Opps, the flashlight was still on = melted holster. (*with pictures*)

So I was finishing up an inspection at a place (I'm a food inspector), and I sat down to write up the report. After about a minute or so, two things came to mind:
1.) Is someone cooking something?
2.) Why does my left side feel so warm?

Apparently this is what happens when I leave my Pila GL3 (w/ xenon bulb) on inside the holster. So I immediately remove it from the holster and put it on the table. The body of the light was pretty warm but not so hot that it would burn your hand to hold it (I'm guessing around 120 deg. F). The bezel was too hot to hold. Some of the melted nylon from the holster got on my thumb and on the shirt I was wearing. The fumes from the burned, melted nylon made me feel light-headed for a little while but I'm feeling better after a little fresh air. The thing that bugs me is that I was pretty sure the light was off when I last placed it in the holster. I was thinking that maybe the GL3 turned on inside the holster, but that's doubtful considering that the button doesn't stick out very far and you have to press it pretty firmly to switch the light to constant on.
Sorry if the quality of the pictures isn't the greatest but I think they get the point across.

My Streamlight Strion did the same thing at work one night. It has a twist tail cap and my rubbing up against a pressure bulkhead must have tightened it up. I had a florescent light in there with me so I didn't notice it until I crawled out and stood up and there was light shining through the top flap of my Surefire holster.

Instead of one big hole though there are two small holes you can tell where the hot spot must have shifted at one point.

I'm glad you don't carry a GUN. :naughty:

EngrPaul said:

I'm glad you don't carry a GUN.

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Well that was dumb and uncalled for perhaps a smiley was forgotten.

That's ok, I'm sure there was supposed to be a smiley in there. I'm more embarassed than anything else .

I set up all the lads at work with those chinese 6v lithium lights and they melt holsters all the time. Even after I explain how to lock out the tailcap. Glad you didnt get burned.

Wow, thanks for posting this story.

I've spent a considerable amount of time and energy designing a few holsters that absolutely, positively cannot cause an accidental discharge as long as the light is in an "OFF" state when it's snapped into the sheath.

My designs have all revolved around basically just conserving the cell(s) with LED lights but your story is a whole different kettle of fish. It's very lucky that the sheath was still on your belt (as opposed to being thrown into your briefcase or suitcase).

I've had one instance where I was using a multi-mode light and I lost track of the mode I was in and stowed the light in the sheath in an "ON" state because I thought it was off and I was looking elsewhere when I put it away.

I think it's very worthwhile to have sheaths that positively prevent accidental discharge for 'walking the cat backwards' to find out what happened in cases like these. Especially with incans...

I could weld with that

DUQ: I'm glad I didn't get burned too . I've been using the GL3 for about 2-3 months at work and this is the first time something like this has happened.

TORCH_BOY: You'd probably be better off using an ROP or other high power Mag mod for your welding needs .

Anybody make fireproof holsters ?

what kind of holster was that?

Did it damage your lens? One of my previous lights was turned inside a nylon bag and apart from melting the bag it left a sticky mess on the lens.

Just a dumb question. For lights with flared heads, I guess you have no choice but to put them in the holster tail side first. But the lights for which I have hosters have same size tails and heads, and I put them in them in the holster lens side first. I figure there is less chance to touch the lens when taking them out. Any reason not to slide them into hosters head side first?

Ledean: I think its fair to say that the holster is at least fire resistant since it only melted and didn't catch fire. If it did catch fire then this thread would have gone up after a little trip to the ER :shakehead .

benchmade_boy: Its the nylon holster that's included with the GL3.

Concept: The lens appears just fine. Luckily the melted nylon only got on part of the bezel. Even so the melted nylon came off the bezel without too much effort on my part.

pilou: I understand what you're saying, but if the light was still on (as it appears to have been in my case ). It wouldn't make too much of a difference. Plus having a light bezel down might not lower the chances of it being turned on inside the holster.

Ledean said:

Anybody make fireproof holsters ?

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lol, instead of trying to prevent leaving the light on in a holster, simply try to prevent the holster from melting with a hot flashlight in it ..

reminded me of the helmet joke ...

Frogs,

Glad to know you're ok and that your light is fine (save for the holster). How's the GL3 working out for you? Any user comments on it?

Glad yer okay. I remember getting a glob of hot glue on my thumb and frantically pulling it away only to realize I was pulling away blistered skin with the glue. I just iced it down, gave it a few days heavily bandaged and Neosporin-ed, and carefully picked off the glue after it healed up some.

sween1911: Thanks for the well wishes. I guess I was lucky since the the melted nylon only managed to get on my thumbnail.

JB: Thanks also for the well wishes. I originally got the GL3 to replace my work issue Streamlight Stinger HP. The Stinger HP was a great work light but I had reason to believe that it would be replaced by a crappy 2AAA penlight, so I got the GL3. The GL3 is a great light; smaller, noticebly brighter, and has a cleaner beam than the Stinger HP. I was using it for about 2-3 months without incident before this happened.

I melted the holster for my surefire 6p, the seatbelt catch in my wife's car is in just the right place to keep it turned on (Momentary Switch).

similar result (extreme heat)with a surefire6p that i had hastily shoved in a rear pants pocket (thankfully the rear pocket). after the light turned itself on and heated to the maximum temperature that human skin can handle without leaving a mark, and then raised a few degrees more. I pulled it out and the bezel was hot to the touch to say the least. my friends thought that burning my a** with a flashlight was about the funiest thing they had ever seen(but if it had happened to them i think i would also have to point and giggle at their misfortune)! overall i was ok, only a small oval burn to the backside. lesson learned, 6p holster 15.00. watching your friend jump and dance trying to retreive a burning hot flashlight from his pocket........priceless