This thread is from CandlePowerForems and is a bit dated but may help some that want a comparison of CR123A batteries.
Battery Shootout
Here is a more current one.
Quick CR123A & AA Battery ShootoutVery helpful - thanks.
If it says "Made in USA" it is made in the same plant (Panasonic I believe) regardless of label. As he suggests buy Made In USA at the best price you can find and call it good. I have been buying a case of 100 Rayovac (US MADE) a year for several years and have never had a bad battery (roughly 300 batteries). And I will continue to do so as long as they are the price leader ($110/100 shipped no tax for the last ones) and maintain quality.
I've known for a while that all CR123's made in the US were manufactured by Panasonic, but have often wondered if it is in any way similar to how many AR parts are made by one of a handful of companies, BUT depending on who they are making them for they will have varying levels of quality due to companies setting certain standards for the parts they want, how stringent of a QC process, etc...
Not that it matters that much as I am sure the difference in run times is negligible and they are all protected cells, more a matter of curiosity really.
Originally Posted By IFBBjuicemonkey:
I've known for a while that all CR123's made in the US were manufactured by Panasonic, but have often wondered if it is in any way similar to how many AR parts are made by one of a handful of companies, BUT depending on who they are making them for they will have varying levels of quality due to companies setting certain standards for the parts they want, how stringent of a QC process, etc...
Not that it matters that much as I am sure the difference in run times is negligible and they are all protected cells, more a matter of curiosity really.
If best to worst US produced is +/- 4% in performance as the comparison shows then a cost increase of more than 4% becomes a losing proposition. There may be negligible differences in chemistry but the lions share of manufacturing costs for US produced lithium batteries is going to go to labor overhead and EPA compliance which explains why there is only one production facility.
