So, I had ordered a SureFire M600V for a Colt SOPMOD clone I'm building. When I received the light, I discovered that the seller had decided to send me an M600U instead.
I contacted the seller about swapping it but was informed that they were sold out of the V version. I was annoyed, but now I'm starting to think I might prefer the 500 lumens this light puts out to the 150 lumens of white light on the V.

Question: Has anyone compared the white light output of both lights side by side? Does the 150 lumen 600V look noticably dimmer than the 600U. I wanted the option of infrared light, but maybe the extra brightness is worth just keeping the 600U.

Opinions appreciated!

I don't have the U, but the V is underwhelming.  I bought it as an upgrade to my 952V, and both are lacking.  In fact, I don't know Surefire makes any decently outputting V version.  

I need the infra anyway so kept it, but the U I'd suspect is much better as a white light.

I also have a 300V which is worse output than the 600V in both white and infra, fwiw.

Thanks for the reply. Hmmm, I think I might be leaning towards just keeping the 600U then. The output is really great, and my need for IR was just a matter of covering myself for if/when I got NV in the future.
I wish they had sent me the tan version though!

If you don't have NV, stick with the U until you need the IR.

was going to say the same thing...

 

I think you guys are right. I'm getting swept up in the whole clone carbine thing, but I also want it to be practical for my uses.

I keep tossing around the idea of getting a surefire modelwhatever-v to pair with my dbal i2 or just get the atpial-c and a good white light. I hear  some guys say the 952v is fine and then I hear some guys say they are under powered in every way. Either way I still have to spend money....

It might be just me but I'm not impressed with steiner/ldi products. Yeah, yeah I know, they produced civilian legal products while insight/l3 took no interest in the civilian market. I'm not impressed with my i2 because of height over bore and how you have to sight it in by positive loading. If I'm going to spend $600, it's going to go towards the atpial-c and keep my good surefire white light set up I currently have.