REVIEW: PrecisionWorks Surefire modification services (18mm bores, grip ring mods)

tobrien

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PrecisionWorks Flashlight Machining and Mods Services Review by tobrien

I recently got Barry at PrecisionWorks to perform some of his highly-regarded modding services on my Surefire 9P and Surefire P2X Fury Defender. Here is my review.

INTRODUCTION:
Precision Works (hereon abbreviated "PW"), located in Benton, Illinois performs flashlight machining work (among other services including, but not limited to, gunsmithing and other metal machining).

TECHNICAL INFO:
Barry of PW reams all full-sized P/C/Z/etc.-series Surefire lights to 0.744" utilizing an American made chucking reamer. Barry stated that the cutting diameter tolerance is +0.0002", –0.0000". So what does this all mean? That means the cutting job can end up "anywhere from .7440" to .7442" (or 18.897mm to 18.902mm)." After the bore is done that way, he then ball hones it, which thereby opens the diameter up an additional 0002".

Please note: E-series bodies get bored to .729" because there's a lot less metal to work with.

Both the Fury and 9P bodies I will be focusing on in this review were bored to .744". :)

SERVICES:
I sent Barry (of PW) my Surefire 9P body and my Surefire Fury body and tailcap for the following services:

9P (3 cell) body:
  • bore to fit 18mm lithium-ion cells
Surefire Fury (2 cell) body and tailcap:
  • bore to fit 18mm lithium-ion cells
  • machine five 'slots' for O-rings on the body and tailcap for enhanced grip (original idea here)

COMPLETION TIME:
Well, I sent PW my lights late in the month of April and today (June 20) they came back via Priority Mail (please note: while it took about a month and a half for this to be completed, we must realize flashlights are not PrecisionWorks' only line of business, as they offer emergency machining services, too! Besides, we want quality, not world record speeds!!!).

But enough talking, what about the photos of the work? Look below:

note: in 18mm cell fitment photos, the Fury will always be shown first for each cell, followed by the 9P fitment!

PHOTOS:
Image A: The lights came extremely well protected in the foam tubes Barry uses:
a-the-box.jpg



Image B: My Fury with its five grip rings (I went ahead and installed the head back onto it) and the 9P:
b-both-lights.jpg



Image C: I tasked PW with machining five grooves for the grip rings (I wanted the Surefire logo and so on to still be unobstructed):
c-fury-rings.jpg


Image D: The tailcap end of the 9P body (now bored to 18mm). Notice how clean the finish is!:
d-9p-tail-end.jpg


Image E: The head of the 9P. Barry bored it to have the "retaining lip" at the end. Again, very clean work!:
e-9p-head-end.jpg


Image F: Some of the cells we'll be seeing get test fitted in today's review! (KeepPower 3100 mAh, Redilast 3400 mAh, AW 3400 mAh, Panasonic unprotected, Orbtronic 3100 mAh, Callie's Kustoms 3100 mAh):
f-the-test-cells.jpg


Image G: Test fitment: Callie's Kustoms (3100 mAh 18650, protected) in the 18mm Surefire Fury body. Verdict: fits just fine!:
g-callies-kustoms-3100-fury.jpg


Image H: Test fitment: Callie's Kustoms (3100 mAh 18650, protected) in the 18mm Surefire 9P body. Verdict: fits just fine!:
h-callies-kustoms-3100-9p.jpg


Image I: Test fitment: Orbtronic (3100 mAh 18650, protected) in the 18mm Fury body. Verdict: fits just fine!:
i-orbtronic-3100-fury.jpg


Image J: Test fitment: Orbtronic (3100 mAh 18650, protected) in the 18mm Surefire 9P body. Verdict: fits just fine!:
j-orbtronic-3100-9p.jpg


Image K: Test fitment: Redilast (3400 mAh 18650, protected) in the 18mm Surefire Fury body. Verdict: fits just fine!:
k-redilast-3400-fury.jpg


Image L: Test fitment: Redilast (3400 mAh 18650, protected) in the 18mm Surefire 9P body. Verdict: fits just fine!:
l-redilast-3400-9p.jpg


