Stick with the Surefire 6p or switch?

Hi everyone,
Tried doing a search but there were too many hits for 6p. I bought a 6p for a firearms class with a night portion, at the recommendation of the teacher. I was surprised that such a tiny light could put out that much light.

But there are some things I don't like about it. so I don't use it that often.
The exotic battery. Okay I know you can find them at any store. But they're hard to find say at a buddy's house. Plus they're kinda expensive online for ~$1.25. I'd prefer AA or AAA.

The short run time, about an hour.

The lifespan of the bulb.

Recently the fenix line has caught my eye. The L2T model in particular. But the Fenix P1D-CE,despite using the cr123, is in the back of my mind.
Reasons I want to switch.
longer run time
less expensive, more common battery
LED lifespan

JUst hoping you guys can help me make an informed decision. Thanks.

first welcome to CPF! I hope you have a steady income!



the 123a cell is common. buy in bulk (at least a dozen), and forget about it.

evereything is a trade off.

you can have small size, bright, and long runtime...


pick any 2.

Welcome!

One thing you could do is get a KL3 head from Surefire for your 6P. Still uses the same batteries, but converts the 6P into an LED light that lasts longer than just 1 hour.

I think you have already seen that LEDs can address some of your concerns. You can forget about bulb life with an LED, and you can get longer run time too. Now recently, you can also get a lot of lumens with an LED. The KL3 or other Surefire LED head work well for you. Soon, 150 lumen (the P6 is 65 lumen) LEDs will be out with 2+ hour run time in 6P style lights with 2xCR123 that will be ideal for firearms or general use. There are already direct LED replacements that get the same 65 lumens, but most still do not have the same center spot intensity as incans do.

As for batteries, CR123's are still the way to go for high intensity lights, but that may change as soon as next month (or even next week) as the new Cree XR-E based lights continue to come out. If you stay with CR123's stock your car and light holster with your own spares. And give your P6 with a load of spare CR123's to your buddy so he has some at his house for you to use.

If you wait for a better AA or C-cell light to come out (there are some now, but they are still marginal for tactical/firearm use and not built as tough/well as a P6) then you may have to wait a few months or longer - if they are ever made.

In my humble opinion, I think some of the newer small 1xCR123 LED lights are small and bright enough to be pistol mounted (P1D for example, but there are others). They are not as tough as a Surefire, but would be OK for occassional use.

Welcome to CPF.

I recommend you stick with the 6P and get another light to supplement it, for when runtime is more important than output.

I love my Fenix lights, but I could not see using them for "tactical" use with a firearm. They have no momentary switches, only on-off clickies. I would not ditch the 6P for a smaller LED light, but if you are looking for a second light to use for normal use, then yes, the Fenix line will work well for you. I really like my L2T, as it has great runtime and is a good size. Output is very good, too.

Surefire lamps are rated for 30+ hour lifetimes. That means you'll have spent over $60 in batteries by the time you replace a $16 lamp assembly.

Thanks for the welcome and advice guys. When you put it this way it makes my concern about bulb life seem so silly

carrot said:

Surefire lamps are rated for 30+ hour lifetimes. That means you'll have spent over $60 in batteries by the time you replace a $16 lamp assembly.

Click to expand...

1. Yes, wait for a Fenix Cree "T" model (I do)
2. mod Your P6.

I just found my old trusted one, which I really not used very often for the reasons You mentionned
Now its bored to accomodate an 18650 Li-Ion cell, Heatsink and Badboy added, Cree mounted and now I think of how to switch the output levels I want (already have an idea, ..., Its just a project)
--> THREE hours runtime on 700 mA from the batt, ~650 to the led, beats my Luxeons by far ...

(maybe newer SF are no longer moddable, they seem less thick than mine)

My recommendations:

1) UK 4AA eLED Zoom:
http://www.brightguy.com/products/UK_4AA_ZOOM_eLED.php
(Uses 4AA batteries, has 2-output modes, has a 2-watt LED bulb, etc...)

2) Streamlight ProPolymer 4AA Luxeon:
http://www.brightguy.com/products/Streamlight_ProPolymer_4AA_LUXEON_68602.php

3) Mini Maglite 3AA 3-Watt LED:
http://www.brightguy.com/products/Mini_Mag_3_AA_LED_Flashlight.php

I say stick with your 6P. Only bulbs fail in 6P (normally) and you can easily plan for that. Electronics can fail in an LED. And you can rarely plan for that.

You could get a P90 bulb and use two rechargable 123s. Then you would save on batteries and have almost twice the output in the same size light. However, I am not sure of the runtime (guessing 20 min). Others will have to chime in. I just ordered this setup for my Xmas present. I also got a carrier to keep the normal 6volt lamp and regular batteries in for back up. I don't use my lights in tactical situations so, again others will have to chime in if this is a realiable setup. I wonder if running the bulb at lower volts will decrease or increase the life. Anyone?


Good luck,
rob

The 6P is a great light. It is also the first peice of a cool thing called SureFire Legos. The more parts you aquire as time goen on the more lights you can build.
The KL3 is a great idea for you For the price of 2 LA's and a couple of batteries you can have the kl3 paid for.
You can't do much better than that.
Yaesumofo

saltedcod said:

I bought a 6p for a firearms class with a night portion, at the recommendation of the teacher. I was surprised that such a tiny light could put out that much light.

Recently the fenix line has caught my eye.

Click to expand...

If you intend to use the flashlight with your firearm, I would suggest that you stick with Surefires as per your teacher's advice. Surefire lights were design for such applications and they had been battle / street proven.

I am not aware of any person using a lesser light in a gun fight and survive to tell their story. So far no such stories had been reported or appear as testimonial on the flashlight manufacturer websites.

If your intend to use the flashlight around the house, then by all means switch to any other lights such as Fenix or Arc.

Get either a P90 LA with 2x RCR123, or one of AWs 3.7V LA with a 17670 Li-ion.
Both are brighter than a P60 LA and with the rechargeables the initial investment will pay for itself in the long run...

All the mentioned batteries and a compatible charger are available from AW, see the dealers corner here on CPF. He also sells the 3.7V LA. The Surefire P90 can be bought from any Surefire dealer