Opinions of SolarForce PTS-3 Tape Switch?

I'm considering using the SolarForce PTS-3 tape switch for a weapon light application. I am a long-time SureFire user and I believe you almost always get what you pay for. However, the price difference between the PTS-3 and the SureFire equivalent caught my attention.

I'm interested in opinions of people who are using these - how reliable/durable are they? Have you had any problems or "issues"?

Thanks for your feedback.

Hearing nothing I decided that for a weapons light application it was worth the peace of mind of buying the SureFire XM-07. The folks at Spyder Tactical gave me their usual amazing CPF service and pricing and had it shipped out the same day. :thumbsup:

Nothing yet - maybe put together a Solarforce weaponlight and run it on a paintball gun a while?

I would just like to add that tapeswitches fail, as any other product, the one thing is that they would start turning on themselves as it would get stuck. I had this happen with a Surefire tapeswitch. I'm pretty a stout believer in getting what you pay for also, for mission critical use, I wouldn't go anything else but Surefire, especially when your life and others are one the line.

crazyassazian said:

I would just like to add that tapeswitches fail, as any other product, the one thing is that they would start turning on themselves as it would get stuck. I had this happen with a Surefire tapeswitch. I'm pretty a stout believer in getting what you pay for also, for mission critical use, I wouldn't go anything else but Surefire, especially when your life and others are one the line.

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I'd be willing to trust my light to an Insight tapeswitch, as the military is using them by the thousands and if they sucked, we'd not be using them any more.

Hypothetical: would you prefer to live without a weaponlight, or with a cheap one? Pretend you can afford bullets and batteries, but don't have the lump-sum money for a Surefire.

For home defense? (you don't expect to ever need it)

For SWAT? (you expect to need it frequently)

crazyassazian said:

I would just like to add that tapeswitches fail, as any other product, the one thing is that they would start turning on themselves as it would get stuck. I had this happen with a Surefire tapeswitch. I'm pretty a stout believer in getting what you pay for also, for mission critical use, I wouldn't go anything else but Surefire, especially when your life and others are one the line.

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For the record, I ultimately went with the SureFire switch for exactly the reasons you mention. I'm ok with a cheap light that might cr@p out any time working under the sink, but it makes no sense to pinch pennies with tools that could make or break a successful defense. It amazes me to see guys spend a lot of money on a weapon and then try to put the cheapest sights, lights and ammo into it. :sick2:

So my answer to this question:

Hypothetical: would you prefer to live without a weaponlight, or with a cheap one? Pretend you can afford bullets and batteries, but don't have the lump-sum money for a Surefire.

For home defense? (you don't expect to ever need it)

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is that I'd probably rather train and prepare around gear that has been proven reliable by me and by others than train and prepare around gear that might never get used but also might not work when a threat presents itself. Based on what I read in a lot of different places, most people call that differently, though.