Image M: Test fitment: AW (3400 mAh 18650, protected) in the 18mm Surefire Fury body. Verdict: fits just fine!:
m-aw-3400-fury.jpg


Image N: Test fitment: AW (3400 mAh 18650, protected) in the 18mm Surefire 9P body. Verdict: fits just fine!:
n-aw-3400-9p.jpg


Image O: Test fitment: Keeppower (3100 mAh 18650, protected) in the 18mm Surefire Fury body. Verdict: fits just fine!:
o-keeppower-3100-fury.jpg


Image P: Test fitment: Keeppower (3100 mAh 18650, protected) in the 18mm Surefire 9P body. Verdict: fits just fine!:
p-keeppower-3100-9p.jpg


Image Q: Test fitment: Panasonic (3400 mAh 18650, bare/unprotected) in the 18mm Surefire Fury body. Verdict: fits just fine!:
q-bare-panasonic-3400-fury.jpg


Image R: Test fitment: Panasonic (3400 mAh 18650, bare/unprotected) in the 18mm Surefire 9P body. Verdict: fits just fine!:
r-bare-panasonic-3400-9p.jpg


Image S: Test fitment: Panasonic (2250 mAh 18650, IMR) in the 18mm Surefire Fury body. Verdict: fits just fine!:
s-bare-panasonic-imr-fury.jpg


Image T: Test fitment: Panasonic (2250 mAh 18650, IMR) in the 18mm Surefire 9P body. Verdict: fits just fine!:
t-bare-panasonic-imr-9p.jpg


Image U: Test fitment: AW (1500 mAh 18500, protected) in the 18mm Surefire 9P body. Verdict: fits just fine!:
u-aw-prot-18500-9p.jpg


Image V: Test fitment: AW (700 mAh 18350, IMR) in the 18mm Surefire Fury body. Verdict: fits just fine!:
v-aw-imr-18350-fury.jpg


Image W: Test fitment: AW (700 mAh 18350, IMR) in the 18mm Surefire 9P body. Verdict: fits just fine!:
w-aw-imr-18350-9p.jpg


Image X: Will the 18mm Surefire power on with a single, button-top (flat-tops don't work due to the head's contact plate not having a spring) 18650?:
x-fury-stuff.jpg


Image Y: YES IT DOES!!!:
y-fury-18650-on.jpg






FIT TEST SCORE SHEET:
Surefire Fury P2X DefenderSurefire 9P
Callie's Kustoms 18650 (3100 mAh, protected)Fits!Fits!
Orbtronic 18650 (3100 mAh, protected)Fits!Fits!
Redilast 18650 (3400 mAh, protected)Fits!Fits!
AW 18650 (3400 mAh, protected)Fits!Fits!
Keeppower 18650 (3100 mAh, protected)Fits!Fits!
Panasonic 18650 (3400 mAh, bare/unprotected, NCR18650B/MH12210)Fits!Fits!
Panasonic 18650 (2250 mAh, IMR, CGR18650B/MH12210)Fits!Fits!
AW 18500 (1500 mAh, protected)N/A (18500 won't function in a 2-cell body without compatible extender)Fits!
AW 18350 (700 mAh, IMR) Fits!Fits!
Score100%100%




OTHER THOUGHTS:
  1. One aspect (among many) I was especially pleased with was how Barry contacted me personally on my cell phone (I wrote my number on the sheet I included with my lights saying what I wanted done) to ask me for clarification on the grip ring mod for my Fury. He was incredibly polite and professional. When he called me he explained the pros and cons of getting five grip rings versus six grip rings. In a nutshell, having six grip rings (three on the body, three on the tail) would put a ring right through the Surefire logo, but five rings would not have this problem (two on the body, three on the tailcap). I chose five because I wanted a clear view of the Surefire logo, the model name of my light, etc.
  2. the lights were extremely well packaged when for sending back to me. He used a smaller box than I sent him (I believe I sent him a big, flat rate Priority Mail box originally) that had packaging peanuts and the foam sleeves for padding and protection, with zero room for the lights to move around in. Perfect!
  3. I also sent him some 18mm cells of mine for test fitment on his end so he could ensure compatibility with all the cell brands I have (with the major brands: Callie's Kustoms, AW, Keeppower, Redilast, Orbtronic, and, of course, bare unprotected cells)!

