I was wrong about the Mag 2C form factor...

I've always looked down on the Mag C-cell flashlights, saw them as the wimpy little brother to the mighty D-cell bodies, after all, C-cells (primaries) have less runtime than D cells, and i thought the more substantial body of the D-cell light would be more comfortable to hold than the diminutive C-cell light (i wear size XL ski gloves, so my hands are reasonably big)

since i messed up my "Little Red Sleeper" trying to improve the beam quality, by removing the old lens and supergluing in a spare Mag D-cell lens, not giving the glue enough time to dry and smearing it all over the lens when i tried to polish up the lens, then doing the same thing to the original lens when i reinstalled it, i needed a new host for the 2-cell MagLED module

yes, i could have simply purchased another Rayovac ValueBright, but i really hate the "starburst-y" artifacts and rings, they're *worse* than the infamous Mag "rings and holes"

So, i stopped off at Home Depot, looking for a new host, i could tell by looking that the MagLED module wouldn't fit in most of the potential cheapie hosts

then i thought....

"they have C-cell NIMH batteries on clearance for $3 a pack, i could pick up 2 packs, leave one in the charger, and have the other in the light, and i don't have any C-cell Mags anyway, lets see how bad these things really are....

So i picked up a Pewter 2C Mag, a 2 pack of NIMH C-cells, and a 4 pack of Duracell primaries (i just so happened to have the MagLED in the car)

got out to the car, made short work of the stupid clampack with my SpyderEdged Spyderco Tasman Salt Hawkbill (the Tasman laughs at clamshell packages), and pulled the Mag 2C out of the package

it actually has surprisingly good ergonomics, very comfortable to hold, arguably *more* comfortable than the D-cell version, very well balanced (my MagLED 3-D seems tail-heavy, especially with NIMH's), it quite honestly surprised me, how comfortable it feels

the first thing i did was unscrew the head, remove the incan bulb, and drop in the LED module, when i removed the head, it struck me at how "overbuilt" the body tube seemed, the walls of the aluminum body seemed thicker than the D-cell version, everything just feels more rugged on the C-cell body, the tailcap is thicker and more substansial (and still just as annoying to screw back down once you put the batteries in as the D-cell)

when i lit up the 2-c in a dark room and compared it against the 3-D, light output was almost identical, the D having just a *tiny* bit more light output (visually i'd say less than 5% difference), quite impressive, the 2-C had almost the same output as the 3-D, and had a much more ergonomic design, just felt more comfortable somehow

the lines of the C-cell model look more appealing than the D-cell as well, the wide flared head tapering to a narrow body just seems more timeless and classic, the 2-C looks more like what people associate with the word "flashlight"

i had obviously been way off in my assesment of the C-cell Mag, it wasn't a "wimpy little brother" of the D-cell, it was a well designed flashlight in it's own right

i started reading up on the C-cell mags here on CPF, apparently they are being discontinued, as Mag is transitioning to D-cell bodies only, the color models are getting rarer by the day (especially the blue/purple ones), clearly i needed another one as a backup, so i went back to the Somersworth NH HD, where i saw they had a purple 2C, i picked up the purple 2C, and while i was there, i picked up another MagLED module, and another pack of clearance NIMH C-cells.

then since i was heading that way anyway, to the Portsmouth NH HD to see if they had any rare colors

one Silver 2-C later (and another pack of clearance NIMH C's), i headed home with my new haul, the Pewter and Silver 2-C's will be my main users, as the pewter and silver finishes won't show wear as much as other colors, or even black, and the purple one, i'm not sure what i'll do with that one, since it's rare, i may just hold onto it and leave it in the package

Hmm, i wonder, are the silver mags even anodized, or is it simply the bare aluminum, judging from the minor scratches on my 3D silver MagLED, it appears to be just the plain aluminum, maybe with a coat of clearcoat paint....

the C-cell Mags are pretty decent lights, and, as someone here on CPF said, it'd be good to have at least one C-cell based light, in the event of an emergency, it's usually the D-cells and AA's that sell out first, having some lights based on "unpopular" batteries (unpopular to "normals", that is) like C-cells, CR123's (most "Normies" don't even *know* there are lights that use these) insures you'll have some source of batteries

and since i now have plenty of NIMH batteries in AAA, C and D formats, i'm pretty much set, no more expensive primaries for those lights that use these cells

If you have an opportunity to get a C-cell based Mag, go for it, slap in a MagLED and you'll have a great little beater that uses "unpopular" batteries, perfect for extended duration disaster situations

hmm.... maybe i should put one of those MagLEDs in the tailcap of the C-cells and put in one of my MJLED PR's instead, to make a long-running power-outage light....

