Metal Buttons for McClicky Switches?

Hello all,

First I wanted to apologize in case this discussion has happened hundreds if times before but I am relatively new to CP and couldn't find anything with my Google-fu::

Would it be possible to replace the rubber boot cover on the McClicky switch with a metal button/cap?

The little I know is that the McClicky is highly regarded as one of the best click switches if not the best but I am not technically savvy enough to understand exactly why.

Has something like this already been done? Or is there an alternative that would fit in a light that already has a McClicky? If so, could someone point me in the right direction? No use in reinventing the wheel...

Could that be done ? Sure.

The few metal-capped flashlight "clicky" switches I've used have tended to bind up, and are somewhat less comfortable to use :shrug:

If a metal switch cover on a McClicky is your end game, and your wallet doesn't run for the hills, you can order a Prometheus Alpha with the optional metal tail cap button. You'll also have to wait for another drop, as they are currently out of stock.

As an example, Prometheus Lights have a metal tailcap kit that converts their McClicky-based tails. https://youtu.be/S19lEzYRal0

I would recommend researching that particular metal tailcap switch so you know what you are getting into. Unlike most all other metal tailcap buttons that are a metal cover over a rubber boot, this one has a dynamic moving Oring seal. It is very cool in that it is s genuine metal button, not just a cover for show. But it isn't zero maintenance like a rubber boot, and it can't provide quite as reliable of a seal.

Thanks for all the feedback everyone!

I'm surprised that there aren't more available since it seems like an area that has a lot of opportunities for customization. The whole reason I was wondering this was I was looking at the buttons on lights like the Tain Corona and Aura and was blown away for obvious reasons.

Apart from buying second hand (which I don't think I have the patience or the money for) I was hoping there may be some equivalents out there or people who could do it to spruce up a few of my lights

Splint0r said:

Thanks for all the feedback everyone!

I'm surprised that there aren't more available since it seems like an area that has a lot of opportunities for customization. The whole reason I was wondering this was I was looking at the buttons on lights like the Tain Corona and Aura and was blown away for obvious reasons.

Apart from buying second hand (which I don't think I have the patience or the money for) I was hoping there may be some equivalents out there or people who could do it to spruce up a few of my lights

Click to expand...

Maybe the reason you don't see it more is because it is hard to get it done properly for a low enough cost to be "affordable". The reason rubber boots are used is because they are inexpensive to use and work relatively well at keeping water, dust and other contaminants out of the switch mechanism and the rest of the flashlight. I would argue that it works so well and is so cheap that it doesn't make sense from a manufacturing perspective to do it any other way.

The metal button that came with my Sunwayman V11R was just a metal cap over a rubber boot but even when brand new outta the box it would bind up in normal use. I tried using some dielectric grease but to no avail. I swapped to the rubber button as soon as I could.

lightfooted said:

Maybe the reason you don't see it more is because it is hard to get it done properly for a low enough cost to be "affordable". The reason rubber boots are used is because they are inexpensive to use and work relatively well at keeping water, dust and other contaminants out of the switch mechanism and the rest of the flashlight. I would argue that it works so well and is so cheap that it doesn't make sense from a manufacturing perspective to do it any other way.

The metal button that came with my Sunwayman V11R was just a metal cap over a rubber boot but even when brand new outta the box it would bind up in normal use. I tried using some dielectric grease but to no avail. I swapped to the rubber button as soon as I could.

Click to expand...

Well shoot. I love the metal button on my Jetbeam E3S but I have been afraid to take it apart to see how it works because I read somewhere on CPF that a few people had issues with getting the light to work after reassembly.

I definitely understand the benefits of the rubber boot (ironically I buy them for a living) but it always seems so weird to me to see a beautiful hand turned light made out of timascus with custom light engine and port and starboard attachments... and then see the button is just another basic black piece of rubber.