Need some advice

The Cabela's in Hamburg, PA is 20 miles away from me which isn't far but it is out of the way, meaning my trips there are few and far between. When I was there during the summer I tried out all of the Surefires they had on display. The light I was mainly interested in, however, was the L4, which felt great in my hand, but the store lights made it impossible to judge performance. (I didn't think they'd let me take it to a dark corner.)

I've seen the beamshots and compared the numbers; all I needed to make up my mind was seeing it in person.

Today I learned that a local gun shop is a Surefire dealer, so I paid them a visit. They were completely out of stock but had two demo models, an E2E and E2E w/ KL1 head that I was allowed to try out in the restroom. Seeing the KL1 in the dark made up my mind about the L4.

Now, here's the problem. I mentioned the L4 tint problems and asked the guy about returning a "bad" one in exchange for a good one and got a flat out, "No." They don't want me returning lights until I find one with an agreeable tint. And I completely understand, especially taking into account I'd never been there before and they don't know me.

But, at $150 (their price after tax) I would like to get a perfect light. I won't mind a blue tint, just not the sickly green. From reading this forum I know Surefire bodies and workings are top quality, and Surefire's own website boasts about their superb beam quality. I've actually gone back and read nearly every post concerning the L4 dating back to its release, I've done my homework and this light meets my needs, but reading all of the negatives has kept me from taking the plunge. (That, and my wife and I are on a tight budget. $150 is 3 months of groceries to us.)

So do I go local and spend my last dollar on the lottery or go out of my way to Cabela's where it costs more but they probably won't hassle me about any returns?

If the tint problem has been resolved I'll just order online because Tacticalsupply with CPF discount beats the other prices.

The reason I ask this now is I've had almost a year to think about it and with my birthday coming in two weeks I will probably have the money to finally buy it.

Believe me, I'm sick of the "L4 or not" threads too. I already know I want it, I just would like to know if I'm making a mistake buying it at one store over another.



Thanks for your time,

Justin

Welcome to CPF. L4 is a good choice. With regards to the tint etc. there were many complaints but I have friends over here that bought them (2) infact and there is no such tint problems since the serial numbers are recent ones. Getting a older batch whether its new or not may be risky but if testing before hand is permitted why not. Buying overseas commands some sort of beamshot to be safe. If you had to pay a little more but you get what you wanted will be better than somehing cheaper but unsatisfied right?!

the tint lottery is not as bad as it once was with Luxeons. the later 3W ones are pretty uniform, and i havent seen sickly greens in the newer batches.
SO
avoid an OLD light that is sitting there waiting to be sold.

my "advice" would be to confidentally make your purchace you desire, and if it doesnt suit you take it back, and DONT Take a replacement.

i dont blame the dealer, for thinking that each customer can come in and play "which is brighter" games with the lights. but if sombody as Pickey as you came in, i would fire up a few, and have you pick the one you want.
if they cant sell a product that will please the consumer, then they should start having "test drives" like automobiles.

i just dont think your going to get "stuck" not like before.

VidPro, jumpstat - thanks for the input, I feel better now.

I'm just being cautious. I'm normally not so picky - I ordered an L2D based on beamshots and reviews, no hesitation. My Trek1400 was around $50 and is a beautiful white, it's my cheaper under $30 lights that have weird tints.

And thanks, especially, for letting me know the older batches should be avoided. I know it's been a while, but when I was at Cabela's they had A LOT of L4s on the rack, some of which had clearly been opened and taped shut. I'll go with a place that frequently sells out.

As for a new dilemma...I prefer the longevity of LEDs but seeing the E2E in action makes me want to get that and a KL4 head. Or both