SF 9P v. knock off using P90 bulb and 9V?

I am debating between a surefire 9P or a G&P G90 which uses the P90 bulbs or the P91 bulb and take 9V 123CR batteries. Would there be a difference in light output between the two. Is all the tech of SF in the bulb or are there things in the boidyt that make them great as well. I don't care about the fancy metal case. I mean output for putput would they be the same? Thanks a lot.

Here's a link to the light.

http://cgi.ebay.com/G-P-G90-9P-Handheld-Superbright-9V-Bulb-Flashlight_W0QQitemZ7185818167QQcategoryZ106974QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

I bought this very light from this very dealer. You can find several comments by me abut G&P bodies and lamp assemblies in the Incandescents forum.

I don't recommend this light, for the following reasons:

• The body gets hotter, faster, than any body I own. If you use it for 20 minutes, it's almost painfully hot to hold.
• The body is not a 3x123A tube; rather, it's a 2x123A tube + 1-cell extender. Nothing wrong with extenders, if done right. But G&P's has an internal ledge that makes it impossible to use AW's 17mm-wide protected cells, be they RCR123A or 17500. The Surefire A19 allows these cells.
• The lens is plastic and can't be replaced.
• The G90 can't accept better heads, such as Surefire's Z44 tactical head or G&P's 43mm miniturbo head.
• The lamp assembly is the older G90, rated at 120 lumens, not the newer one that's rated at 175 lumens.

G&P makes three lines of 123A light: E (bargain), G (midrange), and T (top-of-the-line). I strongly prefer the T lights (T3, T6, T9, T12). They are completely Surefire compatible (tail and head), are better built, and even feel better in the hand. I can't state with authority that they include the 175-lumen lamp, a clickie switch (vs. a twistie), or a glass lens (probably not). But Digilight USA's T9 is built on the G&P T9 platform and includes all these goodies, plus a miniturbo upgrade option, for $75 plus $6 shipping. Add a $20 A19 extender and a $20 Digilight USA 220-lumen lamp and you have a 4x123A light that can use the same miniturbo head. Or add a Surefire A14 extender and three Wolf Eyes 150B (Pila 150S) cells (not AW; they won't work here) and you have a 220-lumen rechargeable.

Another T9-derivative is the Z-3 by LEDWave. See my review under Incandescents. For $55 shipped, you get essentially a rebadged G&P 9S, the miniturbo version of their T9. I've modded it with a Surefire tactical head, Surefire clickie tail, and Surefire extender; I run it on two AW 17670 cells.

In sum: Anyone considering a G&P light should go straight to their T series or the variants sold by Digilight USA or LEDWave. If you plan to extensively mod it, consider instead building a light from scratch using Surefire parts from Lighthound.com.

If you are thinking of getting a G&P G90 and using a Surefire P90/91 bulb, then I guess the only difference in light output would be due to the lens - the Surefire 9P has a glass lens which allows more light transmission than the (presumably) plastic lens of the G90. My guess is the difference may not be noticeable.

What is probably of more concern is whether the plastic lens can take the heat. I just got a G&P T8 (a copy of the Aviator with 3 leds and a G60 bulb) and after "burning-in" the new bulb (by leaving the light on for 15 mins), I noticed a patchy discolouration at the centre of the lens. I am now wondering if continued use of the torch will eventually result in a burnt-out hole in the lens.

If you look around, you should be able to find other knock offs which use a glass lens.

i have a SF 6P and my friend has the g&p 6v ( which is the same 9v as yours but 1 cell lower model of course) light. comparing both lights with fresh batteries the SF wins. i find that the g&p's knurling is smoother which i find is bad cause i did drop his light on the ground (slid out of my hand) the first time played with it. i didnt like the looks of the body as much cause it was just plain round where as SF's body is flat on 2 sides with markings and has the antiroll bezel. also i'm assuming that that 9v g&p will have a reverse clickie cause my friends g&p does.

I agree with your assessemt, PhantomZ. The T series is a big step up; the body has flat sides and stays cooler. LEDWave even claims their version is HA-III anodized. In the switch department, G&P makes only reverse clickies (E, G series) and twisties with short-travel momentary mode that is more "iffy" than Surefire's. I treated myself to a nice Surefire Z49 clickie.

Thank you very much for the replies. I will stay away from the G&P model.