Suggestions for Best Tactical Flashlight? I could use several please...

Hi all,

I would like to hear your opinions on this. I will be picking up around 10 in all. I need a couple in the AA category, and the others can be 18650 or what ever. I would prefer that they are a belt carry size, nothing huge. Lights under $100 are preferable but not a requirement. If you see that someone has already said the light you were thinking please do let me know, your "vote" will carry weight. Newer lights are good, but older ones will be considered as well if I can still purchase them.

Thanks

Hi @vestureofblood. Your requirements open up a whole world of possibilities I guess, but I would suggest Fenix's new TK20R, a rechargeable flashlight that uses the 18650 battery, and it is only 151,5 mm(5,96 in) long. The Fenix online store is selling them for under $100 now. All depends on what you want to use your light for. In fact, I can recommend many flashlights from Fenix that may fit your bill, but I'll stick with this one for now.

The other question for me would be modes, brightness and physical requirements, do you need mode access all from the tail clicky?

Got a few ideas in mind.

Klarus XT11gt looks good for 18650. They also have a XT1A for AA lights.

I have XT11GT on the way. I am not much into tactical but I do like the option of Strobe and turbo from tail end switches.

They also have a new XT1C. I am hoping they will update the XT1A soon.

vestureofblood said:

Hi all,

I would like to hear your opinions on this. I will be picking up around 10 in all. I need a couple in the AA category, and the others can be 18650 or what ever. I would prefer that they are a belt carry size, nothing huge. Lights under $100 are preferable but not a requirement. If you see that someone has already said the light you were thinking please do let me know, your "vote" will carry weight. Newer lights are good, but older ones will be considered as well if I can still purchase them.

Thanks

Click to expand...

New:
Nitecore P20
JetBeam M-PA10 (AA/14500 compatible)
Solarforce L2T With Sportac or Malkoff dropin (or the Solarforce dropin works too, it's what I use but some don't think its reliable enough)

Older model but can still be bought brand new:
Olight M21X (the first XM-L2 version 750 lumens)
Surefire 6P with dropin upgrade

In that price range, I personally would run with Surefire's G2X LE. I love the simplicity and UI.

I recently bought a Gerber Cortex in the hope I could run AAs, but the output seems too low for my liking (supposedly 390 lumens, but that seems doubtful). Just in case that was a thought.....

Klarus XT11GT HD E4 with groupbuy coupon from other forum thread

Here are my two cents. Warning, this will be long but hopefully enLIGHTening. :twothumbs I've been at this whole flashlight thing for about a year so there are people with a lot of experience out there. I have been fortunate enough to become a reviewer for about 9 different manufacturers located in USA, Canada, and China. SO I have seen a good variety of features, build qualities, outputs, etc...

I'll just start off by saying I carried a Nitecore P12 for the longest out of anything. Currently though I carry a Surefire P2X Fury and occasionally carry a Surefire G2X Pro.

So there are obviously a lot of different aspects that go into the "perfect" flashlight. Thankfully you have narrowed it a little by saying tactical and belt carryable. I would say the next most important thing to know would be what is your use for a flashlight?

I live in Virginia so I'm surrounded by forest. My property extends for about 150 meters though so for me personally I don't need a light that can shine a mile. I need something that can reach the edge of my property if need be, but also something that won't blind me at close range in the forest or in my house. If you live in the middle of Nebraska where there are no trees and only farmland. obviously a thrower will be better suited for you.

For MY usage needs, I have found that the Nitecore P12 and the Surefire P2X are both absolutely perfect. I lean towards the Surefire though because:
1) it is USA made
2) I KNOW that it will last me because it's Surefire
3) it's very simple.

I used to think the P12 was better because it has so many different features. 4 different normal modes, 3 special modes, low battery indicator, voltage reader, etc... These features are AWESOME. But also IMO, the more features something has, the higher the chance of something breaking. The surefire has 2 modes. Low and High. No side switch or anything to add more complexity. I know that every time I click that tail switch, it will turn on. The low is perfect for anything close up and the high is great for reaching out at a distance. I also have a red filter for it if I don't want to be noticed or hurt my night adapted eyes.

SO out of all manufacturers' lights I've used (Fenix, Klarus, Nitecore, Surefire, Olight, Streamlight, Coleman, Bushnell, Maglite, and soon Sunwayman). I find that Surefire is the best built. Best feel and I have used their customer service, it is phenomenal.

BOTTOM LINE:
I would recommend the Surefire P2X Fury if you want durability and a life-lasting light backed by a US company with world class customer service.
I would recommend the Nitecore P12 if you want a ton of awesome features packed into a compact, easy to use package.

vestureofblood said:

Hi all,

I would like to hear your opinions on this. I will be picking up around 10 in all. I need a couple in the AA category, and the others can be 18650 or what ever. I would prefer that they are a belt carry size, nothing huge. Lights under $100 are preferable but not a requirement. If you see that someone has already said the light you were thinking please do let me know, your "vote" will carry weight. Newer lights are good, but older ones will be considered as well if I can still purchase them.

Thanks

Click to expand...

What is the 'Tactical' requirement for the light?

What are you using the light for? What is the environment like where you live? (City, mountains, forest, farmland, etc..)

