looking for a2 competitors

looking for flashlights as large as or smaller (length) than the a2 that...

1. are just as bright or brighter and also regulated like the a2?
or
2. are brighter than the a2?

obviously i know the hdc's are brighter and smaller, but price is a factor too
im interested in both production flashlights and homemade mods

at the a2's supposed 70 - 80 lumens (real world), is it a decent tool for foolhardy self defense?

~Zippy!

p.s. do surefires come with the first set of batteries?

The closest flashlight that would be closest to the A2 is the Streamlight TwinTask series (specifically the 2x CR123 model), but they are not regulated and I don't think have the same output.

The A2 is rated at about 50 lumens according to Surefire's literature. While it looks like 70-80 lumens (real world), I wouldn't rely on one for self defense. Consider a 6P or G2 at the minimum (65 lumens or better). And yes, the first set of batteries is included with your Surefire.

I don't think there is any other light that is that has everything that the a2 has. No other light has the switching mechanism, the ease of operation, regulation and soft start. The twintask is brighter but has a clunky switching mechanism (off-led-off-incan). Not good for self-defence. Not regulated either.

There is no substitute for the a2. BTW, when the search is back up and running, have a look through that, there are many threads on this exact topic.

No other light will come close to the SF a2. Nothing in that form factor has the combination of low/high quite like that or has regulated incan or has the same build quality in the same blend as the A2. I think that the a2 is a classic light in this format.

My advice, get one on B/S/T here and if you don't like it you can always sell it.

hmm. well i already have an a2 and i like it, thinking about buying more for friends. my question about batteries really was asking whether all surefires come with first set. if there are no other flashlights with regulation like the a2 then my other question was if there are any other lights at the same size or less that are brighter than the a2 regardless of regulation and/or 2-stage light output. thanks. as a specific corollary, id wonder what is the brightest light in an a2 or less size. im looking for flashlights around the a2 price though, so something like the hdc would be out of my search range

ZippyDan,

The only light smaller than the A2 which is also brighter would be the E2+, which is an E2 or E2e (not sure which) with a P61 lamp, modded so that everything fits. The P61 lamp is cut from its integral reflector, and I think that a washer is needed to space the lens up enough for the P61 lamp to fit, and so on.

this_is_nascar is the only one who ever did this and I doubt he would do them any more, given his recent exit from CPF.

IIRC, the light can't be run for more than a few minutes or it will go into thermal shutdown.

As for self defense, I'm sorry but despite what we flashaholics would like to think, a flashlight is NOT in and of itself a weapon of any kind and is only useful for self defense when combined with something else. So a strike bezel and some type of hand-to-hand training would constitute a real self-defense tool. Or a bright light together with pepper spray, like the TigerLight OC. Or a bright light and a handgun or billy club or knife. Etc., etc.

My landlord's dog is very undisciplined and has the bad habit of jumping on people, getting them muddy and clawing them. I hate it when he does that. He's a good dog and only wants attention, but it pisses me off when I get manure, and mud, and a rip or two on or in my jacket. I have tried discouraging him with 500 and even 800 lumens right in the eyes. It is remarkably ineffective.

A BRIGHT LIGHT ALL BY ITSELF IS WORTHLESS FOR SELF DEFENSE. Yes, it can give you a second or two of surprised advantage and temporary blindness. But so what? What happens next? The best action would be to run like hell in those couple seconds, assuming you have no real force option available.

Sorry to be an *** about it, but CPFers in general have this inflated notion of the offensive capabilities of a bright flashlight, aided and abbetted by the SureFire website and its literature.

"A BRIGHT LIGHT ALL BY ITSELF IS WORTHLESS FOR SELF DEFENSE. Yes, it can give you a second or two of surprised advantage and temporary blindness. But so what? What happens next? The best action would be to run like hell in those couple seconds, assuming you have no real force option available."

Jim,

Your comment sounds like a contradiction. You state a light by itself is worthless, then acknowledge that it may buy you a few seconds to run like hell.

If that brief moment merely allows you the opportunity to "run like hell" and avoid an assault...

Worthless??? I say Priceless!!!

Cheers, TR

(Checking out his A2 and lacing up his running shoes)

I think the A2 is an utterly fantastic light. I like flashlights in general as great toys. I frankly think I would be kidding myself to think they have much if any defensive use. Let me say up front I am not by any means an expert in any aspect of law enforcement, security or self defense. Im actually a molecular biology professor which is obviously far removed from any of that.

However, the only time in my adult life I have been in a self defensive situation was at about 3 in the afternoon on a sunny late summer day in a parking lot at LaGuardia airport. I think that about sums up my concern with what I see as a reliance by some on flashlights for defense.

ZippyDan said:

. . .my other question was if there are any other lights at the same size or less that are brighter than the a2 regardless of regulation and/or 2-stage light output. . .

Click to expand...

Have you looked into the SureFire L2? That is similarly sized albeit slimmer and has two-stage lighting. It sure is bright in its own right anywhere from 80~100 Lumens on high and something like 15 or so maybe 20? Lumens on low. The price is comparable to the Aviator's—(@$166.00)—and can be had for around $148.00 elsewhere. And Yup & Yes & Yeah—all SureFire's come with batteries from the manufacturer.

As an implementation for 'self-defense'? Well, I'd have to agree with JS when he stated: "a flashlight is NOT in and of itself a weapon of any kind and is only useful for self defense when combined with something else."

Hope that you find what you're looking for and Enjoy!

please note i said "foolhardy" and what i meant was would the a2 be the very minimum of what could be considered a suspect defensive tool

also, i find it hard to believe that only surefire itself and maybe streamlight can compete with the output of the a2? but maybe its true

I use a red A2 for my "bump in the night" light. The idea is simple: the red light doesn't mess up my dark-adapted vision and is less observable to whomever/whatever is making the "bumps." Then, if I want it, I have a bright light instantly.

Don't underestimate the power of light as a weapon. I shined an opossum once, and it fell down dead from severe photonic shock. Or, maybe it was just playing 'possum. . .

Kidding

Actually the light goes in the weak hand on a lanyard so the strong hand is free for the weapon. I really have dispatched a possum this way.

Scott

As the others have said, you're not likely to find anything close to the A2 in terms of size/functionality.

The closest might be the LED-only Aleph 1 with a really hot "U" bin Luxeon 3 emitter in it and a "high" mode of 1000+ ma. Even then it's a toss-up whether the light will be as bright or long-throwing as the A2 (plus it will run you at least $20-$60 more). The benefits, of course, are that there's no bulb to burn out (A2 bulbs last forever though), you will get longer runtimes in "high" mode and you have various battery options (1x123/1xR123, 1x17500/2xCR2/2xRCR2, 2xR123/1x17670/2x123) depending on the length of the body and/or driver.

Jon

These are the only lights I have that can compete with the A2!

Those lights would look great on my Christmas tree this year (actually they would look better under)!