So I got my thrunite catapult today...

...And Holy Nutella crepes this thing is bright! Okay, Ive been out of "the game" for a while, and this is my first real purchase since I got a longbow eco with an upgraded module (seriously, who understood a word of what I just said?) but I really feel the need to stand back and admire the progress that LEDs have made in terms of output and efficiency. And this is a single die light no less! I cant wait to get this output and performance from a light half the size. which will obviously be within the next 3 years.

Well you made an excellent purchase for someone that has been out of the game for a while. I felt the same way when I purchased my Catapult V2. If you want a more compact model, use two 18350 cells, instead of two 18650's. It gives the same amount of output and performance, but without the extension tube. I use this, so that my Catapult will easily fit into my coat pocket.

I had been wondering about rcr123s that came in 18xxx form the moment i received the light actually. What kind of runtime can I expect from those? Selfbuilt's review indicates a 20 min runtime on r123s (he didnt specify capacity though). The red 2600maH trustfires I got dont even fit the DSD charger all that properly in that I have to push them down in a certain way to get them charging. Which is very disappointing to say the least...

I tried the rcr123's and was very dissappointed because the runtime was only about 10 minutes or less on high. In fact Thrunite recomends using two rcr123's in low mode only. I have never measured the runtime of the 18350's but it is long enough for what I need. Rarely do I need extended runtimes. If I do I will use the two 18650 configuration, or keep an extra set of 18350 cells in my pocket. I'm assuming that you purchased the Catapult Version 3, while mine is only the Version 2, so there may be some differences between them.