Who made the first CR123 flashlights?
- Thread starter Napalm
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ebow86
Flashlight Enthusiast
Surefire. They are the one's who pioneered the use of CR123 batteries in flashlights.
ebow86
Flashlight Enthusiast
Surefire introduced the 6C in I believe 1988, although I think there may have been a few weaponlights introduced before then in 86, I think the model310 was one. Surefire had some type of dealing going on with Duracell to introduce these CR123 batteries.
Thanks, I searched and found this:
http://flashlightnews.org/story2804.shtml
"In 1988, the SureFire brand broke the mold of large handheld flashlights when it released its model 6C flashlight. This compact (4.6" long) incandescent flashlight, powered by two lithium 123A batteries, produced 60 lumens of light output, that's three times the light output of the widely used D-cell flashlights of the time. The SureFire light was waterproof, shock-resistant, and came housed in a space-age aircraft-grade aluminum body. A model with a pushbutton tailcap, called the 6P, was released a few months later. This is considered the first ever tactical flashlight and it quantified "tactical output." "
So it was an incandescent. The article is interesting too for the "what is a tactical flashlight" debates.
Anyone knows of any CR123 light before 1988?
nap.
http://flashlightnews.org/story2804.shtml
"In 1988, the SureFire brand broke the mold of large handheld flashlights when it released its model 6C flashlight. This compact (4.6" long) incandescent flashlight, powered by two lithium 123A batteries, produced 60 lumens of light output, that's three times the light output of the widely used D-cell flashlights of the time. The SureFire light was waterproof, shock-resistant, and came housed in a space-age aircraft-grade aluminum body. A model with a pushbutton tailcap, called the 6P, was released a few months later. This is considered the first ever tactical flashlight and it quantified "tactical output." "
So it was an incandescent. The article is interesting too for the "what is a tactical flashlight" debates.
Anyone knows of any CR123 light before 1988?
nap.
ebow86
Flashlight Enthusiast
No, I already said, surefire was the one's to introduce this type of battery to be used in their lights.
dano
Flashlight Enthusiast
6c, 6P...SF had nothing to do with the development of the 123. They were designed for camera flashes predating SF.
ebow86
Flashlight Enthusiast
Maybe the OP's question should have been read a little better. "who brought to market the first flashlights to use CR123 batteries?"
Once again Surefire. What I said was surefire was the first one's to introduce this type of battery to be used in flashlights. I didn't say they introduced the battery as in they were the ones to first manufacture or invent it. Maybe I should have worded it slightly different.
happystuffing
Newly Enlightened
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- Dec 29, 2009
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As far as I can remember, it seems that SureFire started it all with the CR123 batteries.
I haven't actually gone out and researched this, but I've been keeping up with flashlight's for a while now.
I haven't actually gone out and researched this, but I've been keeping up with flashlight's for a while now.
They were waterproof?
Thats not what surefire tell us by now, they say they are only weatherproof
Or due to the suing-culture so they want to get rid of troubles?
Tekna (1978-1990) had their Mono-lith (1xCR123) back in the 1980s (yellow case, near the bottom)
Not bright at all, but mine might still have its original battery.
Not bright at all, but mine might still have its original battery.
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I bought a Tekna Lite 2 back in I seem to remember sometime between late '83 to early '85 (looked like the Tekna Lite 2 pictured above but with the clear lens on the head instead of red).
Picked it over the Mono-Lith and the Micro-Lite because it used easier to get AA batteries and had the neat head. Don't remember seeing the Splash-Lite until much later.
Hope that helps.
Picked it over the Mono-Lith and the Micro-Lite because it used easier to get AA batteries and had the neat head. Don't remember seeing the Splash-Lite until much later.
Hope that helps.
PCC
Flashlight Enthusiast
I was going to suggest the Tekna Splashlite, but, I could not find any history about it so I didn't.
I still have my Tekna Lite, though I've converted it to LED. I bought that one instead of a lithium version because it used a single AA battery, which has been a blessing and a curse (easy battery availability, but, leaking alkalines ruined the original guts of this light necessitating the need to convert it to LED).
I still have my Tekna Lite, though I've converted it to LED. I bought that one instead of a lithium version because it used a single AA battery, which has been a blessing and a curse (easy battery availability, but, leaking alkalines ruined the original guts of this light necessitating the need to convert it to LED).
