Are they even out yet? I haven't heard a damn thing about them.

Why would you want a scout light that is even longer...yet has vastly less power?  

The Scout isn't exactly a spring chicken design and to make it even longer...while giving it fewer lumens...all in the name of using AA batteries?  I don't see the benifit.  

123 batteries are common.  No more than you actually use a weapon light, I don't see AAs as a big benifit.

YMMV

They are out. That's all I got.

Big enough demand for surefire to make them.

I'm not falling either way, I'd just like to see a hands on review.

For a lot of folks the WML is the only thing in their life that uses 123 batteries.  AA powered lights provide a perfectly acceptable level of light for a very useful amount of time.  Why both with the 123’s?  The size doesn’t really matter unless it too big to fit on the gun, which it’s not.

500 lumens is where acceptable starts.  200 doesn't do long hallways, anything outdoors, or provide sufficient light to truly disorient a threat.  

Unless you have very long rails, that light is retardedly too long.  I tend to grip the rail pretty far forward as it aides in controlling the rifle.  On an SBR, there just isn't enough rail for that light.  An X300U would be a better option IMO.

WML’s were usefully functional long before the days of 500 lumens.  Inside the average suburban home 150 is more than bright enough to light up any hallway or disorient an individual across the room.  I think most people would (and probably should) call the police rather than go outside to investigate strange noises in the dark.

“Too long” is up to the individual.  Mounted to the forward upper right hand quadrant of a rifle length rail would probably work fine for a right hand shooter.  With that said, I mostly agree with you and wouldn’t want one on my rifle.

Not everyone is a high speed low drag door kicker and the average suburban homeowner doesn’t necessarily need to gear up like one just to be able to identify a bump in the night.  AA lights aren’t for everyone but they a very useful class of light for a large number of people.

I disagree.  With the Scout series using the TIR optic, their 200 lumens has more candela than many other lights with twice the output.  Also, I find it funny that everyone says "500 lumens is the minimum I'd get into a fight with".  I have a 125 lumen M961 that throws better than any LED light I own, and it's all due to the type of bulb - nothing to do with lumens.

As for what is a "minimum" for a light to be "tactical", I find it funny when reading this article:



As far as I'm concerned,  you have bought into the marketing hype that a "mere" 100 or 200 lumen flashlight just simply won't do when your light is on the line.

I challenge you to find a Surefire P60 incandescent lamp and fire it up on a fresh set of primaries.  That 65 lumen beam is still a thing of beauty, even though the design is 25 years old.

My first issued SF was a 6 P.  It sucked.  It still sucks.  Marketing was strong back then...

I'm not a flashlight geek.  I'm an end user that has to show the business end of the weapon to bad people in dark places.  I have done that in some rather austere environments, both indoors and out with multiple generations of SF lights from the 6P to the 961 to the scout to the Fury and currently to the U Boat.

For real world life safety work....500 lumens is a weapon light.  200 is a handheld.  

There is no substitute for power.  Reflector design is great...but it doesn't make up 300 lumens difference.  Compact is best.  

IMO, the X300U is about as close to perfect as a weapon light can get...it could use a clicky tail cap.

YMMV

While I'm sure everyone would love to hear your opinion and we all find your background very fascinating, this discussion is about the light coming to market.

I agree with you on the form factor, much better than this long tube design.  I use WL1-AA lights with the same side by side design and it fits well on both handguns and rifles.

I guess it depends on your goal.  The mission drives the gear.  If your mission is to find a light with a "beautiful" throw...well...good luck?  On a gun forum, one would assume that the goal is to ID possible threats and shoot/no shoot them.  

For that mission, more brighter is more better overall.  Why fix what isn't broken...why go backwards in lights...there are viable and affordable 500 lumen options, even in the handgun world.  It seems illogical to go to a less powerful light for a rifle than I would use on my pistol.    

YMMV

Why don't you put down the costa dvd's and come back to reality.

 Back at you...not sure where you are going with that.  If you are a flashlight buff who aspires to collect everything made by surefire...drive on.  If you use it for a specific purpose, buy the best light you can afford that gives maximum performance.  

I don't get the love for underperforming lights.  I had to make do for years with older surefires that were weak in dark rooms, made it hard to see what was in someone's hands, and generally sucked.  The current gen surefires are awesome.  A 500 lumen light on a MK 18 sized long gun gets shit done, even in long hallways and big rooms.