surefire V70 holster scratches my 6PD

I recently purchased a surefire 6P defender and a V70 belt holster. only problem is, i've only drawn it four or five times and already the tailcap area shows a lot of the black paint being stripped away by the stainless steel clips in the holster. will the clips hurt the actual HA-II anodizing (or is it HA-III, i'm not sure) over time? unlike many of you here who would love to add some "in-the-field" character to your torches, i'd like to keep mine in pristine condition!

If you used the V70 more than once, you already HAVE added some personal character marks. Hope you didn't try bezel down carry as well!On my V71 I ripped out both metal clips and cut a hole in the lower end for longer 1" bodied lights (M4 sized) to drop in quite nicely, held only by gravity so no headstands please.

Paladin

I think the 6 & 9 series are both HA-II only.

But I understand, when you pay $90 or so for a light you want to take damn good care of it.

Unfortunately, that's the way it works with the V70 holster ... the more you use the more you lose (finish, that is!).

You might have to line the holster with some soft materiel

The V70 is designed for tactical use and used in the way it was intended it maintains a high degree of retention whilst allowing the user to quickly deploy or re-holster the chosen light. The problem as you've already found out is that the metal spring strip in the V70 quickly strips the type11 anodizing of the 6P and over time would even damage the surface of HA'd Surefire lights.

The Nitrolon G2's and G2z's are reasonably happy with this holster and don't mark or get easily damaged by it. It may be that if you want to make your 6P a keeper you will either have to use a nylon holster or buy a G2/G2z for the V70.

If you are short of funds and still want to use the V70 with your 6P you can remove the metal spring clip (It should come out easily with pliers without breaking) and use self adhesive Velcro applied to the inside of the V70. as a soft buffer. Having used this technique myself it will work but eventually you will need to replace the Velcro as it i) loses its self adhesive properties and ii) will loose its bulk allowing the light to move in the V70 and thus become more easily lost.

Sorry, but IMHO the V70 isn't particularly well designed. Surefire make superlative lights but seem to think about retention and carry options as an after thought. In this regard they appear no better or worse than other manufacturers but in the case of the V70 it is a real pity.

Doug

mdt1007 said:

I recently purchased a surefire 6P defender and a V70 belt holster. only problem is, i've only drawn it four or five times and already the tailcap area shows a lot of the black paint being stripped away by the stainless steel clips in the holster. will the clips hurt the actual HA-II anodizing (or is it HA-III, i'm not sure) over time? unlike many of you here who would love to add some "in-the-field" character to your torches, i'd like to keep mine in pristine condition!

Click to expand...

I took out the springs on my V71 as it too was scratching my M3-CB. It worked great. The V71 still held the light (bezel up OR down) very well. In fact, I would say 95% as well. Tight enough to turn it upside down and not have the light fall out.

The scratching is the result of the priority for retention over everything else.
I guess you either need the speedholster enough that the scratching is something you can live with (if you care about it at all), or you don't need the speedholster enough and a different holster/pouch will able you to keep the flashlight looking new-in-box.

There is no such thing as "HAII"
That's like saying "hard anodised soft".

SureFire state that their "HA" is Hard Anodised to Mil-A-8625 Type III Class 2.

Mil Spec Type II is sulphuric acid anodising which is usually dyed. It provides the very basic in corrosion resistance, abrasion resistance, and dielectric properties.

Mil Spec Type III is sulphuric/oxalic acid anodising which produces a thick and dense growth (aka "hardcoat"). This "Hard Anodising" provides excellent abrasion resistance and corrosion protection, but is often difficult to colour.

There is also no need to write "HAIII". It is a tautology. The 'III' is superfluous.

Here is a picture of my M2 duty light after 3 years in a V72. I was pissed at first, then thought, hey, its gonna get beat up. So, whatever.

My V70 does the same thing to my L5. I am not really concerned, as it only marks up the tailcap. I bought the holster for rapid deployment...and it does that very well. If the scratches start to bother me THAT much, I can just pick up a new tailcap and be done with it. Besides the rubbing issue, the holster is an awesome piece.

