Clicky.. this thread is about..

Are forward click switches less suseptible to problems with breakage? I mean if a forward breaks, would momentary pushing still work, and just locking it in the on mode not work, compared to a rear clickie which needs to click and lock before it activates the light?

I don't have statistics, but anecdotal stories suggest that reverse clickies are generally more reliable than forward clickies at the same price point, and perhaps even at considerably higher price points. I think the reverses have fewer internal parts, making them more robust.

For the record, when my forward clickies broke on me, they went out period, no light when half pressed, nothing at all...

There are highly reliable forward clickies such as industrial switches, but they tend to be just a little too big, or too expensive, or not have enough current capacity to be suitable for flashlights.

i'd say its not the clicky mechanism that might fail - basically they are the same concept as in ballpoint pens, cant be broken too easily - some tiny interior electrical connection part will be the cause.

No matter is forward or reverse, when that part fails, the mechanism will still engage (except the broken part blocks it), but the connection will not work.

PS: I never had any reverse fail, but quite a bunch forwards that became wobby with very short time use
(interestingly of a maker that is considered very rugged and starting with an "i")