Aluminum reflector for Malkoff 3d maglite dropin?

I just received a malkoff 3D maglite mod, and I am trying to find a decent aluminum reflector to replace the stock reflector (which I have modified according to the directions on the malkoff site). However, this is an old maglite, so the reflector and lens both have scratches on them that interfere with the beam.
It seems kaidomain has both OP and smooth cammed/camless aluminum mag reflectors:
Smooth
Textured
These ones have 15mm openings. KD also has similar reflectors with 8.3mm openings, but I am pretty sure this is not wide enough to let the LED pass through.
I am not sure if I want the OP or the smooth. The malkoff dropin makes the mag a good thrower, but the beam hsa a warmer tint than I expected (so it doesn't seem as bright). This made me think of getting a textured reflector to make it floodier. How much does an OP reflector help smooth out a maglite beam (with a malkoff dropin)? Does it get rid of the infamous rings that maglites have when not focused all the way? I suppose I could buy both...

Does anyone have any experience with either of these reflectors with a malkoff dropin? I noticed that they have no tube at all with the cam removed, while the malkoff site says to leave about 1/8 of an inch of the tube while cutting the cam off. Would this negatively effect the light/dropin/reflector/beam quality in any way?
Can anyone vouch for the quality of the KD aluminum reflectors? I know that these chinese sites sometimes don't have the best quality products.

Sorry for the question barrage...

Not sure if you have figured this out but it appears the Malkoff drop in uses a .500" (12.7mm) opening for the reflector.

I wonder how the 15mm kaidomain one works with the P4/P7 drop in.

I have used both the stock smooth Mag reflector and the KD OP 15mm opening reflector on P7 and P4 Mag mods.

Which Malkoff Mag drop-in are you looking at? The P7 is much bigger than the P4.

For the P7, you want a 15mm opening to make sure that nothing shorts out against the reflector opening. An 8.3mm opening is too small. The P7 case itself is 12mm diameter. If you trim the P7's leads so that just the horizontal part of the legs remain, they will stick out to about 14mm. So unless Malkoff trims the leads even farther back, I don't see how a 12.7mm opening is safe. That would mean the leads are less than 0.35mm long each, which hardly leaves any surface to solder a hookup wire.

Now if we are talking about the P4 drop-in, then yes, a 12.7mm opening is large enough. A P4 is 8mm in diameter. If you trim the leads and leave just the horizontal part, they will protrude out to 10mm diam.

But the KD reflectors that were linked only come in 15mm, so all this is moot.

I have no experience with the KD smooth reflector, but I would imagine that it gives similar beam quality as the Mag reflector. I don't see the point of getting this KD reflector, unless you need a metal reflector.

The KD OP reflector will definitely smooth out all of the ugly dark rings and other artifacts that you see with the smooth Mag reflector. However, you will still want to focus the KD OP reflector. At other than optimum focus, you will see either a donut or a cross artifact in the hot spot, depending on how far from optimum focus you are. Tightening the Mag head all the way down gives you the cross. Steadily loosening the head starts to focus the beam from cross to donut to optimum. Past optimum, you quickly get a cross again.

The advice to leave about 1/8" when trimming the cam is to provide a safety margin so that you don't cut into the reflector. There is no impact on the beam quality for the KD reflector when you remove the cam, which leaves a smooth bottom.

If you plan to use a P4 drop-in, my advice is to save your money and stick with the Mag reflector. Just focus the reflector for optimum beam quality and leave it alone. You will get a very good beam with excellent throw and decent spill. Switching to an OP reflector IMO will give you a marginally smoother beam but kill the throw.

If you have a P7 drop-in, then it's a toss-up IMO. Optimum focus with the stock Mag reflector still leaves some irregularities in the hot spot, although I doubt they will be noticeable or have any functional impact against real-world backgrounds and targets. The KD OP reflector will definitely smooth out the P7 beam, but again you will really sacrifice throw.

The quality of the few KD OP 15mm opening reflectors I've gotten are good.

If you are willing to try a DIY textured Mag reflector, search CPF for key words like "sputter", "Krylon", "lambda", and "darkzero".

I was thinking of getting the KD OP reflector myself.

Forgoten214 said:

I was thinking of getting the KD OP reflector myself.

Click to expand...

I tried to order the "KD M*g OP reflector V3.1 15mm Opening SKU: S006166" but it was out of stock or not being produced any more. I didn't really get a clear explanation as to which problem it was. I ordered the"M*g MOP Cam/Camless Aluminum Reflector 52mm/15mm SKU: S004023" which should be arriving soon. I'll see what sort of difference it makes.

I do have to say that with the stock Mag reflector properly focused the beam really isn't bad. It looks a little funny on a white wall but for regular use it is great. Throws like crazy too.

The Britelumens reflectors work well.

http://www.britelumens.com/maglite_accessories