Impressed with Nitrolon!!

In the past, I have never handled Nitrolon before. Before my Surefire 10X came in, I was afraid that I spent $300+ on a chunk of flimsy plastic.

Boy was I wrong! This stuff feels solid! The hollow areas don't give AT ALL when I squeeze it hard. And its texture feels absolutely awesome in my hands. It feels as solid as aluminum without being as cold and hard.

Of course, I wouldn't have minded if the 10X was made with a solid chunk of Al...that would have actually been quite nice. But the Nitrolon isn't letting me down! It feels like I can run it over with a tank. Props for SF!

I like the Nitrolon too, on my G2. There is a thin sleeve of metal lining the battery tube which may add some strength. The Nitro provides thermal and electrical insulation which I prefer. It SureFire doesn't feel cheap or flimsy.

Agreed on the G2/Nitrolon as well. My g/f got me my G2 and she couldn't believe she was paying that much for a plastic light... When I took it out of the package, both of us agreed on 1 thing, its more solid than it looks. Great stuff, that Nitrolon! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

I dropped my G2 a while ago from about 3 meters onto solid concrete. Any other type of plastic would have shattered, aluminium would have been noticably scarred for life. However there is barely a mark where the nitrolon hit the concrete. Only problem is that my P61 could have died... luckily it didn't. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

It's also winter down here, my Inova X5t is painful to hold when it's cold, nitrolon never has that problem (in fact, it doesn't even get hot either when left on for a while).

Question to everyone: what other products are made of nitrolon, if any?

Jeff

If I'm not mistaken Nitrolon is a SF patented material so I don't think products outside the Surefire line would utilize it. My opinion is that although my G2, G2Z and 10X are probably the toughest lights I have, I still like the feel of cool aluminium better! (when it's not freezing that is...!)

I just came back from my in-camp training with the Singapore Army and my G2Z Nitrolon was with me throughout. I crawl through tunnels, wade through waters, bumped my G2Z quite a few times when doing tactical movements, even dropped it but it still look like new and the P61 is still working perfectly.

This is what I call Surefire quality!!!

It's just glass reinforced plastic right? Doesn't that mean it isn't flexible and can crack easily?

Is Nitrolon really glass reinforced plastic? All I know is it is very tough and durable.

I've abused the G2, G2Z and 8XN with all sorts of physical drops, slams, whacks and such. I've never managed to crack it.

It's amazing stuff - Nitrolon. What ever it's made of - they got it right!

Al

Couldn't agree more and wish SF would make Nitrolon E1's and E2's. Wouldn't a light as a feather but solid Nitrolon E1 with a Pyrex lens be neat?

I would wish for a G3Z that takes 3 batteries and uses P90 and P91 lamp assemblies. On top of that a GT2 turbohead. What da ya think???

Nitrolon can't be made as thin as Aluminium can be. A Nitrolon E1e would be about the size of a 3P I'd guess. You'd loose the size (compactness) advantage, and I think the metal insides (bezel and body and switch parts) would make weigh at least what the E1e does.

Nitrolon can't manage the heat as well as Aluminium does. Making a three SF123A Nitrolon model would concentrate the heat in the bezel and also in the batteries. SureFire's get hot on the surface because they manage heat (transfer) it away. 123A batteries have thermal fuses to prevent them from exploding.

A Nitrolon TurboHead is a good idea though! One of the disadvantages of larger reflector bezels such as the SureFire TurboHeads is that they are heavy and likely to hit the ground first and hard compared to smaller bezels.

Making a KT5 for the 8NX out of Nitrolon, perhaps even with a shock isolated reflector may be realistic. It may even be able to host a high powered LED such as a Luxeon.

I had hoped that the M1000 would be a Nitrolon TurboHeaded rechargeable with output choices similar to the M6. Sadly the pesky LEDs got SureFire all excited so it was never to be /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif

Al

Al

M1000? Surefire + Big number = my attention. More info please! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

M1000 was the M2000's little brother.
The M1000 was meant to be the M2000 without the duty beam reflector.
The M2000 was released but the M1000 was shelved.

Of course, now-a-days the M2000 is called the 10X.

I mention the M1000 once in a while to try to wind up PK because it was the reason why I got interested SureFire's new product development. I had the 12PM but wanted a rechargeable of similar power (cheaper to run, longer runtime). The 9NT was not going to be bright enough so I didn't get one at the time (I have one now of course).

When the M1000 got shelved I cried. I've since learned that it's best not to get emotionally attached to proto-types because most of them never get to production.

Nitrolon G3? Nitrolon E Series? etc etc

If we can think of it, SureFire will have a proto-type of it on a shelf and reasons for not progressing it forward.

Al

Oh ok.

Just like the Aurora Project. Damn I really wanted one. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif

Another vote for Nitrolon. Still really like the G2Z.

Hi Al, just like many of us here in CPF who uses a G2Z with a P61 installed and I have mine in constant on for quite a long time (did not really clock timing) I am sure we could always have a P91 installed. Go sound PK out.

PK reads the boards too...

I also use the G2Z only with the P61 in it.

As for why no three SF123A model?
Heat has been given as one of the reasons.

Al

Can't SF magically somehow infuse aluminum into plastic? I mean if they did it with glass, why not do it with both? Might as well add some titanium too.