THE VERDICT:
Would I do business with PrecisionWorks again? YOU BET!

Was PW/Barry professional? Definitely!

Am I 110% satisfied with the services rendered? Of course!

Bottom line: I wholeheartedly recommend PrecisionWorks and their flashlight machining services to anyone in the market for flashlight work!


p.s.: in writing this review, I have an even greater respect for the resident CPF flashlight review guys (selfbuilt, BigMac, Candle_Lamp, etc.) because it's honestly not easy putting together a review ;)
 
Last edited:

samuraishot

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Re: PrecisionWorks Surefire mods (18mm bores, grip ring mods)

One of the best and thorough reviews I've read. Good job!
 

BenChiew

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REVIEW: PrecisionWorks Surefire modification services (18mm bores, grip ring mo

That review took my excitement another notch. I have a couple of Elzetta with Barry. Can't wait to get them back :)
Thanks for the review.
 

tobrien

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Re: REVIEW: PrecisionWorks Surefire modification services (18mm bores, grip ring mo

One of the best and thorough reviews I've read. Good job!

Awesome review - thanks for sharing !

That review took my excitement another notch. I have a couple of Elzetta with Barry. Can't wait to get them back :)
Thanks for the review.

hey y'all, I want to sincerely thank each one of you for the positive feedback! That means a lot and I'm glad I could help y'all out to some extent by doing this review. :)

I was thinking the review, being my first, would be a bit "rough around the edges" so I tried to make up or that in my writing style, formatting (use of horizontal lines, bold text, larger text sizes, etc.), and the score sheet.

again, thank you samuraishot, archimedes, and benchiew for all you guys being so quick to provide positive feedback on this review. I genuinely appreciate that!
 

THE_dAY

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Re: REVIEW: PrecisionWorks Surefire modification services (18mm bores, grip ring mo

Echoing others, what a perfect right up, makes me want to send in my LX2 body!!
 

880arm

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Re: REVIEW: PrecisionWorks Surefire modification services (18mm bores, grip ring mo

Nice job with the review. If I could get the head off my Fury I would be sending it to Barry for sure!
 

Barbarian

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Re: REVIEW: PrecisionWorks Surefire modification services (18mm bores, grip ring mo

Very nice review T. Thanks for taking the time to put it together.

I bought a C2 bored by Barry and could not be happier.
 

tobrien

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Re: REVIEW: PrecisionWorks Surefire modification services (18mm bores, grip ring mo

Echoing others, what a perfect right up, makes me want to send in my LX2 body!!
thank you! almost perfect perhaps haha

you really should send in your LX2 in my opinion.
Nice job with the review. If I could get the head off my Fury I would be sending it to Barry for sure!
thanks man! keep working on that Fury head because the Fury is perfect when bored out and modded to the grip rings :)
Very nice review T. Thanks for taking the time to put it together.

I bought a C2 bored by Barry and could not be happier.
no problem! thank you for the kind words and feedback :)


sorry for the late response guys! :(
 

ShineOnYouCrazyDiamond

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Re: REVIEW: PrecisionWorks Surefire modification services (18mm bores, grip ring mo

Barry's work is definitely top notch. I have owned a few lights second hand that he had worked on and the machine work was amazing. Barry's communication is also very clear and professional.

My problem is the time it takes to get work done. I had a light with him for some simple trit slots and 3 months later I found out it was still in the package on his shelf. I realize that flashlights may not be his primary line of work, but if you are going to offer an advertised service and can't deliver in 3 months then something is wrong. I had Barry return the lights to me with the work incomplete as he could not provide a definitive time-frame on the work.

Depending on the mod work done there are other machinists on CPF that do equivalent or better work for significantly less money and sub-month turn around times.
 

tobrien

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Re: REVIEW: PrecisionWorks Surefire modification services (18mm bores, grip ring mo

Barry's work is definitely top notch. I have owned a few lights second hand that he had worked on and the machine work was amazing. Barry's communication is also very clear and professional.

