Three 123as in a 6P?

[WebHobbit]

So I got me a Surefire 6PX Pro & now with the addition of a pretty stainless clip from Oveready it has become my new EDC! Just wore it all day today at work (we work 10 hour shifts) and it was fantastic! So much better than having to fish it out the bottom of my jeans pocket!

Anyway my old carry light was a Surefire 6P original that I had upgraded a few years ago with the old 80 Lumen Surefire LED upgrade kit. I was tinkering around with it and my first Surefire (a G2 incan) the other day and I managed to trash the tailcap of the 6p.

:sick:

So now my G2 is wearing the gun metal head from my 6P. It works and I think it looks pretty good. So it went from 60 Lumen incan to 80 Lumen LED. This leaves me with the 6P body tube. I decided to try rebuilding this on the cheap with some Solarforce parts. So I ordered the following:

1) Solarforce B6 Premium Grade SS flat bezel Head (black)

2) Solarforce 320Lms XPG Cree Led (single mode)

3) Solarforce Click switch (black with standard bottom shape)

I ordered from Solarforce-sales.com (first time I've dealt with them). Man this stuff is REALLY cheap to buy! ($28.99 shipped). I really HOPE the quality is OK. This is gonna be a looooong 1-2 week wait for shipping. I guess this really is coming on that proverbial slow boat from China! (although wasn't the saying slow boat TO China?)

Anyway since this experimental build will just be a "house light" that I don't intend to carry around I was thinking this might be even better with three 123a batteries for longer run-time. I can get an extension tube dirt cheap from the same "slow boat from China"....or "extenter" as they spell it on the site! :)

Would the 3 battery option be advisable? I really have no desire to try the other battery options as I use the SF 123s in my other lights and they have always worked well for me.

 

[angelofwar]

Yes...although I personally would have gone with genuine Surefire...alot of people use Solar Force with no problems, and I was kinda hesitant...so I did buy a Solar Force part one time...and it didn't fit on my 6P...threads were complete crap...may have been a rare case, but it is what it is, so I don't use them anymore. They were given the beneift of the doubt and lost. But, for around the house, I don't see an issue.

As far as going the 3 cell route, it depends on the module. The 3 cell lights can also run on 2ea AA's provided the module can power itself on ~3.2 volts (M30/M60LL, etc.). Also, the advantage of using 3 CR123's also depends on the module. With the P60L for example, you get the brighter light longer, where as with 2 cells, it's stays brighter than running on 3-Cells, but not as long (3-Cell quickly drops to 65 lumens but will stay there for abour 3 hours; on 2-Cells, it stay around 70-75 lumens, but only for about 1.25 hours).

This is just an example of the benefit between running on 2 and 3 cells, and will vary greatly between the different drop-in's. I know the full powered Malkoffs (at least the M60) are more EFFICIENT PER CELL on 2 cells, but will run longer with 3. I'd really read up on the module you want, and see if the 3rd cell would help. Either way, you could always switch back to two cells.

 

[WebHobbit]

Yeah well I figure if these Chinese knock-off parts are crud I only wasted 28 bucks and some change. Where do you all recommend I go for genuine Surefire parts? Surefire.com lists these replacement parts so high you'd be better off just NOT fixing an old light! I'd like to get into the CPF Marketplace but apparently not only do I need an additional account but I have to reach a certain post count as well. Why don't CPF and the CPF Marketplace allow you to share the same login account?

 

[angelofwar]

Check out Oveready.com for SF parts or LPS Tactical if you want them new. You'll want to look for the A19 (1 Cell Extender), Z44 (Black Type II Ano Bezel), and Z41-BK (Type-II Balck Ano Twisty Tailcap).


I'd go with the MP though...the extra hassle of creating an account on the MP is well worth it. The prices are roughly $12-$18 for each item...A19's go for about $25 now that SF no longer sales them (on the web anyway). You may not be able to PM right away, but you can post an "I'll Take It" right away. I have the same account name for both CPF and CPFMP. Most of my Surefires came from the mP, and buying "used" SF's isn't as bad as it sounds...There's very little difference in a used L4 off the MP and one bought from SF, except the $80 price difference.

 

[WebHobbit]

Thanks for the info. I made the duplicate account the other day. I just haven't made the requisite posts yet.

 

[FlashKat]

I bought the Solarforce bezel for my 6P, and an extender. They are both good quality and highly recommend these parts. There is a CPF member that sells Solarforce in the U.S.A., and he is very reputable. http://www.sbflashlights.com/

 

[srfreddy]

I didn't realize that the Solarforce bezels fit Surefire- I've only used them on my solarforces. The SS L2-B6 would then be a cheaper alternative to the Xeno bezels.

 

[srfreddy]

Yes...although I personally would have gone with genuine Surefire...alot of people use Solar Force with no problems, and I was kinda hesitant...so I did buy a Solar Force part one time...and it didn't fit on my 6P...threads were complete crap...may have been a rare case, but it is what it is, so I don't use them anymore. They were given the beneift of the doubt and lost. But, for around the house, I don't see an issue.

I've gotten two extenders from solarforce, and they've all had pretty nice threads. Dry, but smooth. The gunmetal one had some machining dust on it that washed off quickly. They're a good way to turn a 6P into an 9P cheaply. Although you might need one of Electronguru's L2-S7 Mcclicky switches for good fit on the tube.