Surefire Z41 "Twisty" tailcap still in production

Hello everyone,

while browsing through the Surefire website, I noticed that the Z41 twisty tailcap can not be found in the parts section. Is it still in production (yet not available as a separate item) or has it been taken out of production?

Thanks in advance. I tried a forum search but could not find any evidence for either theory.

Cheers
Thorsten

If you need a Z41, check out the Marketplace. It is available from Surefire dealers but yes I don't see it listed as a separate part from the SF website.

Well, so far all my Surefires do have the Z41, it is more a question out of curiosity. I stumbled upon this when I wanted to check the MSRP of a Z41 on their webpage. The german webshop where I got my Surefires so far charges 49€ for one Z41, so it is actually cheaper to get a complete 6P (e.g. for spare parts) then getting the parts alone.

Cheers
Thorsten

Xacto said:

Well, so far all my Surefires do have the Z41, it is more a question out of curiosity. I stumbled upon this when I wanted to check the MSRP of a Z41 on their webpage. The german webshop where I got my Surefires so far charges 49€ for one Z41, so it is actually cheaper to get a complete 6P (e.g. for spare parts) then getting the parts alone.

Cheers
Thorsten

Click to expand...

Then you could get another 6P, then sell off the body and head, to regain some of the money, if there's nobody by you that's selling a Z41.

I doubt the Z41 will ever go out of production. I personally love its style, because it won't shut off if you don't want it to (i.e. accidentally dropping it, which could cause other lights to shut off).

~Brian

bstrickler said:

[...]
I doubt the Z41 will ever go out of production. I personally love its style, because it won't shut off if you don't want it to (i.e. accidentally dropping it, which could cause other lights to shut off).

~Brian

Click to expand...

I hope that too, which was the reason why I started this thread - just to check this out. Your point is good - it won't shut off if you don't want to. I actually like it because it won't stay on if you press too hard (e.g. under stress).

Cheers
Thorsten

It's worth pointing out that SureFire.com has never had every product and part SureFire make - there are simply too many.

There are CPF-Supporting SureFire Dealers who are better placed to help you determine whether something has been discontinued...

Don't a lot more SureFire flashlights come standard with a twisty? If so, combined with a lifetime warranty, I'd think they sell a lot more click-on tailcaps. With as many SureFire lights already sold, I doubt they will ever quit making them.

I just glanced at their webpage and had no idea how many different models they make. So far all I've got is two 6P w/Malkoff M61 and a G2L on which I put a Nitrolon bezel. For me it's plenty, so everything else is mainly for fun. Doesn't mean I don't want more SureFires, but I was curious about all the new (at least to me) flashlight manufacturers.

Incredible how many choices there are nowadays.

Size15's said:

It's worth pointing out that SureFire.com has never had every product and part SureFire make - there are simply too many.

There are CPF-Supporting SureFire Dealers who are better placed to help you determine whether something has been discontinued...

Click to expand...

Thanks for that hint.

Cheers
Thorsten

The vast majority of SF lights, particularly most of the P/Z/C series, come with twisties - predominately because of the superior reliability compared to clickies.

I actually sold a P/Z/C clicky because I preferred the dependability over a minor improvement in convenience.

E-series, in contrast, do not come with a twisty. For that matter, I don't think SF even makes an E-series twisty.

-Trevor

Edit: Hmm, they do. I smell...upgrade!

For those still using the stock SF twisty switch, I have a Nailbender 3 level dropin in a G2. The module consistently changes from the high mode to the low mode unless I keep a death grip level of pressure on the switch. In addition, more often than not, the high mode cannot be maintained: upon activation in the high mode, the module quickly flashes and switches down to the low mode. This happens during both momentary and constant-on activation. These problems occur during initial/cold activation and persist, so heat buildup in the Nitrolon head should not be the factor.

Both the module and the 17670 cell operate without problems in other hosts with reverse and forward clickies.

With the stock P60 incan module and cr123 cells installed, the light slightly flickers, very slowly, and slightly dims unless, again, I keep a death grip amount of pressure on the switch.

Is it just a faulty switch, or that the twisty is not designed for multi-mode drop-ins?

I hate to say it, but if these glitches are normal, even with the stock Surefire module and cells, I feel the light is unreliable, albeit a Surefire.

I've been using my Z41's for years, with all sorts of modules, including the new multimode Moddoo triple, zero problems. Sounds like faulty electrical contact at the tailswitch, except that I can't imagine what could go wrong, it would be sort of like breaking a hammer.

Actually, I'd bet it's the metal sleeve inside the nitrolon light body, making very poor contact with the tailswitch. Check either end of the light to see if there is enough contact area on each end of the metallic sleeve - it sounds like it is positioned a bit forward or is too short.

