Advice on an "entry level" Surefire

Hello everyone. I am in the market for a pocket sized EDC flashlight. I understand that Surefire is a high quality brand and is more expensive to purchase of front than some other brands. I own a Surefire C2 Centurion with P60 incan blub which I got in a trade for a razor. Nice light but is too large for pocket carry, yet the Fenix LD01 that I have is too small to use in my hands. What is out there that is a good bang for the buck, can be carried in a pocket or on a belt in a holster, and does not cost a fortune to buy? Now it does not have to be a Surefire brand, I just understand from what I read here that that brand is one of the best you can get and also has a bit of controversy attached to it.

lovenhim said:

Hello everyone. I am in the market for a pocket sized EDC flashlight. I understand that Surefire is a high quality brand and is more expensive to purchase of front than some other brands. I own a Surefire C2 Centurion with P60 incan blub which I got in a trade for a razor. Nice light but is too large for pocket carry, yet the Fenix LD01 that I have is too small to use in my hands. What is out there that is a good bang for the buck, can be carried in a pocket or on a belt in a holster, and does not cost a fortune to buy? Now it does not have to be a Surefire brand, I just understand from what I read here that that brand is one of the best you can get and also has a bit of controversy attached to it.

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You best put a price range before someone recommends something waaaay out there.

I don't know if it is too expensive, but I think you would like a SureFire E1B. It is just about the right size for EDC and its bezel-up-or-down clip is pretty too. I've been EDCing my E1B for a couple years now in dress pants to work and still really like it.

Surefire E1B gets my vote

OK I would prefer under $50 with a max of $75. I would consider used as well knowing that these are well made lights. My goal here is to buy quality now and not replace it in a year unless I needed a brighter light or something.

RobertM said:

I don't know if it is too expensive, but I think you would like a SureFire E1B. It is just about the right size for EDC and its bezel-up-or-down clip is pretty too. I've been EDCing my E1B for a couple years now in dress pants to work and still really like it.

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+1 this is a great EDC.

Unless used, its hard to find a sub $100 surefire.

Sounds like you want an E2DL

Since you said it doesn't have to be a Surefire, the Novatac 85T from Lighthound.com is within your budget.
I carry one everyday and it's been working fantastic. They've dropped the price several times. It's at $60 right now.

lovenhim said:

OK I would prefer under $50 with a max of $75. I would consider used as well knowing that these are well made lights. My goal here is to buy quality now and not replace it in a year unless I needed a brighter light or something.

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If you are looking for new, the only small Surefire closest to your budget is the incan E1E @ $79.

Well I am in for a bit of a shocker. Surefire lights are a bit pricey, yet I know they are great quality. That E2DL and E1B are both over $100+ It does not have to be a Surefire, I just want one. What I "need" is a quality EDC light. LOL

Basic rule of thumb here would be to drop down to any of the "E" body lights rather than the "C/P/G" size that you are familiar with on the C2. As I recall most L series lights use the E series body size so that heads you in the right direction.

I'd say go with a 2 cell model if you don't mind the length of the C2 and just want it to have less girth.

Hitting the $75 price point might be hard, but I would suggest keeping your eyes peeled in the marketplace to get closer to that goal.

There have been several variations on these LED models over the last few years, so a used one might not have the same specs as one of the new ones. No worries just ask questions and know what you are buying. For a general use light any 2 mode SF SureFire LED will be great.

Eric

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I read that you may not absolutely require a SureFire brand. Considering your price point, check out the P series lights over at eagletac.

I use a Quark Mini and it fits great in my pocket and it's attached to my keychain...

Those EagleTac P series lights look like a quality/value light. Now I have another brand to look at along with the 4Sevens brand of lights. Thanks for the help. I am looking for something larger than my Fenix LD01 but not as large as the Surefire C2. I know that covers a lot of ground. Maybe a single AA or CR123 light.

If you are looking for a pocketable Surefire I'd say to look for a used but good condition E1L or E2L, or for an incandescent the E2E-BK has great ergonomics. You can see I'm a fan of the E-series

But for bang-for-the-buck and still good quality, look at the 4Sevens Quark line.

lovenhim said:

Well I am in for a bit of a shocker. Surefire lights are a bit pricey, yet I know they are great quality. That E2DL and E1B are both over $100+ It does not have to be a Surefire, I just want one. What I "need" is a quality EDC light. LOL

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If you are as much of an addict as the rest of us... If there is a seed of desire deep inside you, it won't go away no matter what you purchase instead. Eventually you will just end up wanting it more, and if you are truly addicted, that desire will lessen the enjoyment of whatever you have purchased in its place. This is something I have learned the hard way.

Just go for it, you already know what you want and what will make you happy. A SF-E1B and a bunch of primaries would be my recommendation. If your pocket can handle a bit more, then the E2L is a nice alternative.

E1B gets a vote from me also. Maybe someone would be kind enough to trade you an E-series surefire for your C2?

Even though it is out of your price range you should consider the L1. Small in size yet big in performance. The SF switching system is fantastic.

Sounds like you need a 6P (or you can settle for a Solarforce L2). There are so many mods for these P60 type lights, I can't simply recall them all.

think2x said:

E1B gets a vote from me also. Maybe someone would be kind enough to trade you an E-series surefire for your C2?

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I never thought of that idea. I would be willing to trade my C2 incan for another pocket Surefire. I knew I wanted a Surefire so I got it in a trade for a razor, but after having owned it...it just sits. It sits because it is too large for EDC, in is incan which eats batteries like candy, so it is just not right for me....it is certainly a great light. I prefer LED because of the run time, and prefer modes just because it makes it nicer to use. I have also learned that I prefer a clicky to a twisty so the tailcap switch is nice on the C2. OK, so now that it has been mentioned, any traders? LOL I know those words belong in another area of the forum.

lovenhim said:

OK I would prefer under $50 with a max of $75. I would consider used as well knowing that these are well made lights. My goal here is to buy quality now and not replace it in a year unless I needed a brighter light or something.

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Surefires are great in many ways, but they are on the expensive side, and there simply aren't any in that price range that are suitable for the purpose you wanted. Any you could find would be either retro (edc'ing an incan these days is retro) or obsolete (maybe you could get an early E1L for that, but LED technology has improved a lot since then).

Your best bet is probably an E1B as others have mentioned. You can sometimes find a used one in the $100 range. I would not get any of the "Junkfire"s, my collective name for the various knock-off brands.