Surefire M3 vs Streamlight TL3

For tactical LE use I'm thinking of purchasing the Surefire M3, but the compared pictures of that vs the Streamlight TL-3 are so close in both charts (output_vs_throw) and side by side pictures of the beams. But I am a believer in "you get what you pay for" so I am leaning towards the M3. any input toward this would be helpful in my purchasing decision. Thanks

TL-3 is a lot cheaper. It has a spare bulb and beam size is adjustable. Makes a great back-up to the M3. You will probably use the M3 more for sheer pleasure of using a quality product.

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franchot said:
For tactical LE use I'm thinking of purchasing the Surefire M3, but the compared pictures of that vs the Streamlight TL-3 are so close in both charts (output_vs_throw) and side by side pictures of the beams. But I am a believer in "you get what you pay for" so I am leaning towards the M3. any input toward this would be helpful in my purchasing decision. Thanks

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Without the M3 Turbohead the TL-3 Xenon is a clear winner has a much better beam shape and it is a little brighter than the M3. Comes with a spare bulb and the spare bulbs are a heck of lot cheaper in cost versus SF.

They are both good torches!

Sorry to hijack the thread but i am interested in getting a tl3 for use with 2x18650 or pila 168a (the 2Ah). Could the Dukester check if the 123a in the tl3 fits snugly or if there is some slack space. The 18650 is 19mm diameter. TQ

I think you'd have to use a different bulb because of the lower voltage of 2x3.6 instead of 3x3. Otherwise the TL3 might run dim and yellow. I don't know where you'd get a different bulb that fits it. Now you have me wanting a TL3 though.

you could use the bulb from the TL2 xenon ?

franchot,

Welcome to CPF!

Please search back a few months here for some long threads on the subject.

Are there users of the M3 in your or close by "tactical LE" teams? Perhaps getting some real user feedback of it would give you the ability to decide whether it is the better option or whether you should give the TL3 a chance to shine?

You could head over to the more "tactical" forums such as "Strategos Intl" "LightFighter" "The High Road" etc
You could also talk to instructors and training companies that run low-light courses and train LEO and Specialist "tactical" units.

I've heard that side-by-side aginst the C3 and M3, the TL3 Lumen rating like other ratings from most other companies has little practical use to compare against other brands. Best to have the two models side-by-side in "tactical LE" use do decide which beam is better, which body/ergonomics/switching is better, which is more reliable etc.

We can talk about it here on CPF but if you're after a tool for serious use then talk to serious users.

Respectfully,

Al

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Kevin Tan said:
Sorry to hijack the thread but i am interested in getting a tl3 for use with 2x18650 or pila 168a (the 2Ah). Could the Dukester check if the 123a in the tl3 fits snugly or if there is some slack space. The 18650 is 19mm diameter. TQ

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PM Sent

Thanks for all the answers. I really want the M3 but I don't want to make a useless buy so I guess my real question is if you had a choice of the two lights and cost wasn't an issue which one would you choose?

If there was a light that I really wanted and cost wasn't an issue, of course I'd buy it. Have you actually used an M3? If not, maybe you should try one out before deciding that you really do want it. However, in the end, except for a few professional users, we buy these lights because we want them, not because we need them.

No, I have not used or handled one yet. But I am the type of person that lives by that saying "He who dies with the best toys wins" I think that's the saying. So I am just looking to own the best light of that size available.

Buy the quality, the reputation, buy the original, get the M3.

So many times have I had a hankering for something that I thought was maybe a little too costly, although people admit it is worth the extra money, I didn't buy it.

I would settle for the lesser and buy something not quite as good as I wanted. A year goes buy and I buy the better item anyway. Save yourself the money and cost of the TL3, if you really want the M3 buy it!

GregR

P.S. Bulldog, a advertiser here has a great sale on them right NOW! I just got the best price you will probibly ever seen on a new one.

Thanks, I was leaning that way. I always try to get other peoples opinion before I make purchases of things I have never used/handled. Thanks all. And thanks to canlepowerforums for providing this service to flashlight newbie's like myself.

WIthout a doubt, I'd get the M3.

What light is on your carbine or shotgun?

The "M3" bezel and lamps can be used on most WeaponLights either by the Millennium WeaponLights M500A, M900A, M96 or the LM90 model for shotgun forends. It would make sense that as many lights as possible were the same so that you can swap out parts.

I like the idea of a TurboHead model on the carbine and an M3 on your belt. That way you could swap bezels depending on what sort of use you're going to see.

The using the M3 bezel as a platform means only one set of BeamFilters is needed for use on WeaponLights and the CombatLight.

Al

I have one (M3), and although I didn't need it at all, I never regretted buying it. It is a piece of art at a top-notch quality, and a cool look /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif
bernhard

M3 has the bells and whistles.

TL3 bare essentials.

I would get the TL3 as it will get the same job done for less than half as much. Lamps about 5 times less.

I don't understand all this about lamp costs. It implies that they are needed to be replaced all the time like batteries. This is not the case with any SureFire I've ever experienced.

Other brand may need cheap lamps because they don't last as long as SureFire or something?

I personally like to have a spare lamp for each flashlight. I use Spares Carriers to keep replacement SF123As in. The spare lamp is there too but I don't carry it because I know I'll need it at some point soon. I usually carry the 'other' lamp to the one in the SureFire. For example I use the MN11 in the M3 so the MN10 will be in the SC2.
The G2Z has a P61 in it so the SC2 has the P60.

When I consider the running costs of a SureFire, I have never thought to include cost of replacement lamps because over the last three years I've only needed one N62 and one N2. When I buy a new flashlight the cost of getting a spare lamp is included in the cost of the accessories such as batteries, pouches, filters, lanyards, etc etc. It's far more like a one-off payment then consumable to buy every year or so.

Al

M3, baby!! Nothing beats it for "cool."

I have both-M3 impressively emits a wall of light-even a good-looking nurse at work was impressed. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/naughty.gif And you get the perfect Surefire beam.

TL3 is a throw demon. When focused to "tightest," there are "cracklies" around the hotspot and the beam is good, but it's just not a Surefire.... it throws further than the M3.

The M3 is much more useful-you don't have to pan it all over to see where you are going. The pattern is MUCH smoother and the hotspot won't blind you as the transition to sidespill is smooth.

Hope this helps.

Rich

My experience is consistant with Al's.

In the 13 or 14 years I've been using Surefire Lights, I've only replaced one lamp that burned out from use or being dropped. That lamp was from my very first Surefire a 6P.

Several years ago I did have a defective lamp blow in the first minute of use. Surefire sent me three free as replacements.

GregR

in my experience, so long as a surefire lamp isn't defective to start with, it should last a very long time and survive a lot of abuse. i got the M3 because i just had to. in the event you decide you don't need it, you can always sell it on b/s/t /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif