Surefire G2-YL - notchless bezel ring (early model?) - how to remove?

I picked up a yellow G2 that came with a notchless bezel ring. I compared it to my other G2s, the ring on this one has a slimmer profile than the others. Does anyone know how to remove these old style rings? I am wanting to remove the plastic lens and put in a glass lens.


I noticed that when I was cleaning it, I gave it a good scrubbing with dish soap, and water got into the head. I dried it and noticed the bezel ring is ever so slightly off of the lens (I can move the lens around with my finger), causing it to not be water tight.

The plastic lens is in perfect shape, so if I can't get the ring off, I'll just be sure to use it in dry conditions only and not expose it to wet conditions.


I wanted to run a 3.7 volt incan drop in, but that will surely melt the plastic lens, reason for wanting to change it to glass.

Thanks for any tips/ideas you might have.

3.7V lamp shouldn't melt the lense, but I understand you wanting to replace the lexan lens. Very late in the production of the colored models, there were a few that came with the notchless bezels. I always tried to avoid those. They were few and far between though. Then SF discontinued the colored G2's, and only produced the black one for a few years. I don't think the later black ones were notchless, but I could be wrong. Since there are no notches, I'm not sure if that bezel ring was press fit in place, or screwed in somehow. I suspect the former. If you knock out the bezel ring, there may not be threads to screw a notched bezel ring in place, but I really don't know. This seems like a question you should call or email Surefire about to get a more positive answer. Maybe they have a spare yellow notched bezel they can send out to you. And just a tip, when I unscrew the bezels, I always heat the head in boiling water in a cup for a minute or so, it makes it much easier to remove, seems to loosen up the loctite or whatever fastener they use.

Thanks ampdude

The reason, I stated about the lens melting (maybe I should've said, chance of distorting) with a 3.7V incan lamp is because I have a round body 6P and a round body 9P where the lenses are still crystal clear but they are distorted now (purchased like that). I don't know how long a stock 6V or 9V lamp would have to be on continuously in order to get the lens that hot to distort, but I'm just thinking the G2 lens might not hold up as well as a 6P or 9P lexan lens. Maybe they all add the same quality lens back then(?).

The other night I did a very unscientific runtime test on one of the 3.7V incan lamps in a G2 with a 6P head, running on a KP16650 2500mah - it lasted one hour until the protection kicked in.
I also tested a 3.7V incan lamp on a 18650GA 3500mah and that lasted 1 hr 15 mins (SolarForce host). Both were turned on at the same time and ran until protection kicked in. They were both very hot, a stock G2 lens would surely distort with that long of a runtime, but I sometimes run my incans for up to 10-15 mins continuous (some G2s and some metal hosts - but they have glass lenses), they get hot also, and I fear that lens will distort with intervals of 10-15 mins.

I'm going to call Surefire again, and also check up on a RMA that they have not issued after providing them info on two lights that need service and/or replacement.

I'll ask the rep then about the notchless G2 ring.

I guess that's very possible with a high output 3.7V lamp assembly. As I recall though, it was only the 9P/9Z's that had problems with the lense melting over time with the 9V lamp. I don't recall the 6P's ever having the same issue, so I'm surprised your 6P is melted. I have run P60's in G2's in the past for extended periods of time with no lense problems noted.

ampdude, you are correct! It was a 9P only. For some reason, I thought my 6P had the distorted lens, but I just checked it and it's fine. It's only my classic 9P that has the distorted lens.

I also followed up with Surefire about the bezel ring and lens not mating, that water got in and the rep noted this and will send out a replacement G2-YL head. Very good service from the rep.

Awesome. I know they still have some spare parts laying around from time to time, glad to hear they are going to make it right.

I melted the lens on my first G2 back around '06. In the interests of full disclosure I was running an LF HO-6 instead of the OEM P60. I had it in a holster, and happened to slouch in my chair in just the right way to press on the tail cap. I replaced it with a borofloat lens from flashlightlens.com. I don't remember whether it was a notched or smooth bezel though.

Yea, I think it can happen in the old 6P's, and the G2's running the P61 for extended periods as well.