So these 3 dudes showed up today;
A Barstow made 2C (1st gen), a Barstow made 2D (2nd gen) with gun mount head known as the small head and a Covina made 3D (1st gen) with the normal big head.
(Note the 2C arrived with a Barstow tailcap, a 2nd gen bulb fastener and a first gen switch... oh, and a Maglite Hong Kong made 2 cell bulb)
I'll add more in a bit. Just got home from a long night and Mrs. Fixer wants me to have a cup of coffee with her before she starts her busy day.
Mmmm, that was some mighty fine coffee...
So anyway, when you get new (to you) incan flashlights it aint like a new fangled LED where you stuff in a battery or two, click a button and marvel at the beam on your ceiling with your new non-servicable gadget. With an incan there are mechanical aspects to explore. Well that and they aint all that bright so you don't get some "holy cow that's bright" pizazz with these gadgets.
I go through my 'what did Don do to get light from these' motions of exploring the switching, the bulb isolation, the tail cap design and all that with each one and for some reason the 3D was the last one to be explored. As I took it apart it was not anything unusual going on in my brain. But when I stuffed 3 Rayovacs in it I felt a sensation of being a kid again. Like I had done this before. I pushed on the sliding the on switch and that feeling grew stronger. When light was coming from the bulb I did like a little kid and looked at the reflector.
Suddenly I was 6 years old and my pop had just let me change out batteries in his flashlight before I had the honor of holding it for him while he swapped out a tube in our furniture sized console tv. It became clear why those Kel-Lites looked so familiar in the photos. My daddy used to have one back then!!!!! Awe man, what a groovey feeling that was back then and my memory of the blank tail cap, the black slider, that ginormous reflector and the heft of that light all came back to me.
I'll likely never know the eventual fate of that flashlight. Did it burn in the garage fire of '76 where his garage was set on fire by an arsonist. Was it a simple stuck battery? Did he give it away? I'll probably never know. But in this same week a 2D Mag from the 80's also arrived. Looking at that versus a 3D Mag, my brother owes me a Pepsi as he swore pop had a 3 cell Mag. I bet him it was a 2 cell. The two are close to the same length. And I now know it wasn't a 3D Mag he had in the 80's.
The 2C was probably my most sought after vintage Cop Light (Califonia or elsewhere) and it did not disappoint. Such a tiny little creature that probably ended up used by many home owners back then. Massive quality without the quantity probably not rivaled until John Matthews Laser Products hit the scene. Maybe that's a stretch but it was definitely a game changer. Nice little light that isn't some radical change in output versus light before it. Yet compared to a baby Captain... good night Irene.
The evolution began in circa 1914
1914, 1924, the 40's, and Captain circa 1976 couldn't hold a candle to the 2C Kel-Lite.
Now the 2nd gen 2D with a small head must've turned a few heads. Personally I prefer the 1st gen slider to the Norm Nelson switch. Bright Star had mastered what norm was trying to invent way back in the 1930's. Nice try Norm. The light with a small head is very well balanced in use and the beam is a thrower for sure. Must've been an amazing thing back then for mounting to a shotgun. And I can see where it would accel in a smokey scenario. When loaded with batteries it is noteably lighter than when outfitted with the larger head.
Kel-Lite made some mighty fine stuff with basic, tried n true components in a very durable platform. The metal reflectors have plastic bulb fasteners so hot-wiring them stock is out. But my vintage collection has some oldies with metal fasteners so there is that. I may acquire another 2C, a beater type or perhaps a well used 3C and outfit it with some 3+ volt rechargeables, a sleeve and a brighter (slightly over driven) bulb to see what a 1973 flashlight would look like with about 200 lumens beaming out of it.... sleepers... but these 3 jewels will stay stock.
The big D led to what we call normal these days in a much smaller package.
But when was the last time a 6P, a Bones or a 1x 123 was used to break glass?
Some info copy/pasted from Kel-Lite dot com in italics;
1st. Generation:
Designed by Don Keller from 1969-1972 included the Large head KL model, The small Head SKL and the C cell CPL models.
All models were made 2-7 cell. Locations of manufacturing included San Dimas & Covina. Plastic slide switches. Later models of the 1st generation lights were also produced for a short time in BarstowSpecialty lights included the 1 Cell D size small head which used two ½ D size eveready batteries 1.5v ea. 2 cell D size small head with mounting bracket for High Standard Model 10, 12 ga. Shotgun. The first aluminum weapons mounted flashlight.
A few rechargeable tail caps were produced to fit the QualTech charger which converted the D cell Kel-lite into a rechargeable flashlight. This was the first aluminum rechargeable flashlight.
2nd Generation
Metal slide switch design by Norm Nelson from 1974-83 same head styles as above and added a medium head. Also included the Baton light and Stud Light. Metal slide switches. Produced in Barstow, CA. Tail cap stamped with Barstow and longer for storing bulb.
3rd Generation:
Designed by Nelson & Streamlight, 1983 until approx. 1985. Medium head only with push button switch. Produced in Barstow, CA. and Norristown, PA. Kel-Lite attempted to get into the rechargeable market with a tail cap charger, only a few were actually sold.
TAIL CAP MARKINGS 1st. Generation
Knurled edge, no markings (only several hundred manufactured) 1968
Plain edge, no markings. 1969
Plain edge Kel-Lite Industries and Covina stamped in cap 1970-1973
Plain edge Kel-Lite Industries and Barstow stamped in cap 1974
BARREL MARKINGS 1st. Generation:
Kel-Lite name behind the switch cap. 1969
Kel-Lite name and San Dimas behind switch cap.1970
Serial number next to switch. 1971
Cell size behind switch cap (D-5) & serial numbered. 1973
Some comparisons of light components:
Left is first gen bulb holder. Right is 2nd gen.
Irony; the left one came from a 2nd gen small head, right one from a 1st gen C light.
Left is 1st gen switch. Right is the 2nd gen.
2nd gen allowed signaling with a mid point stopping point. 1st gen was on/off only.
Left is the deep bulb holder tail cap. Right of that both are the smooth type.
Plain, no markings tailcap
No serial number barrel
Only Kel-Lite stamping at the switch
One tail cap stamping
Another version of tail cap stamping. A logo in the center.
(Not my light)(edit; I ended up owning it later)
Looks just like my pops light.
Life has me on the vampire shift so I sat up and watched a couple of flix in a room lit by said television. At about 4:30 the sun starts to rise at my location so I decided it was time to retire, but first... pretend it's 1983 and I just arrived home from work, and the lights are out.... 
