AA LED Tactical buying advice

Am in the market for AA-sized LED tactical flashlight. Have so far narrowed choices to Smith & Wesson SW775LX, Rayovac SELUX2AA3W-B or MAGLITE SP2201H.

Of the three, S&W is probably the best quality (and highest price), with Rayovac being the best value and Maglite somewhere in between.

On sale, these lights all cost about the same ($20 - $30). Have also looked at Surefire and Streamlight but they're probably beyond my needs and not worth the cost.

Any advice? Thanks.

More expensive but a great AA light, 4Sevens tactical:

http://www.4sevens.com/product_info.php?cPath=297_306&products_id=1656

In my opinion, none of those lights qualify as "tactical" in any sense of the word, since they are budget flashlights (especially the maglite), and aren't very bright. I would strongly suggest spending a little more and getting an Eagletac P100A2, which is much brighter than any of the lights you listed, and is probably built better too. It also has a low mode (which is probably just as bright as the other lights, except perhaps the S&W), as well as a high mode which should be significantly brighter than the lights you are considering.

The Fenix TK20 is a great choice for a more tactical light, but you'll need a few extra $$. Keep in mind that for any lights you actually want to keep, you won't want to use alkalines. Leaking=bad.

By the way... :welcome:

I am not sure what your exact requirements are, but I'd stay way from all three!

The 4Sevens and EagleTac are excellent choices (4Sevens would be my pick). Remember 4Sevens offers an 8% discount to CPF members and free shipping. That really helps reduce the price difference.

If you are law enforcement or military, this is not quite "tactical", but if you must stay under $30 and want a bright programmable light, this is the best $20 light I've ever bought. It compares favorably with lights costing 3x as much.

Just be prepared to wait and wait and wait for it to arrive, but the shipping is free. . . .

I'll put in annother vote for either the 4sevens quark tactical or the fenix tk20. The tk20 is one tough mutha!!

loanshark said:

I'll put in annother vote for either the 4sevens quark tactical or the fenix tk20. The tk20 is one tough mutha!!

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Another +1 to either of those.

Welcome to CPF, Klaatu.

I think we could all give you better advice about what fits your needs if you described them a bit more. I for example, do nothing more tactical than the occasional paintball trip, but I love "serious" tactical lights like Surefire CombatLights upgraded with Malkoff modules, rechargeable duty lights, and the Aviator. On the other hand, my current workhorse is a Ra Twisty, which is much more pocketable and - somehow - even more strongly built. Most of them get used for around-the-house repairs, which usually aren't finished by the time the sun goes down, or involve having to flip breakers... you get the idea. More information = better results.

loanshark said:

I'll put in annother vote for either the 4sevens quark tactical or the fenix tk20. The tk20 is one tough mutha!!

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just like marduke said, either one of those, i own both and i perfer the quark because of the better clip, but the TK20 will throw fruther...but the quark has more options...

save your money and buy good quality...

Thanks for all of the good suggestions so far and nice to be with you guys. Have been relying mainly on Amazon.com reviews and one reviewer, "zulu45," suggested that this forum would be great place to learn. Guess s/he was right.

Anyway, I'm neither in law enforcement nor the military. Just someone who prefers products worth buying and who wants to avoid a purchase mistake. So strictly "tactical" is probably not exactly what I'm after although those types of instruments are awfully appealing. The flashlight would be mainly for household use but versatile enough for outdoor sporting activities as well (hunting, camping, etc). Examined a Streamlight 75813 Stinger DS C4 but found it beyond my needs and a bit too large. An AA sized LED is the sweet spot.

The 4Sevens Quark AA² or EagleTac P100A2 pretty well fits the bill. Although pricier, they appear to offer the versatility, design and build I'm after much more so than my original choices. I still would appreciate other suggestions, though.