At any rate, I'd call SF and get them to send you a new G2 body.

Kestrel said:

I've been using my Z41's for years, with all sorts of modules, including the new multimode Moddoo triple, zero problems. Sounds like faulty electrical contact at the tailswitch, except that I can't imagine what could go wrong, it would be sort of like breaking a hammer.

Actually, I'd bet it's the metal sleeve inside the nitrolon light body, making very poor contact with the tailswitch. Check either end of the light to see if there is enough contact area on each end of the metallic sleeve - it sounds like it is positioned a bit forward or is too short.

At any rate, I'd call SF and get them to send you a new G2 body.

Click to expand...

Kestrel, thanks for the suggestions.

The head end of the sleeve stops short of the tapered neck. I've had wrapped the pill in foil with a lip of foil folded onto the edge of the bottom of the pill to address this problem. But now that you mention the potential problem of the sleeve, I don't know if my fix really solved anything.

The tail end of the sleeve folds over the edge a bit.

I'll try to take some pics.

I've contacted Greg Lin, one of the reps at SF. I specifically mentioned the tailcap. He responded very quickly and said a new one will be sent to me. Still waiting for it.

The problem is, the poor contact is only obvious with the aftermarket drop-in. With the stock P60 bulb, one has to really pay attention to notice the slight flicker and dimming accompanying insufficient pressure on the tailcap. And when I say "sufficient" pressure for my G2 sample, I'm talking about almost not having enought grip on the body to counter the pressure on the tailcap. That's how hard I have to press and hold to eliminate the flickering and dimming.

If the replacement tailcap doesn't solve the problem and your speculations regarding the body is correct, I may have to send back the whole light for inspection before receiving a replacement, right? I'm worried that whoever will be looking over the light will not be keen enough to see the problems and will not provide a replacement.

Oh well. I'll wait and see.

Definitely a contact issue. Can't really say between what and what though... I've been running a 3-stage Deree in my G2 with no switching problems. Although I have also wrapped my dropin in copper tape for it to make contact with the body the pressure required to go from off to on is pretty minimal.

Don't nailbender dropins have springs like the SF P60 LAs?

red02 said:

Definitely a contact issue. Can't really say between what and what though... I've been running a 3-stage Deree in my G2 with no switching problems. Although I have also wrapped my dropin in copper tape for it to make contact with the body the pressure required to go from off to on is pretty minimal.

Don't nailbender dropins have springs like the SF P60 LAs?

Click to expand...

The stock SF P60 spring has a smaller diameter, allowing it to fit through the tapered section of the neck and make contact with the top of the aluminum sleeve.

The nailbender dropin springs are of a larger diameter and get stuck above the bottom of the tapered section, well above the top of the sleeve, so I don't use a spring.

Here are some photos:

Alum sleeve at the bezel end:



Alum sleeve at the tail end:



Alum foil at bottom of socket:



By the way, Red, does your G2 have marks like this?



There are similar marks on my G2 tailcap as well. I take it they came from the mold?


Thanks.

I have the aluminum head with the hexagonal grip and no marks at all.

The insides look similar to mine. It might just be the perspective, but the head-body joint in my light has a gentler slope to the point where the plastic meets the metal. Can't really tell for certain since I don't have precise measurements.

The way I wrapped my dropin is in a ring about the circumference of the exposed part of the bottom of the dropin. Below where the reflector ends. Then bent the tape inwards a little and forced the head on. There is even a small slit between the body and the head.

Noticed the same flickering problem last night while taking out the garbage, really disappointing. Hope its not contagious...

I had the Deree XRE dropin on low when it started turning on and off randomly before jumping to high. I put in the P60L with 2xCR123s and there was that same flicker, just not as noticeable.

Funny thing is that it seems to be fine if the tailcap is screwed down all the way.

I'm using a P60 spring turned upside down for contact, tried going back to the copper tape but it has the same problem. I wonder if my G2 caught this bug from this thread or if I just didn't notice it before.

IIRC Dereelight states that their dropins may not work correctly with the SF nitrolon hosts. :shrug: I know for a fact that they do not recommend their Javelin drop-in with those hosts due to possible electrical connectivity issues - I looked into that once.

If you have some issues with this drop-in and the SF 6P series, I think it's just one of those 'different manufacturer specification' things between components ...

Just tested a P60, works fine. If only SF made a high-low P60L driven by a single AA...

I think the tailcap is the suspect. The problem you described before seems to coincide with my obervation that a lot of pressure is needed in the momentary-on mode to keep the light from flickering. My C2 has the exact problem. :shakehead