Then again, this opinion is coming from someone that doesn't believe in shelf queens. My lights get used, and some even get abused

I know this is an old thread but as I was sitting on the toilet this morning I had a grand idea. Why not just put o-rings in the two grooves of your tail cap? Not only will it improve retention, but it keeps your light from getting scratched up. It also allows off-brand lights such as Solarforces and Angelfires to be used. I tried it out just now on a few lights and it works like a charm. Now I can use the V70 without scratching up my lights! Hurray!

Shao

Cool idea. IMO if you are using a speed holster, a few scratches on a flashlight should be the least of your worries...

AH! Zombiesssss!!! :laughing:

shao.fu.tzer said:

I know this is an old thread but as I was sitting on the toilet this morning I had a grand idea. Why not just put o-rings in the two grooves of your tail cap? Not only will it improve retention, but it keeps your light from getting scratches up. It also allows off-brand lights such as Solarforces and Angelfires to be used. I tried it out just now on a few lights and it works like a charm. Now I can use the V70 without scratching up my lights! Hurray!

Shao

Click to expand...

Can ya post a pic, Shao? I'm not seein' how two O-Rings on the TC will stop it from getting scratched. Not sayin' it doesn't work, just can't visualize it.

I put O-rings in the grooves of my V70-compatible lights and the holster just pulls the o rings out of place. The o rings interfere with the function of the V70.
That said, I love my V70 with my G2Xp. It also worked great with my G2L. Understandably old thread, but this info might help someone later...
Perhaps take a tiny strip of black Gorilla-brand tape (or normal Duct Tape, which isn't as good) and apply it to the V70's "spring"? That should help. Not sure how long the Gorilla tape will last, though.

It's been 4 years, the OP's light has probably been scratched to hell by now.

herosemblem said:

I put O-rings in the grooves of my V70-compatible lights and the holster just pulls the o rings out of place. The o rings interfere with the function of the V70.
That said, I love my V70 with my G2Xp. It also worked great with my G2L. Understandably old thread, but this info might help someone later...
Perhaps take a tiny strip of black Gorilla-brand tape (or normal Duct Tape, which isn't as good) and apply it to the V70's "spring"? That should help. Not sure how long the Gorilla tape will last, though.

Click to expand...

Duct tape solves everything! You could also try applying superglue to the adhesive part of the tape.

Paladin said:

If you used the V70 more than once, you already HAVE added some personal character marks. Hope you didn't try bezel down carry as well!On my V71 I ripped out both metal clips and cut a hole in the lower end for longer 1" bodied lights (M4 sized) to drop in quite nicely, held only by gravity so no headstands please.

Paladin

Click to expand...

Just cut the bottom off mine for my M4...gave up trying to build a holster for it...glad I ran into this thread! Thanks for reviving it Shao!

Here's a link with pics to a thread I started about it:

http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb...in-a-V70-holster-without-scratching-with-pics!

Shao

herosemblem said:

I put O-rings in the grooves of my V70-compatible lights and the holster just pulls the o rings out of place. The o rings interfere with the function of the V70.
That said, I love my V70 with my G2Xp. It also worked great with my G2L. Understandably old thread, but this info might help someone later...
Perhaps take a tiny strip of black Gorilla-brand tape (or normal Duct Tape, which isn't as good) and apply it to the V70's "spring"? That should help. Not sure how long the Gorilla tape will last, though.

Click to expand...

You need smaller thicker o-rings, or the strength of a gorilla (or moderate strength with a small flathead screwdriver). If you get a small, thick enough ring in the grooves they absolutely will not slip off or interfere. Check the pics in my thread I just posted...

shao.fu.tzer said:

You need smaller thicker o-rings, or the strength of a gorilla (or moderate strength with a small flathead screwdriver). If you get a small, thick enough ring in the grooves they absolutely will not slip off or interfere. Check the pics in my thread I just posted...

Click to expand...

Thanks Shao. I have several O-rings, but do you have a specific size?

Just got my V71 finished. Have to file the edges a bit, but other than that, it doesn't rub too much into my M4. Thanks for the idea Paladin!





Hack Saws Rock!

I do own a Surefire V70 but I dont use it because of the scratches it does on my aluminum and nitrolon lights. I bought a Black C2 from my bubby a couple years ago, he carried it in the V70 holster for around two years. The head and tailcap got worn well. The tailcap knurreling is worn down smooth in that one spot, but the body was untouched. I'm looking for a beat up 6P to make a beater light.