SureFire 6P, E1B, G2 or G2L, or something else?

jamie.91

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ok so im not new to lights of CPF as such but i havent been on in a while due to more pressing issues but latley i have had time to browse this wonderful forum once more and everytime i do i feel more and more that Surefire is the "top dog" manufacturer, is this right, is it a majority opinion or a well known fact that surefire are supreme ?

latley i have just purchased my first propper light which is a romisen, but it is still on order, and seen as every time come on here i get a little more addicted i feel that i need a surefire to see what all the hype is about for myself:naughty:

i have been looking mostly at the P6 which realy takes my fancy closley followed by the E1B Backup and the G2 incan or led, just something on the smaller side and preferably 123a or similar

what i want to know is do you agree and and do you think i should invest in one, if so which model and why?

thanks greatfully jamie:twothumbslovecpf

also if any one is selling one cheap, or parts, so that i can assemble my own i may be intrested:p
 
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Owen

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Re: Surefire ?

I'm not a SF fanboy by any stretch of the imagination, and do not own a single SF in stock form.
However, the combination of high quality construction, excellent customer service, plethora of accessories, aftermarket parts-lamps, LED drop-ins, etc. and the modularity within model lines makes it hard for me to even look at anything but Surefire except for "application specific" lights.
Their stock lights are very nice, but being a large operation relative to other brands they are not able to change like the weather(read that: offer timely upgrades and new models) like manufacturers who have cheaper products, or put out smaller lineups.
Yes, they are the top dog as far as I'm concerned.
 

My3kidsfather

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Re: Surefire ?

Dear Jamie,

Welcome to the forum.

Have you ever met someone who buys cars without checking them out, only to repeatedly find the cars were going to cost a bundle to keep running and failed at the most frustrating times? Some people just go thru life without discovering they can take steps to bring a measure of peace and relief to their lives.

It's kinda like that with flashlights. I have some inexpensive knockoffs that copy SureFire's 6P (and other models) that generally work well enough for kicking around the yard or basement. You might want to know that it can be embarrassing to have them quit in front of coworkers. These lights frequently shows poor quality soldering, assembly, casting, and finishing. They are just cheap to buy to learn about flashlights and mess with.

My first SureFire was a simple 6P. I no longer worry I will knock out the lens glass as SF uses Pyrex for lenses. And it has always worked every time. The design and quality are there- in my opinion best in the world for a major manufacturer.

I now use a SureFire E2DL every day at work- it's a tough light, taking knocks, heavy vibration, rain, cold, heat, and the occassional dropping to steel floors or sharp crushed rock. It continues to work without fail. Ocassionally my life depends on it's continued working. I have taken out the knockoffs and used them at work sometimes but I do not like worrying whether they will wink out at an important moment. I need to get as close to 100% reliability as I can get. So it's just my opinion, but if your life or loved one's life depends on your light working This Time, it begins to matter what kind of car you buy, or what kind of light you buy.

Hope this make sense to you.
 

yellow

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was and is top with incans
no longer (and never really been) top with led
top at machining --> thats why all those "inserts" sell so good. Keep the good housings and change to better technique


but (maybe only my point of view) between Your romisen and an SF there is a mid-priced level in between (Fenix, Jetbeam, ...) which are almost as good mechanically and offer up to date light technology and user interfaces for less than SF host + good insert
 

dudemar

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Re: Surefire ?

Personally I think they're overrated. They make nice lights, but I've seen better lights come from other manufacturers like Pila, Heliotek, AELight, (without causing another ruckus) PentagonLight, etc. Their line-up generally hasn't changed much, with the exception of a few LED upgrades and models.

Yes, they make neat lights, but in my opinion that's the gist of it. I really don't see much appeal in them anymore, it stopped at the A2 with me.:shrug:

SureFire may have a very large share of the market, but as far as innovation is concerned, I don't think they're "top dog".
 

Zatoichi

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Re: Surefire ?

I thought it'd be nice to own a Surefire to see what the fuss is, much like yourself. I now own 2 and will probably buy more. I'm a fan of other brands also, but if you really like flashlights you should try a Surefire. :)
 

jamie.91

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Re: Surefire ?

THANKYOU to everyone who has replied, you opinions ( and facts) are not only very intresting but also very very usefull, and even though i may still buy a surefire to see what the fuss is about lol but i may also consider some other manufacturers such as fenix, or jetbeam which was two mentioned in a reply,

again thanks

jamie
 

Patriot

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Re: Surefire ?

I've become a big fan of the L1 over time. It seems to be just the right size without being too small, the simple two stage output is great, and one of my favorite features is the terrific throw that it has while not sacrificing general purpose usage. The fit and finish is typical high quality Surefire. The Backup is also very nice but just slightly too short for me to operate comfortably.
 

kicken_bright

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Re: Surefire ?

I keep telling myself I don't need to pay the high prices for surefires when there are so many decent clones out there! However; in the end, I always end up buying the surefire anyways! lol! I guess I can't resist the urge to have the best!
 

kramer5150

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Re: Surefire ?

Surefire is no different from any other manufacturer...
They are good at what they do well and poor at what they don't. It boils down to personal preference, ones own values, and how much you are willing to pay to have those criteria met.

