Sure Fire clones at Cabela's - 6P, 9P, 12P

Sure Fire clones at Cabela\'s - 6P, 9P, 12P

I just got my Fall 2005 Cabela's catalog and on page 437 are three flashlights that look exactly like the 6P, 9P and a 12P (4 battery). The have Cabelas brand name on them and are rated at 65, 120 and 180 lumens. They cost 30, 40, and 50 dollars. They are on Cabela's web site under the name XPG xenon flashlights.
So, are they Chinese copies of SF? Are they rebranded SFs? Are they any good? Will a SF lamp assembly fit? Will a SF turbo head fit? Who wants to risk A few dollars in order to find out? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif Enquiring minds want to know. At least I do. Thanks in advance.

Re: Sure Fire clones at Cabela\'s - 6P, 9P, 12P

Don't know. Don't live in the US but here's the link: cabelas website

Re: Sure Fire clones at Cabela\'s - 6P, 9P, 12P

Those seem interesting. I was thinking about getting rid of my SRTH but if it would fit the 4 cell model.......hummm. I'd order one right now, but I just ordered a C3 and new KL3 yesterday. I hope somebody has one or gets one soon so we can find out more.

Re: Sure Fire clones at Cabela\'s - 6P, 9P, 12P

Maybe one of us could just call or Email customer service and ask them if the heads are interchangable with SF lights?
Maybe I will try that now see if they know. Darn the guy and gal I talked to stated they were not the same thread patteren as a SF6P bummer.Also the guy stated they were not made in the US and use a bi-pin bulb. Understand I have not seen one just talked to folks at Cabela's moments ago.
I all ready have a SRTH but I think if you list it on BST at a fair price it will sell fast.
Topper

Re: Sure Fire clones at Cabela\'s - 6P, 9P, 12P

Anyone know if you can use the BOG 3W led drop-in, in these?

Re: Sure Fire clones at Cabela\'s - 6P, 9P, 12P

I called Cabela's and the product specialist said he did not know who made the lights but his "gut feeling" was that they were not SF compatible. Someone's going to have to try it.

Re: Sure Fire clones at Cabela\'s - 6P, 9P, 12P

Look like typical knock-offs to me. A 12P? That'd be a first. I personally wouldn't waste a plug nickel on those lights. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/sick2.gif

Re: Sure Fire clones at Cabela\'s - 6P, 9P, 12P

Cabelas gets a decent amount of buisness from me each year. I doubt these lights are garbage, as most of the stuff marketed under cabelas is decent quality. Considering that you usually pay for what you get, I'd say these are decent quality lights, probably not surefire compatable though. I was thinking about throwing one on my next order from them just to check it out.

Re: Sure Fire clones at Cabela\'s - 6P, 9P, 12P

I just compared the 4-cell photo to a couple of likely suspects. It's not an Ultrafire G120 (UF-12), nor is it a G&P G12. G&P is Surefire-compatible, so that's no surprise. No word about what replacement bulbs it uses or whether it comes with a glass lens.

Re: Sure Fire clones at Cabela\'s - 6P, 9P, 12P

Well, I'd still like to see how these lights might turn out. I should probably just get an M4, but being able to put one together for less than 200 bucks would be kind of neat. I know I could make my C3 one technically with my A19, but......I kinda like things to be matched up and my C3 was gonna be my new grab and go light. The 4 cell Cabela's just looked interesting even if I may not be able to add a turbohead.

Re: Sure Fire clones at Cabela\'s - 6P, 9P, 12P

Interesting, these look exactly like the xenon lights from www.digilightusa.com

Re: Sure Fire clones at Cabela\'s - 6P, 9P, 12P

Yeah I realize that they dont look the same in the pics but the new Digilight stuff has different bodies. I have 5 of their lights right now for beta testing and they are really quite well built.

Re: Sure Fire clones at Cabela\'s - 6P, 9P, 12P

Hi chevrofreak-

I am not too sure these could be Digilights. I have had an eye on their T12 recently and this Cabela light would be about half the cost.

Did you get to test the T12 Digilight? AFAIK Digilight sells only on their own website for now.

Also I remember something about a discount coupon code for Digilight but can't find it again.

