Short Surefires.

I have 3 Surefires (3P,6P and 6Z) that are shorter than other Surefires. I have a newer 3P that is longer than the older 3P. The 6P and 6Z are both round bodies and have round bezels. The bodies are about 3/16 inch shorter. Does anyone know when Surefire started making the bodies longer and why?

Do the newer ones have a Lock Out Tail Cap?

[ QUOTE ]
Beretta1526 said:
Do the newer ones have a Lock Out Tail Cap?

[/ QUOTE ]

Both 3P's (short and long body) have the old style tail cap. The newer 6P I have has the lock out tail cap. The newer 6P is the kind with the hex bezel. I have an older 9P, with round body and bezel, that is the same length as current 9P's. It has the old style tail cap. I don't have another 6Z or 2Z to compare with the short 6Z.
oldgrandpajack

do you mean the entire light or just the battery tube? the newer lotc is longer,so that might explain it. if not then i've got no idea.

I have a purple older P6 and an older R/W/B P6 and a new style P6 that are all different lengths. The Purple with NLOTC is the shortest then the R/W/B with NLOTC then the newer model with LOTC. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/icon3.gif

The bezels with a plastic lens retaining ring will be a tad longer then those with a push-in snap-fit Lexan lens.

If you continue to write in factions of an inch, I will continue to wait until Metric units are used before bothering about the differences in length /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

Al /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

[ QUOTE ]
chamenos said:
do you mean the entire light or just the battery tube? the newer lotc is longer,so that might explain it. if not then i've got no idea.

[/ QUOTE ]

Just the battery tubes. Well, I think it's just the tubes. Didn't notice it until I put Z49's on the 3P's and stood them on end. I have put Z44's on them and traffic cones. The battery tube is definately shorter on one. Didn't think to put the old tail cap on and see if the length is then the same. I'll get back to you on this later.
oldgrandpajack

Later: The overall length is different also. The bezels and tail caps are the same on both 3P's. The only difference is in the length of the battery tubes.

[ QUOTE ]
Size15s said:
The bezels with a plastic lens retaining ring will be a tad longer then those with a push-in snap-fit Lexan lens.

If you continue to write in factions of an inch, I will continue to wait until Metric units are used before bothering about the differences in length /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

Al /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

Let's see if I can still do this. One inch equals 25.4 mm. {(25.4/16)x3=4.76}. Al, let's round that off to about 4.5-5.0 mm.
/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Al, that's the first time I've used a gremlin. You're the first to drag one out of me.
oldgrandpajack

hey you could always just remove the bezel and tailcaps on both lights and then compare them that way /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

Yup. It's the battery tubes for sure. Looking at them now, I would say the difference is probably closer to 4 mm.

On the "Classic" SureFires I have such as a 6P that has a body with knurling but without the "channel" limiting the knurling at each end, the body is indeed shorter.

What this means is that for current SureFires the batteries are deeper within the body. Why this change was made I don't know. Perhaps it has something to do with compressing spring contacts?

Al

P.S.
Please email me if you'd like a photo of the length difference.

Just discovered something very interesting. I had always assumed that two A14's were the same length as three A19's. Well, it ain't so! The two A14's are longer. I discovered this when I shortened my "walking stick" from six AA cell to four. "Walking stick" is a Surefire D3 with KL3, traffic wand, Z49, 3-A19's, 2-A14's, 3-2AA wall spacers and six AA batteries. Previously, I had to use a button battery spacer in order for the Z49 to work properly. When I noticed the difference in length I used the three A19's instead of the two A14's and don't need the button battery spacer any more. I would advise, anyone wanting to use AA's with Surefire KL3 bezels, to use the A19 extensions. I shortened my walking stick to 4 AA cells because I was afraid the longer 6AA cell flashlight might be considered a prohibited weapon (baton). The 6 AA cell light with the traffic cone was about 2 feet long, maybe a little longer. Al, that's about 61 cm.
oldgrandpajack

I will convert America to Metric - Oh yes I will! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gifr Evil Laugh:

Thanks!

Al /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

[ QUOTE ]
Size15s said:
I will convert America to Metric - Oh yes I will! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gifr Evil Laugh:

Thanks!

Al /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

You have your work cut out for you. I can remember, as a teenager, the US was going to be converted to metric in a few short years. The reason, stated at the time, was economics. It was supposed to put the US on an equal footing, trading with the rest of the world. Maybe the rest of the world is better off because we can't compete as well? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif That's two Al.
oldgrandpajack

Al,

Using inches is using the beloved "British system." I was brought up on it. If it was good enough for dad, then . . . . Well, you know. I was later introduced to the metric system in school, where we did calculations usoing the mks system. But I still think in feet and pounds, although I stay away from rods, furlongs, stones, shillings, and such.

Do you find yourself thinking in metric terms? It's really quite continental, you know. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Paul