Posted: 9/12/2011 7:21:02 PM EDT
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I need help in finding a good, workable duty flashlight.
I don't want a huge one, but one that will work. I also need to be conservative in price point as well. I also need a basketweave carrier for it. any suggestion will be greatly appreciated. Thank you |
| I really like 4sevens and surefire. I also carry a Streamlight Stinger and a Tigerlight I worked second shift for 16 years and never had less than 3 lights on me. I like ones I can reduce weight and carry in a shirt pocket as backup or secondary lights. I use the Tigerlight as my primary. |
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I need help in finding a good, workable duty flashlight. I don't want a huge one, but one that will work. I also need to be conservative in price point as well. I also need a basketweave carrier for it. any suggestion will be greatly appreciated. Thank you To each their own, but from the other side of the street, as a civilian, I got the biggest C-D cell Mag Light I could get my hands on for the car's flashlight. Not only is it bright, but it gives me an added edge of confidence if I'm somewhere where I need a weapon and I don't have a gun. ____________________________________________________________________________ ("Which is why when I go coffee shopping, I pick Master Blend Coffee over Lear jets. It not only costs less but it also takes up less room in the kitchen."––John Cleese in a Master Blend Coffee commercial, (w,stte)) |
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I use a Stinger LED Excellent choice, particularly the DS version. I'm issued a Pelican 7060 and hate it. Funky shape, wierd balance, unimpressive battery life, and zero warning that it's going to go dead. I bought the Pelican.....Love it!!! LOL. Very, very bright...also has a button on the rear and on the side...the side button is FANTASTIC when it comes to shooting while holding the flashlight in the left hand. Used to use the stingers...Pelican gets my vote hands down. |
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I've been rocking the LED Lenser M7R. IMHO, it kicks the pants off of the Stingers, and it's affordable. I would definitely demo it if I were you. 220 Lumens. 11 Hours on a Charge. All of the fancy strobing and shit you could want. |
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Quoted: I was issued the Pelican and I like it. I've become a fan of Coast flashlights lately because they are pretty inexpensive but durable and super bright. The M7R I mentioned above is a Coast light. Apparently they have some sort of deal to import LED Lenser parts for their products. |
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I was issued the Pelican and I like it. I've become a fan of Coast flashlights lately because they are pretty inexpensive but durable and super bright. The M7R I mentioned above is a Coast light. Apparently they have some sort of deal to import LED Lenser parts for their products. I work in Portland, where Coast is headquartered. A fellow officer and friend of mine has a wholesale account, so we used to go there and do a little shopping from time to time. I grew to like their products and would buy them at retail prices too. Recently, Leatherman bought the US rights to the LED Lenser product line, so Coast now makes their own product. They learned a lot during their US LED Lenser times, and they have their own stuff now. |
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I need help in finding a good, workable duty flashlight. I don't want a huge one, but one that will work. I also need to be conservative in price point as well. I also need a basketweave carrier for it. any suggestion will be greatly appreciated. Thank you To each their own, but from the other side of the street, as a civilian, I got the biggest C-D cell Mag Light I could get my hands on for the car's flashlight. Not only is it bright, but it gives me an added edge of confidence if I'm somewhere where I need a weapon and I don't have a gun. 1 of the best impact weapons you can carry IMO, is a mag light or streamlight SL20 ____________________________________________________________________________ ("Which is why when I go coffee shopping, I pick Master Blend Coffee over Lear jets. It not only costs less but it also takes up less room in the kitchen."––John Cleese in a Master Blend Coffee commercial, (w,stte)) |
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I have a Stinger DS in the cruiser and I take it on all calls in the dark or when it is highly likely I will need a light. I carry a Surefire M3 on my belt and really want to upgrade to a LED head on it. I like the body of the M3 and cannot find another factory LED like it so I am going to hit the EE soon because buying batteries is getting a little old. I also like the plastic holster available for the surefire. You may want to check out the G2Z LED as an option, it's a little smaller but a good light.