My problem is the time it takes to get work done. I had a light with him for some simple trit slots and 3 months later I found out it was still in the package on his shelf. I realize that flashlights may not be his primary line of work, but if you are going to offer an advertised service and can't deliver in 3 months then something is wrong. I had Barry return the lights to me with the work incomplete as he could not provide a definitive time-frame on the work.

Depending on the mod work done there are other machinists on CPF that do equivalent or better work for significantly less money and sub-month turn around times.

I'm sorry you had the issues, man :/

I will say I went into it knowing there could be a multi-month turnaround time.
 

Nostrajoshmus

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Re: REVIEW: PrecisionWorks Surefire modification services (18mm bores, grip ring mo

Barry, would you be able to machine a combat grip slot into a P3X that is identical to the one found on the C3 and C2?
 

precisionworks

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Re: REVIEW: PrecisionWorks Surefire modification services (18mm bores, grip ring mo

I had a light with him for some simple trit slots and 3 months later I found out it was still in the package on his shelf.
I sincerely regret any inconvenience that I caused to the many members who had long wait times for their light. FWIW trit slotting didn't work out well in my shop, even though I spent over $2000 for fixtures & tooling - live & learn. Jeff Hanko is the best person to contact for slotting - his work is awesome and then some.

... I went into it knowing there could be a multi-month turnaround time.
Times are currently running 2-4 weeks so right now is as good as it gets. My workload can change quickly & the 2-4 week number is not a guarantee.

If you have a duty light or service light (LEO-MIL-FF-EMT) those have 48 hour max turnaround & a price discount of as much as 15%. Please email for more details. Emailing from your agency account or your .mil account helps qualify for the discount.

... would you be able to machine a combat grip slot into a P3X that is identical to the one found on the C3 and C2?
Even though I've machined a bunch of C2's & C3's I'm not at all sure how that would work on the P3X. If you can provide more details I'll gladly look at those & give you an answer one way or the other.

Surefire has the 1000L Fury & Elzetta has the almost 1000L Charlie model - it seems certain that there are great times ahead for big lumen tactical lights.
 

Nostrajoshmus

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Re: REVIEW: PrecisionWorks Surefire modification services (18mm bores, grip ring mo

Here's a side by side of the p3x and c3, I've removed the rubber combat grip from the c3 so you can better see the "slot" that I would like done to the fury
wjx3.jpg
 

Nostrajoshmus

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Re: REVIEW: PrecisionWorks Surefire modification services (18mm bores, grip ring mo

Obviously I'm no photographer but these should give you a better idea of what im talking about.
x7vn.jpg
 

precisionworks

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Re: REVIEW: PrecisionWorks Surefire modification services (18mm bores, grip ring mo

Obviously I'm no photographer but these should give you a better idea of what I'm talking about.
Those are fine & I understand what you want. The P3X would need a groove & tab slot identical to the C3 & mechanically that's possible. I'm not sure you'll like the result because the C3 body uses four flats to make the tube physically smaller & the rubber ring has a lot of projection above those flats. Without cutting flats in the P3X it will never feel like a C3.

If you look at the P2ZX Fury Combatlight the approach is totally different. SF machined a large wedge shaped stop for the combat ring & the new combat ring looks to have a larger ID as well as a larger OD.

I can certainly do the machining to make the C3 combat ring fit your light. Or you may want to wait until SF brings out the P3ZX Combat Light.
opplanet-surefire-fury-combatlight-v2.jpg
 

magellan

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I'm new to the CPF and only just saw your review. Great review, great photos, and I learned something about machining flashlights which I don't know much about yet and want to understand better.
 

tobrien

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I'm new to the CPF and only just saw your review. Great review, great photos, and I learned something about machining flashlights which I don't know much about yet and want to understand better.
hey buddy, I'm glad to help you on this! thank you, too, for the feedback. I'm very happy you liked it! It can definitely be confusing when you try and dive in "head first" on the flashlight enthusiast stuff, I know that from my beginnings, too haha.

(I can't believe I missed your post, so I do apologize for the delayed reply)

Barry: check your mail next time you're at the gym (the gym aka the machine shop)
 
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