9p or waiting for an M3?....

I have a big decision to take....i could buy right now a 9P at a very good price here in Canada and i am also looking for an M3-CB.But, the M3 is a lot more expensive so if i take the decision to buy this one, i will have to wait a bit....my question is that do you think that i could be happy with a 9P or am i better to wait for the M3?... is the 9P obsolete?

thanks for your help

I would hardly consider the 9P to be an obsolete light. My understanding is that it disappeared from the Surefire lineup for a while but due to demand they brought it back into the lineup. FWIW I have a C3 Centurion (similar to the 9P but with an additional combat grip and pocket clip) and I find it to be more than sufficient for what I use it for.

The real question is, what are you planning to use the light for? That is really what will determine whether you will be happy with the 9P or if you should hold off for an M3.

I will use it with my princeton tec apex headlamp for spotting in the wood.

Go for the M3. Then you can put the turbo head on there if you like. I think you will like the combat grip for holding it. My Gladius has a grip like that and for everyday general use, i use the "combat" style grip. I find it comortable and very easy to hold onto the light...especially when its wet. When my older 6P is wet, its like trying to hold a greasy squid. Go for the M3!

I am fairly certain that you can put the KT2 Turbohead on a 9P.

So if you do not need the shock isolation of the M3 bezel but still want the combat grip you can get a C3 Centurion.

if you have an extra one… :naughty:

Get the M3

Seriously. :rock::rock::rock::rock::rock::rock:

deranged_coder said:

I am fairly certain that you can put the KT2 Turbohead on a 9P.

So if you do not need the shock isolation of the M3 bezel but still want the combat grip you can get a C3 Centurion.

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Yes indeed you stated that very well. You can put a KT2 on a 9P and it will work great and you are also correct as putting it on a C3 if you want that grip thing. I like the grip thing on some lights.
I do think the beam on a M3 is not the same as the beam from the C3 but I think both are great. It comes down to what you want. I like both and I put a KT2 on my C3 and got it for less than a spare Turbo for the M3.
Topper

You can use the 9P with the KT2, you can even put the same LAs (MN15 & MN16) in it that the M3T uses.

You really are paying an awfull lot more for a HA3 light that comes with a shock isolated bezel, so I guess the question is, do you need HA3 and a shock isolated bezel?

What i need is more light than my C2(P61) that i already have.

So i need more punch.Is the 9P will give me that or i need an M3 for that?

thanks again

If you can get the 9P for a good price, get it. Get the M3 latter.

Do you know why the 9P is not reviewed on the flashlight review site?

I would suggest getting a 6P and an A19 adapter instead of the 9P. Then you can have a 2 or 3 cell light, depending on your needs and battery supplies. It's possible there might be a slight circuit pathway efficiency on a 9P from not having the extra threads, but I've had both and didn't notice any difference. I have a 6P Hurricane kit I made. It's extremely flexible and covers a lot of bases depending on what I need at the time. It consists of:

Basic black 6P light
2 A19 adapters
regular tail switch and clickie
black M2 shock isolated bezel
black turbohead
all the necessary lamps to go from 65 lumens to 350 lumens and everything in between...it can be a 2, 3 ,or 4 cell light, with or without a turbohead (4 cell requires the turbohead).
you could add the KL3 and KL5 LED heads if you wanted also

Well, the lumen ratings provided by Surefire are:

(9P)
P90 - 105 lumens
P91 - 200 lumens

(M3)
MN10 - 125 lumens
MN11 - 225 lumens

To compare, the P61 HOLA you are using in your C2 is rated to produce 120 lumens.

So as far as output goes, the M3 does have higher lumen ratings but I suspect that the perceptible difference to human eyes is probably negligible. For example, with fresh batteries my eyes cannot perceive a difference in light output between the P90 (105 lumens) and the P61 (120 lumens). Of course, your eyes may be more sensitive to variations in light output than mine are.

If by "punch" you mean how far the light will throw, then the M3 will have an advantage due to its larger reflector. The 9P has a 1" diameter bezel whereas the M3 has a 1.62" bezel.

However, if throw is your primary goal, then what you probably want is a Turbohead and in that case a 9P plus a KT2 is probably still more cost-effective than an M3T.

Both 9P & M3 are bad choices,why still incandescent? unless it is dirt cheap <$30.
Go for the L6.

rollee said:

why still incandescent?

Click to expand...

My understanding is that with current production flashlight technology incandescents can still produce more light than LED lights. For example, the brightest Surefire LED lights top out at 100 lumens. In contrast, the HOLA for the Surefire M6 is rated to produce 500 lumens.

Also, in my own personal experience, incandescent lights do a better job of cutting through fog, rain, etc.

For the price of the M3, you can get the 9P (or C3) and a Turbohead for it. The turbohead will allow you to use the same lamps as the M3T if desired. The only real advantage to the M3 is the HA and the shock isolation. If you aren't using it with a weapon or planning on dropping it a lot, what's the point of the shock isolation? And the HA is nice, but is it twice the price nice?
Actually, unless you get a turbohead for the M3 or the 9P, neither will actually give you much more throw (lighting up things at a distance). The circle of light will be larger, and somewhat brighter, but you won't reach out all that much further.
The suggestion to get the extender for your 6P is a very good one as well.

You can get a 9P, KL3, and KT2 for about the same price as the M3. I've got a kit very similar to Stingray's. It is a lot of fun.

kelmo

I've got both a 9P and a M3. If I had to do it again and only get one: I'd probably get both

For an around the house / nightstand / bag flashlight: I reach past the 9P for the M3 every time. HAIII, Shock isolated bezel, mine's got the strike bezel.....

To go in the back pocket of my pants when I go out and expect to want 200 lumens: 9P because its thinner (see below for more info though).

I originally added an A19 to the 6P but I bought a 9P because I didn't like the extra point that needed to be screwed. I found that everytime I picked up the light i'd re-tighten the A19 / 6P connection just out of habit and not being sure etc. I wanted to keep it simple and i felt the 9P setup was more durable because it was only a one piece body...

To let you know, I hardly take the 9P in my back pants: I usually have my L4 in a pocket and my G2Z or M3 in a bag...

If I were in a position to choose one or the other: I'd save more and get the M3. But then this 9P deal might be a real bargain.

I just noticed you already have a C2 with P61. The output of the M3 will be substantially more, but as Unicorn has said, you might need to look into a turbohead to see an improvement in throw. As far as 'punch difference' with lights: to my eye the M3 and 9P are comparable. If thats your main goal, then maybe trying an A19 and a P91 wouldn't be a bad idea before you drop some bigger money...

If your in the bush you may want the 9P, the M3T is an outstanding light, but it needs a bit of room to excel. In a woody environment the output of the 9P would create a larger area of view, now if you step from the bush to a field the M3T will have a chance to stretch its legs.. This is one of those times when two lights may be necessary.
Close range a M3T can be somewhat disappointing, it is extremely bright but again, it needs space to do what it does best.
I will be in the bush tonight, I will try to take some photos to show you what I mean.