I have had mag chargers and they were great for their time. Carry an expandable baton if your really want to have an impact weapon, but nothing beats a PR24. Although I recall an incident where the maglite saved me from shooting a guy when he was choking me. Two hits on the head got him to stop. He still had to be sprayed to get him under control, cuffed, and in the cruiser. Mike |
| I've been looking also, mainly for a weapon light, but I'd go LED no matter what. Lights are like handguns. 2 is 1, 1 is none. Big one in the unit, at least 1 on the belt. I see a lot of guys address this by having a weapon light, either mounted or in its own pouch and its a quick detach. |
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New kid on the block here but I have been around the block and back. The big consideration you face is what your agency will let you carry. When I started out as an Army MP back in the dark ages 70's no one cared. I used a 5 D cell Bianchi that I could use as a night stick if needed. Heavy as hell but had a long reach and scared hell out of dirtbags if you bounced it on your shoulder. Run after some guy with that on one side and night stick on the other and you get them swinging around between your legs, not good. Jump in patrol car too fast any you can find yourself hanging by your lower ribs as I once did, hence I left the stick in the car thereafter.
Fast forward 10 years as a federal Corrections Officer , still no restrictions really but I didn't want to carry a big light so I got a 5 C cell Streamlite. This was easy to carry just stuffed down the front of my belt or inside my pants where I could snatch it out quickly if I needed to brain someone in a serious pinch which I never had to. They frowned on huge lights but didn't pay much attention to the thinner C cell which I only intended for the most outside of chances like stumbling into an escape in progress or killing. It made me feel a bit better in dark places or when things got weird. Seven years later I went to US Customs, now CBP where I always had a Glock handy and worked in at least fairly well lit areas so went to a Streamlite. They issued them in 2000 and for someone not needing a club the Stinger does it all and very well. For digging in trunks of cars and cradling under your arm so you have both hands free this size excels. I still ave the one they gave me from back then and it works fine although there are even smaller newer LED lights out there. The Singer works very well for two handed night fire as it fits right into your support hand nicely and momentary button serves the need for instant on / off shoot and move night fire drills. If you carry a gun you probably should always get a light with a simple push button on / off / continuous switch as the simple ones don't work well like this. CBP had in its use of force policy hitting someone with a flashlight as "Deadly force" although if it is one of those situations and it can be justified this just like running someone over with a car is legal. You just need to be able to articulate it. I think most agencies work along similar principals. So aside from agency restrictions you have to make up your own mind what you are doing and where, near a patrol car, long dark roads, houses, dark alleys ect. I like em smaller but then I got old and don't want to deal with all the junk on my duty belt that the younger guys drag around. I don't work in the boonies much either and the new LED patrol car light bars with the high intensity take downs on all 4 sides is like a portable street light so the need for long range light in my case is minimal. What do the rest of the officers carry? That's a pretty good place to start with and go from there as you get acclimated . |
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Quoted: Love my Surefire G2X +1 Just got a G2X and really like it. I'm carrying mine in a V70 holster, but I'm pretty sure there are basketweave holders available for 6P/G2 sized lights. I went with the two output G2X Pro over the G2X Tac. Low mode saves on batteries. I have a TLR-1 on my Glock and the patrol rifle and shotgun each have lights as well, so my handheld flashlight would only be a backup tac light.
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This is the one I've been carrying now for 2+ years. I ran a 1W version for a while before that... IIRC they introduced the 3w the week after I got my 1W.  
Ray-o-vac Sportsman Xtreme 3W LED Model: SELUX2AA3W-B Features: •80 lumens, Up to 50x brighter than standard LED •DC/DC regulated circuitry provides consistent light output throughout the life of the battery. •Twist bottom to turn on Light •Push button on back of Light for momentary on/off feature •Handy clip and wrist strap •Aircraft Grade Aluminum •Lifetime Warranty And the clincher for me - along with the $30 price tag: Uses 2 AA Batteries (included)
It's not listed as "waterproof" but I can vouch that it survives puddles and ditches to levels that are deeper than duty boots are tall. Would I expect it to suffer the same abuse as a Surefire? Nope, but I won't mope around having to wait for next year's elective equipment allowance to get a new one. ETA - can't tell you if there's a BW pouch for one that 's the same size - mine goes into my pocket. |
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Inova T4 Get the 227 Lumen version. This. I love mine. There are a bunch of good options out there tho. I just dropped $120 on this at OpticsPlanet.com. Used a 5% off coupon i found on the internet and ended up getting the traffic cone for free basically. |