If the Cabela lights compare to these the 12V would be a really good buy.

Mark

Re: Sure Fire clones at Cabela\'s - 6P, 9P, 12P

Yeah I got the T12 too. Its not bad, very very bright. I believe they rate it at 227 lumens though.

Digilight is overpricing their lights if you ask me.

Re: Sure Fire clones at Cabela\'s - 6P, 9P, 12P

The Digilight appear to be the G&P T6 ($30), T9 ($60), and T12 ($65) fitted with the higher-lumen "high pressure" xenon bulbs favored by eBay seller TradeDigit. The Digilight 43mm extender (turbo/distance) head turns their T9 into a $60 G&P 9S, complete with the special wider 9V bulb asembly (no 12V version, unfortunately). TradeDigit's eBay lights are Ultrafire Duos that use G&P high pressure bulbs. Priced aggressively, their high-pressure bulbs may, in fact, deliver more lumens than the Ultrafire Duos sold by Emilion. On the other hand, maybe the high-pressure claims are a gimmick; no such bulbs are listed on G&P's site, nor does G&P claim to make any 70 or 90-lumen 2-cell lamp, 175-lumen 3-cell lamp, or 227-lumen 4-cell lamp. Maybe Digilight and TradeDigit (same firm?) have exclusive rights to these bulbs.

Re: Sure Fire clones at Cabela\'s - 6P, 9P, 12P

What I find intriguing about the Cabela lights are the long run time claims:

9V (3 cell): 90 minutes at 120 lumens
12V (4 cell): 90 minutes at 180 lumens

If true, these lamp assemblies would be a better fit than standard lamps for limited-capacity RCR123As.

The more I look at these lights, the more I suspect they're lower-end G&P E6, E9, and E12 lights equipped with high-pressure xenon lamps.

Re: Sure Fire clones at Cabela\'s - 6P, 9P, 12P

The 43mm 9v head shows no gain in throw over the standard head but it does make a more smooth wall of light.

I've been running the T12 with a G90 lamp and a pair of Pila 168S batteries. Very impressive combo.

Digilight was considering making a version of my light using the 9v "turbo head" but for some reason my 9v head wont fit the T12 body so I couldnt test it in the exact configuration.

I think a Surefire P91 lamp in the T12 body with a pair of 17670/168S batteries would be a killer duty light for Police.

Re: Sure Fire clones at Cabela\'s - 6P, 9P, 12P

Jeez, chevrofreak, you've just saved me from temptation. I was "this close" to trying the $35 G&P 9V turbohead/lamp on a G&P 2-cell body with RCR123A cells.

The P91 lasts just 20 minutes with primary cells; an LEU on this list who owns three Pila lights has told me that even 25 minutes per charge would be too short for comfort. How long do you figure a pair of 168S cells could power a P91?

Why, oh why, is it so hard to find how many amps are drawn by each lamp? I'm telling you, if G&P's claim for their "high pressure" 9V lamp hold true, we have a P91 killer: 87% of the lumens, 3.5 times the longevity per charge.

Re: Sure Fire clones at Cabela\'s - 6P, 9P, 12P

I figured 20-25 minutes of runtime on a P91 with a pair of 168S's. The G90 bulb gets far more runtime and is still crazy bright, so it should be sufficient.

Re: Sure Fire clones at Cabela\'s - 6P, 9P, 12P

These lights are such shameless copy of Surefires that I wouldn't even begin to curse it. Folks, this is why Americans are losign their jobs, cheap foreign inmports that sell for a little less, and the greed in us just jump on it.

Over the years I came to realize that much of Cabela's catelog consists of imported goods. The prices aren't all that much cheaper than their American predecesors but the manufacturing cost is like 1/10 of that, if not less, and the consumer doesn't benefit from this arrangement at all. Hell today even ****ies are made in CHina, think about that.

I personally would never buy one, and the figures of these companies almost always use the peak bulb lumen, as opposed to actually front end light and average of that over the whole runtiem like Surefire does. THese numbers don't mean anything until you have a shoot out.

If you guys like slightly cheaper knockoffs of Surefires, great, Have fun. I'll have no part in it.

Rant over.