen bipins should be a thing.

 

[DayofReckoning]

I recall a post saying that the 7D/C was actually dimmer than the 6 cell lights. Is that true?

 

[badtziscool]

Thanks for sharing! I've always had a thing for Maglites. Probably because it was my very first experience with what would be considered a cool flashlight. I have a 3D and a 6D in red myself. Did the 7D ever come in different colors than black?

 

[Grimaldus7]

Thanks for sharing! I've always had a thing for Maglites. Probably because it was my very first experience with what would be considered a cool flashlight. I have a 3D and a 6D in red myself. Did the 7D ever come in different colors than black?

Hmm I believe the 7D only came in black. My first flashlight was a mini mag, ha!

 

[Grimaldus7]

I recall a post saying that the 7D/C was actually dimmer than the 6 cell lights. Is that true?

I'd have to disagree. The PR20 bulb in the 7D is ~0.3W higher power than the PR18 bulbs for the 6D, so the 7D will be brighter. If someone had a Krypton or Xenon bulb in a 6D and was comparing it a standard vacuum/argon PR bulb in a 7D then I could see how they might think the 6D was brighter. I don't think that would be a fair comparison. Comparing like-bulbs, I'd say the 7D will be brighter.

 

[bykfixer]

Correct grim.

Bulbs using the same gas, yes a 7 would be brighter, though not by much.
The thing about the Maglite was that the shape of the reflector created a beam throw unparalleled at the time. So a 2C/D Maglite gave the impression of being a lot brighter that lights before it. The super reliable switch helped. But the 7D just did not catch on. 3 or 4 cells really caused a stir. The 2D waa a huge seller, but I would speculate the 3D was the best seller over the decades. The 5 and 6 cell can still be seen in a lot of barns and garages. But the 7……not so much.

 

[turbodog]

I'd have to disagree. The PR20 bulb in the 7D is ~0.3W higher power than the PR18 bulbs for the 6D, so the 7D will be brighter. If someone had a Krypton or Xenon bulb in a 6D and was comparing it a standard vacuum/argon PR bulb in a 7D then I could see how they might think the 6D was brighter. I don't think that would be a fair comparison. Comparing like-bulbs, I'd say the 7D will be brighter.

I think the truth is somewhere between both opinions. If you compare 7d and 2d, the 2d filament is really small. Given that both lights used the same reflector, the 2d will create a tighter, more focused hot spot. 7d lights require a much longer filament which impacts the focus.

 

[mbott]

They couldn't even give them away because they were ridiculously large and unwieldy for most tasks people would need a light for. Pretty sure they made them as Security Guard flashlights so that you could carry something that would work as an improvised impact weapon but the size was too much. One company I know of actually restricted employees to 4D cell lengths and smaller. Even the Sheriff Dept. I was with at the time restricted us to 5D cells and shorter. This was about the time that Surefire started to get noticed as well so alternatives really started coming in.

But they generate less questions when walking about than a base ball bat.

My first "for things that go bump in the night" nightstand lite was a 4 D-cell Mag-Lite. Just recently upgraded it to a LED. It's now what it should have been all along.

--
Mike

 

[Timothybil]

I agree that the threat of lawsuits helped sound the death knell for six and seven cell Mags, especially after the Rodney King episode. In real life, one could do just about as much damage with a two cell Mag, mainly because of the sturdy construction of all Mags.

 

[bykfixer]

Another reason the 3 cell was popular TB. Made a great hammer so to speak.
My mom preferred the 4C.

 

[ampdude]

That's really cool, I wish Mag still made some of these sizes. The only size I don't really get into is the 3D, though it seems to be one of the most popular. I check our building every night and make sure all the doors are secure and my 4D Mag goes with me most of the time. It's plenty bright with the xenon bulb, and 4D is a great size to be a makeshift club in tight corners if need be. 3D is a little small for that and not as bright either. 2D and 2C are nice for compactness, but not very bright. Throw is good though, I used to use a 2D and 2C to spot addresses from the street.

 

[LiftdT4R]

Very cool!! Can't believe I missed this thread. You have a very very awesome 7D. It's a super low serial, 1979 model, from the very first year of production. Mag has very poor records from back then so if you send them the serial they likely won't even be able to date it.

Also, to answer a few questions:

Yes the 7Ds did come in colors. A couple small lots were done in red and blue.

They are brighter than a 6D, 151 lumens vs. 100 in a standard Krypton bulb but only 63 vs 61 lumens in a vacuum bulb that they came with at the time. They do have less candlepower so some folks think they aren't as bright. Mag used to advertise candlepower instead of lumens in old ads.

They weren't really made for any specific profession or hobby. PR20s were the highest voltage bulb available at the time so naturally Kel-Lite and Maglite both made a 7 cell variant to accommodate this bulb. Sales were very poor with only 18,000 sold from 1979 to 1982 so they were discontinued. They were popular with outdoorsmen though, most of the ones I have in my collection came from hunters in the midwest or northwest. To date I've only received 1 7D that came from law enforcement. A 7D would have been very cumbersome to carry on a duty belt. Most officers preferred a 3D or 4D or C models.

Also, Maglite requires a minimum order of 10,000 lights for custom stuff so I don't think you'll be seeing them again anytime soon. However you can easily and cheaply make your own! Adventure Sport sells a 2D extension and 5D Incans are still readily available. Here's one I made last year:

 

[ampdude]

I wish we could get them to do a custom run of 6C. I would hope at least 5,000 units would convince them to do it.

The current Magnumstar bulbs are a world apart from the old 80's and 90's krypton bulbs.