I have a $9 superfire 501B and in a couple ways it blows my $170 SF-M2/6P out of the water... -18650 capable
-light weight pocket carry (of course the thinner walled construction could be seen as a detriment in a lot of ways)
-RCR123 capable
-McClicky switch drop-in compatible (you have to cut the spring a little)
 
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Size15's

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I edited your thread title to make it more specific to the question/topic you're interested in ;)

I have all the SureFires you mention and few more.
I personally prefer the L1 as my Every Day Carry (EDC)

Al :)
 

sappyg

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hey jamie.91
of the SF's you listed i would pick the 6p. it is a classic and for good reason. i don't EDC my 6p anymore but it is still one of my most trusted and reliable flashlights. same for the g2 though i admit that if i'm going to carry either of those 2 the nod goes to the g2 if only because the g2 is lighter.
i have several LA's and drop ins for these SF's and with them they can become many different lights in a matter of seconds.
as far as the "something else" in your thread topic we don't know enough about your intended use though i will assume EDC. so... if size15 recommends the L1 you can be sure that it will do nicely. if the "something else" is other than SF then there are way too many to list. lately i've been EDCing an NT 120P with no complaints.
 

Martin SH

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Like you I am relatively new to the torch thing! I have a 6P, a G2 and a bunch of Fenix's. Out of the box I have to say I prefer the Fenix's. They have more power levels. However I did buy a 'Classic' 6P, I have added a Malkoff M60 drop in and a Clicky switch. For a compact power house its excellent...

So for modding the SF is excellent, but if you want a simple solution I would check out the Fenix range. I am not saying one make is better than the other, what you finally decide to go with is very dependant on what you want to use it for.

What ever you go for it won't be the last light you buy:D

Martin
 

jamie.91

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thanks again for all the awseome and helpful replies

i have been snooping round the forum latley and i have seen a " 3p "but cannot find it on surefires website which is a great dissapointment as i love the look of them ?

also in one of the posts

However I did buy a 'Classic' 6P, I have added a Malkoff M60 drop in and a Clicky switch. For a compact power house its excellent...

So for modding the SF is excellent, but if you want a simple solution I would check out the Fenix range. I am not saying one make is better than the other, what you finally decide to go with is very dependant on what you want to use it for.

What ever you go for it won't be the last light you buy:D

Martin

Aint that an LED drop in, in an incan light? or is this possibe with surefires, to just mix and match ?

thanks again jamie
 
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PCC

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The SureFire 6P lights are modular in design. You can swap out every single part in these lights with other compatible SureFire parts or aftermarket parts easily. Lamp assemblies are available in incandescent and LED flavors in way more power levels than any other light out there, other than possibly the MagLite. Unlike the MagLite, though, changing from an incandescent to LED or back is a simple matter of unscrewing the bezel, pulling the reflector assembly out and replacing it with the desired assembly and screwing the bezel back on.

If you look around these forums you will see threads like SureFire Lego?, P60 sized LED drop-ins, and * P60 Flashlight List {host}, among the hundreds of postings about these lights and compatible parts. I'm sure there are more interesting and pertinant postings in the Threads of Interest stickies here and in the LED and incandescent sections.
 

RobertM

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thanks again for all the awseome and helpful replies

i have been snooping round the forum latley and i have seen a " 3p "but cannot find it on surefires website which is a great dissapointment as i love the look of them ?

also in one of the posts



Aint that an LED drop in, in an incan light? or is this possibe with surefires, to just mix and match ?

thanks again jamie

The 3P has been discontinue for some time now. They show up on CPF Marketplace periodically but generally bring top dollar. The 6P really is a great way to jump into SureFire lights due to how modular the platform is. As PPC said, you just swap the lamp assembly out (incan or LED). A SureFire 6P LED was actually my first "real" flashlight having come from previously thinking that Maglites were the best :ohgeez:

You might also consider the SureFire C2. It is basically a 6P, but with hard anodizing, a combat grip, and pocket clip. It was cost you a bit more though.

-Robert
 

Chrontius

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My first 'real' flashlight was an Inova XO 1.4 watt Lux3. I tried a Jetbeam, and then got a Surefire 6P for about $42 in a b/s/t thread. You can also find them on Ebay for $40ish sometimes.

I love the 6p for being so modular; I originally went looking for LEDs, picked one out, and then bought a platform to run it on. That was the 6p. Then I ditched the Chinese module and bought an M60 and haven't been tempted by any small LED light until the P7 came out :D

Lighthound has some Fivemega clones of the Surefire 3p; the body is $30ish, but you'll need your own tailcap and bezel ($10 each on b/s/t if you are patient and lucky).

To address your choices, the E1B is great, tiny, and wonterful. The G2 is impressively cheap, but won't handle the most powerful LED modules. The G2L isn't really any cheaper than the 6P if you shop around. The 6P is one of the most moddable lights EVER created and will grow with you however you start experimenting, from high-powered incandescent to LED blaster to long-running backup light.
 

carrot

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I think Surefire is totally, absolutely worth it.

I recommend a 6PL for starters, as it is easily upgradable but the E series LED's are excellent too as small pocketable lights.
 
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