Hi Vest,

IMHO, a "TACTICAL" light must ALWAYS (when engaged) come on HIGHEST! As BugoutBoys mentioned, the light should also be SIMPLE, that is to say, NO side mode switches/extra hidden modes. My KLARUS XT11 is fairly simple TACTICAL light with TWO rear switches. The XT11 ALWAYS defaults to HIGH using the main large tail cap button. The "paddle" switch is pretty easy to engage using ones Thumb and it adjust the Lumens and/or activates the STROBE! That be said, even the (so called) simple operation of the "paddle switch" is not as fool proof as a SIMPLE rear tail clicky two mode model which during a HIGH STRESS situation is OMIN important. I'm guessing ELZETTA is about as simple as it gets. Perhaps check out Elzetta's new BONES Flashlight.


SixCats!

I agree with a lot of what SixCats! said! I do think that for a tactical light, the highest mode should always come on first. Mode memory is great for EDC but may not be the best in a tactical situation. Since I love the Fury, I of course will recommend the Surefire Fury Defender and/or Fury Tactical. Both of them come on at the full 600 surefire lumens (Closer to 800 regular lumens). The Fury Defender also has a crenelated strike bezel which is also beneficial in a tactical situation.

There's also the SF G2X LE. It's specifically made for Law Enforcement and comes on high (400 lumens) but also has a secondary lower mode of 15 lumens. In normal use it will always come on high.

Malkoff md2 with high low ring

For aa malkoff md3 with m31. No hi lo ring on this so it's a one mode. Other option for aa is a surefire g3 or 9p with m31

Cunha said:

Malkoff md2 with high low ring

For aa malkoff md3 with m31. No hi lo ring on this so it's a one mode. Other option for aa is a surefire g3 or 9p with m31

Click to expand...

Exactly!

The most simple,durable and reliable lights that I own and that includes SF and Elzetta though I would also not hesitate to suggest either of those too.

The Malkoff are made in the U.S.A. and feature filly potted heads and are designed by and for L.E. from the start.
I think you are in the ShowMe state too and if in or near STL I am happy to let you see a few.

Cheers guys, I have read and checked in on the forums for a long time… probably 8 years or more… finally joining. Thanks for all the info that has helped me during that time.

I know people seem to prefer single mode or high mode first for a tac light, but what about the Surefire tactical switch that they seem to have done away with? Press gently for low mode, but if you need the high, just press hard and it's immediately available. I really like that setup… Depending on your needs, you may find it useful to get to low mode without cycling through high, to preserve night adapted vision and remain less easily detected. I believe you can still find the EB1&2 and E1D, E2D with that style switch. ("T" suffix to the model name?)

Thanks to everyone who is participating in this so far. I am already getting a much better plan together than if I had just tried this on my own. Hearing brands I had not even considered, and also considering modles I had not.

CanadianSurvivalCompany said:

The other question for me would be modes, brightness and physical requirements, do you need mode access all from the tail clicky?

Got a few ideas in mind.

Click to expand...

Since there really is no "one size fits all" For tactical lights what I am really interested in is what is your absolute top pic or pics. If you could only have 2 or 3 tactical lights, what would they be?

BugoutBoys said:

For MY usage needs, I have found that the Nitecore P12 and the Surefire P2X are both absolutely perfect. I lean towards the Surefire though because:
1) it is USA made
2) I KNOW that it will last me because it's Surefire
3) it's very simple.



BOTTOM LINE:
I would recommend the Surefire P2X Fury if you want durability and a life-lasting light backed by a US company with world class customer service.
I would recommend the Nitecore P12 if you want a ton of awesome features packed into a compact, easy to use package.

Click to expand...

This is basically what I'm looking for what each individual would take for themselves, and little bit on why.


Again I very much appreciate everyone input on this, your opinions will absolutely influence the direction I go with this.

vestureofblood said:

Since there really is no "one size fits all" For tactical lights what I am really interested in is what is your absolute top pic or pics. If you could only have 2 or 3 tactical lights, what would they be?

Click to expand...

If you tell us what you require of the light then I'll give you my recommendation.

AH now I know what you're going for! Okay my 3 favorites and why.

1: Surefire P2X Fury
- Very bright
- Simple UI
- Ability to use color filters
- EXTREMELY durable
- USA made and designed
- Fits in jean pockets
- Backed by a lifetime no-hassle warranty from a widely regarded manufacturer
- Runtime on low is fantastic
- Water resistance/Waterproof
- Weapon mountable (Dual Springs)
- Uses commonly found CR123s or rechargeable 16650


2: Nitecore P12
- Wide variety of modes (4 normal, 3 special)
- Battery readout
- Mode memory even with strobe
- Waterproof
- 1" diameter for the whole light length
- Uses rechargeable 18650
- Very low mode and very high mode with good mode spacing in between
- Comes with holster and pocket clip
- Very bright
- Incredible runtime on 1 lumen mode (520 hours)


3: Nitecore MH27
- 3 different colors in addition to white light
- VERY far throw (Over 400 meters)
- Uses rechargeable 18650 batteries
- VERY long runtime on 1 lumen mode (520 hours)
- Great mode spacing
- Very bright
- Comes with holster
- Watertight
- Mode memory even with strobe

The tactical flashlight I know doesn't cost as much as $100. If you don't have much demand for it, just for lighting, I would recommend J5, the "best tactical flashlight" is a very cost-effective brand. My friend is also using it. If you don't have much budget, it will be a good choice.

This thread is pretty stale, so we'll close this one. If OP feels otherwise, just let staff know.