I hated the dang things as well, right up until I heard that some psycho on this board put a Mag-LED in a 2C...And got that much brightness despite the smaller cells. The runtime sacrifice is worth the form factor, which to some leaner people can fit in a jeans pocket. It is a very rugged light due to its very compact form, it's a light tank. I even got the same color.

I had never even thought of your point about batteries in a blackout. But you have a very good point, cheapie lights are either AA or D based by default, and that's about all most people have.

For me, the FM1.5D, Modamag 1D, the standard 2C and the custom 1C are definitely some of the best M*g variations in terms of form/function, specially if the 2C is using two 18650 cells and the 1C is using one 18650 cell

Here are some shots of my favorite form factor lights.

Here is the FL12 next to some other (hopefully) well known lights. FL12, FM HAIII 2C, standard 2C HAIII, FM 1.5D, Modamag 1D, WQ HAIII 1C (yes, WQ is me - this is one of my new projects on my lathe!):



Another group shot: FL6, FL12, FM 1.5D, Modamag 1D, WQ 1C:



and with my beloved M6 replacing the FM 1.5D in the middle:



Will

i'm very impressed with my 2C 2x18650 ROP Hi... I like it a lot!

Quote from MacTech:

i started reading up on the C-cell mags here on CPF, apparently they are being discontinued, as Mag is transitioning to D-cell bodies only

- - -

I surmise that Mag is discontinuing colors for the C line and has discontinued 5 and 6 cell Cs, BUT ...

Has it been confirmed that Mag is discontinuing the C models?

that would make more sense to me, no sense scrapping the tooling equipment for the c-cell line, just no more fancy colors

i haven't heard anything definite, just read somewhere on here that the color C-cell models are getting rare, being discontinued and all...

5c is off of their website. I went searching for one because it makes a nice 6 sub-c ROP Hi, especially with the hi capacity of 4300mah cells.

I have had the C cell lights for along time in my vehicles, I prefer them over the D version. In fact, I would not buy another D. They are quite simply too thick for my hand, or my wifes, and I do not have a small hand. The C cell is just 1000 times more comfortable to use and manipulate, especially in winter with gloves on. I will buy the new C LED version eventually, and hopefully they wont be dropping them.

MacTech,

A hearty welcome to the 2C club.


TR (Enjoying 2C flashlights since 1968)

Darn it...... all this talk about 2c lights made me go out to home depot and get a purple 2c mag and 2c led upgrade............ I HATE YOU GUYS:lolsign:

I couldn't resist, there's something *cool* about the purple Mag 2C (maybe it's the rarity of a discontinued color, perhaps?), so i stopped off at the Somersworth HD again after work....

walked into the flashlight section, looked at the 2C Mags, all black models, no Pewter, no Silver, no Purple.....

then i saw it, a display case *jammed in back of the display rack, i dug in to check it's content....

silver.....silver....silver...<yawn> Purple!, Purple!

buried deep in the box were two Purple 2C Mags, i pulled them out into the sodium-vapor lights of HD, they looked deep purple, knowing how HD's overhead lighting system skews colors, i grabbed my SureFire 6P W/ HOLA and lit up the Mag clampacks, they looked a little bluer under the 6P, but still purple.....

oh well, purple's good too, and following the CPF Mantra, i bought *both* (the last two in stock)

as i was walking out to the car, i mused on how it would be cool if i could find that *really* rare bluish/purple Mag 2C (or is that purplish-blue)....

i drove home, and unpacked the Mags, under my incandescent lighting in the house, the Mags looked *BLUE!*, i grabbed my Fenix P1, shone it on them... *PURPLE*

i pulled my other purple Mag 2C out of the storage bin (still in it's original packaging) and compared it against the purple Mag, the two new ones looked much bluer, but had some purple in them....

i had *found* the infamous "Chromatic Purple/Blue" Mags! WOOHOO!!!

C and D size NIMH batteries sold in department stores and hardware stores are *almost* always AA cells inside a C or D size carrier. (just throught I would mention).. If you shop around, you can get C size up to around 5000-6000mah capacity, and D size in 10,000-12,000mah capacities.... whereas the suff in town will all be 2500mah..

I can't agree more with you on your assesment of the C sized Mag... I bought a 2C and plan on making a ROP out of it, but I like the form factor so much I am thinking about buying another one.... They do feel VERY solid. I don't like buying mag products, but I like the 2C enough to make a few purchase exceptions.

The Mag 2C has been my favorite since my old Kelite 2C died.

Funny thing is, I have never "lost" a flashlight except for my Mag 2Cs. They seem to vanish once they are out of hand. I have two now, but in the last few years have purchased 4 or 5 replacements. I think that maybe other folks like them also.

The Mag LED drop in makes this light a superb all around user. My drop in 2C is brighter and throws better than my factory 2D LED. Come cold weather, I need to test the 2C LED for performance. In the past, I have been disapointed with the drop off in performance of the incandescent version in the cold. But, the mention that this light may be discontinued means that come pay day I need to get a couple more. Just in case; ya know?

The stores around here tends to carry 3D & 2AA only. For some unknown reason the AA is disapearing fast. So when I saw a lone 2C, all this talk about the C mags being discontinued make me panic. I wom't be eating out for a while.

I called Maglite yesterday and was assured only the 5 and 6 cell "C" sizes were discontinued (bought two 6C's as soon as I heard that), and that the "C" series itself was NOT headed for extinction. Whether or not the colored 2C's are going to be around for a while is less clear. One CSR said they're done, another said stores like Home Depot may still order them as they have the buying power to order enough for a color run. The funky blue color seems to be the latest release of purple.

MacTech said:

silver.....silver....silver...<yawn> Purple!, Purple!

Click to expand...

Don't make the same mistake I did. That "silver" color may be the pewter and can look pretty sharp. Don't forget that indoor lighting thing. I never thought I'd want one either, now I've got three. It seems a natural match to a nice U bin LED mod.

I've always used a 4D M*g, but recently I've been reading up on the ROP mod. Couple weeks back I'm cleaning out my barn and low and behold an old 2C sans bulb or lens with a trashed reflector. Perfect host for the ROP.

But I'm thinking maybe a new 2C just for grins.

Niteowl said:

Don't make the same mistake I did. That "silver" color may be the pewter and can look pretty sharp. Don't forget that indoor lighting thing. I never thought I'd want one either, now I've got three. It seems a natural match to a nice U bin LED mod.

Click to expand...

these were definitely silver, as in "bare aluminum", not the deep gray of Pewter

what are the best rechargeable options in the 2C? maybe 4x2/3A 1400 from cheapbatterypacks.com?

Okay, silly question here...

which 2C color is "rarer", straight purple, or purply-blue/bluish-purple, i want to build a sleeper using 3 CR123a's to slightly overdrive a 5 cell Mag-Num-Star bulb (i know it works, as i tested it in my Pewter 2C), i have one purple, and two "Chromatic Blue/Purple" lights, i know that the purple and pewters are getting rare, i want to use at least one of the "purple" lights to build the sleeper, mainly for the reaction of the "unenlightened"

"awww....what a cute widdle light, it's so cute and purple, who's a cute little boy, who's a cute little boy"
<victim points at their face and lights it up>
"WHOA!, what the Frak did you do to this thing..........where can i get one...."

-OR-

"Dude, why do you have a *purple* flashlight, that's a *girl's* color...."
<Let there be LIGHT!>
"Man, what the frell did you *do* to this thing......where do i buy one....."

.....sleepers, gotta love sleepers.....

I think I've seen more people describe the bluish-purple than the straight purple, though I can't really remember.

I'm hoping these purplish 2C's aren't so rare they're all gone by Christmas...I've spent all I can 'till then. I'll be watching B/S/T around that time anxiously. Or save up for a HAIII, mmm.