BTW, is "cpf8" the code for an 8% discount Flic mentioned?

i just bought a Surefire G2 LED today for my tactical light to mount on my shotgun. its an amazing light and you can get them for about $60

First off, :welcome:

If, by tactical, you mean bright enough to temporarily disrupt an assailant's night adapted vision, illuminate your immediate area and potential targets/innocents, and have a forward (momentary) activation switch, I would consider the previously mentioned EagleTac P100A2, the Fenix L2T v.2.0, and the Romisen RC-N3 Q5 II which is available only from ShiningBeam's website, but which will, IIRC, fall within your stated price-range.

The RC-N3 can be used with one CR123a cell, or with the included body tube adapter/extender, 2 x AA cells. If you want the light for truly tactical/defensive purposes, get the single output light, which should be more than adequately bright for most civilain "tactical" needs, I would think. If it is to be used as a utility light, you could consider the two mode light, but since the modes on the Romisen are changed via the tail switch which also turns the light on and off, this could be a liability in a truly tactical/defensive light. For that, you should go with one of the other two suggested lights, on which the tail switch only turns the light on and off, while the brightness level is selected by tightening or loosening the head.

Fenix E20 is not much outside your range, but a fine light.

That said, I cannot recommend the Maglite at all. I had a 3AA with a switch failure which is not uncommon in the design. Both the Inova Bolt and Coleman Max 2AAs have both far outlived it in the same duties.

Which, incidentally, both lights should be in (or close to) your price range, and both have proven themselves quite reliable to me.

I'd highly recommend the Eagletac P10A.

It simply blows the S&W, Rayovac, and Mag right out of the water.

Mjolnir said:

In my opinion, none of those lights qualify as "tactical" in any sense of the word, since they are budget flashlights (especially the maglite), and aren't very bright. I would strongly suggest spending a little more and getting an Eagletac P100A2, which is much brighter than any of the lights you listed, and is probably built better too. It also has a low mode (which is probably just as bright as the other lights, except perhaps the S&W), as well as a high mode which should be significantly brighter than the lights you are considering.

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I'm of the same general oppinion as Mjolnir and others. I would remove the other lights from your list and take a look at some of the recommendations made here.

Since Eagletac isn't a brand you can find at Wal-Mart, here's a link where you can get one.

FlashCrazy runs the online shop, and is a well-respected member of these boards. I've purchased from him in the past, and would not hesitate to do so again in the future.

LINK:
http://flashlightconnection.com/Eag...nal-Series-Flashlights/Eagletac-P10A-p57.html

Buckles said:

i just bought a Surefire G2 LED today for my tactical light to mount on my shotgun. its an amazing light and you can get them for about $60

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+1 on the G2L...just go up to Lowes and grab you one...once you hold it, you'll understand why. I can't speak for the other brands mentioned, but if you want to sell me on it, send me one! LOL! But, do a search on SF Customer Service, and that might sell you. BTW, :welcome:!

Klaatu said:

The 4Sevens Quark AA² or EagleTac P100A2 pretty well fits the bill. Although pricier, they appear to offer the versatility, design and build I'm after much more so than my original choices. I still would appreciate other suggestions, though.

BTW, is "cpf8" the code for an 8% discount Flic mentioned?

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The cpf8 is the code for 4sevens.com and eagletacstore.com, both the Quark and P100A2 are great lights. It took me many, many cheaper lights to realize I needed to spend more for what I want and the lights that fit my need are the P100A2 and the single AA Quark in the tactical version.

angelofwar said:

+1 on the G2L...just go up to Lowes and grab you one...once you hold it, you'll understand why. I can't speak for the other brands mentioned, but if you want to sell me on it, send me one! LOL! But, do a search on SF Customer Service, and that might sell you. BTW, :welcome:!

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Yes, the Surefire G2L is a very good choice; as far as tactical lights go. And Lowes definitely carries that model.

However, the G2L is definitely not a AA light. Klaatu is new to CPF, and perhaps not willing (at least not yet) to start using lights that take CR123 cells.

And then you have to post the standard warning about not buying cheap CR123 cells that are Made in China, otherwise the light could explode. Best way to save money on such cells is to buy those specifically Made in the U.S., and to buy in bulk from such places as Lighthound.com or BrightGuy.com, etc.