things have changed since I was an original member

I want to know what the brightest single cr123 (rechargeable) flashlight currently available in a form factor suitable for a belt sheath carry.
any help would be appreciated, there are just too many light to consider, maybe a quad die led that could be driven by a single battery, I would even consider a single 18650 if it wasn't too long. Any suggestions would be really, really helpful,
thanks

For the money and options I really like the Malkoff products. A Surefire 6P host or a Malkoff MD2 and your choice of drop ins. I have had a Malkoff MD2 with the 2 stage switch for a week and it has quickly moved to the primary light that I carry now. I have a M60 in it right now and plan on getting a M60 MCE for it too. For a small light that is bright I like the E1B or for RCR the Nitecore Extreme is nice.

Brightest 1xCR123 in an easily carried form factor would be 4Sevens Quark123 w/o clip or Eagletac P10C. Unlike most of the competition they have extremely high output on both CR123 and RCR123, whereas most have significantly lower output on CR123. I would give the overall nod to the Quark 123 between these two. Don't be fooled by the lumens ratings on the Quark, the numbers are measured OTF as opposed to emitter lumens advertised by the competition.

For an 18650 power light, Wolf Eyes MC-Explorer is the most compact MC-E light powered by 1x18650 available on the market.

There are some pretty smaller 18650 lights out there now, like the L-Mini II. Alternatively, something like a 3P (or solarforce equivalent) and a Malkoff M60 would be very bright and small, but wouldn't have much battery life.

A quad die really needs an 18650 or 2 123s for a passable runtime. If you don't mind the 18650 route, I can tell you I really like my MG PLI with MC-E emitter. Only 5.5" long and 1 1/3" wide at the head. Hurry before Shiningbeam runs out again.

This might help: 1xCR123/RCR round-up review.

Hasn't been added to the round-up yet, but as my review of the NiteCore SR3 shows, it is the highest output and best thrower on RCR of all the lights I've tested.

18650 mainly adds runtime, and most lights are pretty bulky (the Lumapower Encore and L-mini being exceptions that may suit you). Something like the Fenix PD30, Olight T20 & I20, or Quark 123-2 are good slim choices, but won't take 18650 (17670 is the most they will take, and no guarantees on the Fenix/Olight at that).

And I agree - multi-die or multi-emitter is typically out for single-cell applications (the only exceptions I can think of are pretty bulky for EDC).

An 18650 light need only be as long as a surefire 6p which I'm sure you're familiar with. Most dedicated 18650 bodies are ever so slightly larger than a cr123 light in tube diameter to provide adequate tube wall thickness. Surefire bodies need to be bored out to accept an 18650, which needs to be done very carefully to ensure the battery tube isn't compromised. I suggest a 3A-5A tinted emitter powered by an 18650. MC-E for flood, XR-E for throw. The Dereelight CL1H might be worth a try.

Take a look at this message thread Click Here The light in post #50 is my favorite It might interest you as it's running off a new type of high current draw RCR123 (AW IMR) and is estimated to be putting out 600 Lumens at the emitter on high in a size under 3.3 inches and 1" diameter.

matrixshaman said:

The light in post #50 is my favorite

Click to expand...

I'm still lusting after that DarkZero masterpiece. Meanwhile, the 3P + P7, while not as enticing, is a bit more attainable. Note that for the voltage to work on one cell, the drop-in has to be unregulated:

https://www.candlepowerforums.com/posts/2851299&postcount=17

keithhr said:

I want to know what the brightest single cr123 (rechargeable) flashlight currently available in a form factor suitable for a belt sheath carry.
any help would be appreciated, there are just too many light to consider, maybe a quad die led that could be driven by a single battery, I would even consider a single 18650 if it wasn't too long. Any suggestions would be really, really helpful,
thanks

Click to expand...

Well... if you're going to carry on the belt, no point bothering with a RCR123 light, as the runtimes are relatively meager. If I were you I would go with a Quark 123-2 running a 17670 li-ion or a L-Mini II R2 running an 18650. There are other good lights to consider as well, but these would be my choices due to great output level options, great brightness and beam quality, and long runtime. The Quark has the added benefits of the head and tailcap also being able to run on a 14500 in a AA body, an RCR123 in a 123 body, or two RCR123's in the 123-3 body, and Quarks have a super-low moon-mode. Vahreeey NICE!