What is the purpose of SureFires KL* heads?

Willieboy

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What is the purpose of SureFires KL* heads? I think they convert the flashligh to LED but, why not just drop in a Malkoff in the existing head? Is there more to the SureFire head than meets the eye?

Thanks in advance,

Bill
 
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ResQTech

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Re: What is the purpose of

Yea, what Al said... :)
 
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Willieboy

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Re: What is the purpose of

So, for the series lights one must use the SF LED parts?
 

Size15's

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SureFire's "KLx" Series of LED replacement bezels are a series of LED replacement bezels.

It may be hard to imagine but there was a time before the "LED drop-in replacement for a P60 incandescent Lamp Assembly" - a concept that made it far easier for aftermarket manufacturers to produce aftermarket products for SureFires.

For a long time the most effective and usually only way to convert an incandescent SureFire without having it modified was to replace the incandescent bezel for an LED replacement bezel.

The advantage a dedicated LED bezel has over a "drop-in" is that it can be designed for maximum thermal performance.
They can be shaped to allow the desired reflector/optic. Having to fit everything into a pre-existing bezel means compromises have to be made. They can also be slimmer if so-desired than the 'standard' bezel as in the case of the E-Series LED bezels.

Another advantage is that a replacement bezel does not have to take account of the huge variety of "P60" hosts.
SureFire's LED Lamp Assembly - the P60L is designed to be capable of replacing the P60 in all but two SureFire models - the P-Series Nitrolon Handgun WeaponLight, and combined Laser & Illuminator WeaponLights both of which require the batteries to be inserted 'backwards'.
Most aftermarket drop-ins are not suitable nearly as many hosts.
This allows them to overcome certain constraints and in high-quality aftermarket drop-ins allows for far more bulk (mass) than SureFire's P60L resulting in the ability to produce far higher output light.

So what about the KLx Series then?

KL1 was for the E-Series (E1e, E2e) (Long runtime bezel)
KL2 was for the Millennium Series M3 (Long runtime bezel)
KL3 was for the standard body SureFires such as the 6P, C2 (Long runtime bezel)
KL4 was for the E-Series (E2e) (High output bezel)
KL5 was for the standard body SureFires such as the 6P, C2 (High output bezel)
KL6 was for the Millennium Series M3 (High output bezel)
KL7 was for the 8AX (& 8NX) dutylight.

The LED replacement bezels were popular in their own right and SureFire released a number of flashlights featuring them

L4 featured the KL4 on an E2e body
L5 featured the KL5 on a C2-HA body
L6 featured the KL6 on an M3 body
L7 featured the KL7 on an 8AX body

SureFire has since improved its LED bezels

The KL1 was replaced by the KX1 for the E1e body, and the KX2 for the E2e body. The current iterations feature dual outputs.
The KL2 and KL6 have not [yet] been replaced.
The KL3 has not been replaced although it was evolved several times)
The KL4 has been replaced by the "KL4A" identified by a "B" in the serial number.
The KL5 has been replaced by the KL5A.
The KL7 has not been replaced.

There are advantages and disadvantages to drop-ins vs dedicated bezels and I certainly haven't covered everything.

Al
 
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