Surefire 9P vs. expensive Maglite

It's hard for me to justify a lot of money for a flashlight, but now I'm thinking hard about it.

The Surefire 9P sure seems like the best deal they've got. ~$75 for 105 lumens for 60 minutes. 200 lumens for 20 minutes for only about $30 more.

Anybody have one? Size isn't a big issue.

What about these lithium batteries on Ebay for like less than $1 apiece? Cheap bulk batteries would be the only way I could afford one of these lithium powered lights over time.

Anybody seen these? http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=125447 He's got them down to $165 shipped now, and they look bad! And I guess it's safe to assume that over time the batteries would pay for themselves.

Enlighten me on these mega expensive flashlights.

Welcome to CPF cdogg44!

When you buy a SureFire are you buying into SureFire's extensive range of products and accessories. You are also buying a flashlight that has many years of proven hard use - the design, function, reliability and durability are key features.

My opinion of the 9P is that it offers high output from a compact flashlight. For me, bezel diameter is vital for ease of carry (compactness). Another great feature is the LockOut TailCap - from an ergonomics perspective the switch is great. The LockOut function to disable the flashlight for carry, transport and storage is vital. The 9P will get hot quickly and you don't want that to happen by accident.

Personally, I prefer the M3 to the 9P and I'm happy to suffer the increased size and cost. However, the 9P does appeal to me because it can accept the SRTH TurboHead. Sold through SureFire Dealer Lagger Pro (aka LPS) this replacement bezel is 2.5" diameter and dramatically extends the beam's throw by increasing the intensity of the beam.

Should you invest in a "mega expensive flashlight" ??
(although the 9P isn't what I'd define as a mega expensive flashlight)

If you've never seen or handled a SureFire then perhaps it's a bit difficult to explain. My suggestion is that you should try to see a SureFire before buying.

If you let us know what sort of uses you will be using the flashlight for, we may be able to suggest other flashlights that could be more suitable (perhaps even less expensive!)

I hope you find your CPF experience useful!

Al

Welcome onboard, and hold on to your wallet...

The 2 lights your comparing is quite different, the 9P is as all Surefires quite compact for size and well built.

The the M@g is modded into something called a Mag85 on this forum. It's easy to do yourself if you want to, or you can find it here on the B/S/T-forums. I found this one with a quick search

It all comes down to what you want to do with the light, so look around a bit, you'll allways find something more desirable down the road /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Like what the others said, SF will help open your eyes to quality lights beyond what can be had at Walmart.

As far as batteries, be wary about cheap batteries on Ebay, not all lithium batteries are the same. Surefire's batteries are $1.25 each from their website. Also as a CPFer, batterystation.com sells CR123a batteries for $1 a piece and they will perform surprisingly well. Welcome to CPF! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif

Welcome to CPF!

Our sponsors, BatteryStation and Amondotech sell top-quality 123's for $1 (forget eBay, some of those brands are... well, see SilverFox's 123 Battery ShootOut). Please follow the "Specials" link in my sig to find this and other CPF supporters with lower prices for CPF members.

You can't go wrong with a Surefire! You will find many great sources for batteries if you look around. Surefire itself is a pretty good source for batteries. Just be prepared to want more Surefires.

Im considering a 9P for in my car. I was looking at one last Saturday. You might look at a 6P or a G2 Nitrolon. They are much more economical and while putting out less light than a 9P they put out enough light, more than enough light in fact, for most applications based on the reviews I have seen and my experience with the E2e. I have to say when I was starting out a month or two ago I was pretty skeptical that Surefire was worth the money. Then I bought an E2E a couple weeks ago. Im a lot less skeptical now. Im thinking which one to get next /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

Thanks for the replies.

The main uses of the flashlight would be just general purpose lighting. I'd probably keep it in my truck 99% of the time. (I understand the Mag 951 light would be useless for this kind of use, due to the 30 minute run time, it just seems like it would be badass).

I don't really mind paying the extra $25 or so over the 6P for the 9P, because the 9P has almost double the lumens.

I go duck and deer hunting, so a good light to get me to the blind or stand would also be nice. I think the small size and durability of a surefire wins hands down here.