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Posted: 6/5/2006 1:01:47 PM EDT
| I'm looking for a good all purpose flashlight for use with a handgun and possibly mounting on my AR. It would also be used for everyday things, but I want it to be durable enough for anything. I've heard a lot of good things about Surefire, what would be a good model? Long battery life, high power, and durablity are my largest concerns, a LED bulb would be a plus, but I'd also like it to be semi-compact. Any suggestions? Price is not an issue. |
| look at www.wolf-eyes.com, I was recently advised of them and currently own some of their products. They make a system simular to the 6P that is rechargable and has 80 lumens instead of 65, plus it is shock isolated unlike the stock 6P. Or there is www.surefire.com or www.pentagonlight.com |
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You best bet is the Night Ops Gladius. Small size of a Surefire 6V light but with more output and throws FURTHER. Its more of a computer with an LED flashlight attached than a flashlight with electronics. Low battery indicator, adjustable output levels, strobe function, shock proof, waterproof, magnetic switching so no contacts to wear out, programable modes, long battery life, etc. The reflector even puts out just the right amount of side spill from the main beam to be useful close in till and becomes too dim just as the main beam is wide enough to be used on its own for things further away. Its perfect IMO. Smokes anything from Surefire or Pentagon for the combined handheld, weaponlight capable role. Not quite the throw of a 9V Surefire but you said you wanted compact. Thats the brightest, longest throwing 6V you can get pretty much. Love mine. Its expensive but you said price was not an issue. NIGHT OPS GLADIUS Be sure to watch the videos to see how the functions work. It looks complicated but you will have it down to memory the first day. |
I have two "Night Ops Gladius" I use hand held, they replaced my 6 and 9Z Surefire. The school is still in recess if they will replace my 95X or 96X Surefies Weapons Lights. IMHO. |
Calm down about the Gladius. Yes, it features many different and useful modes of operation but it is not the end-all flashlight. First, the Gladius might be brighter than a stock Surefire 6V (P60) light but chances are that is won't be. The Gladius uses a T-Bin Luxeon III LED which has an output range between 67.2-87.4 lumens. This range of course varies much more in reality depending on many factors; the average output of a T-Bin Luxeon III LED hovers around 50-60 lumens with select few reaching higher levels of output. Second, the low battery indicator is merely an interruption in light output (i.e. flashing) which is annoying as all get out. Third, the average Gladius will throw slightly further than the P60 lamp assembly but will throw woefully less than the 6V Pentagonlight BX-2 lamp assembly. Fourth, the Gladius is not semi-compact. Fifth, actually the brightest, longest throwing, 6V LED light is the LED Logic Striker-VG. It's a real stunner, see below for the numbers. It's a very good light, beats pretty much every tactical LED light on the market right now in throw. Now that that is straightened out my personal recommendation would be the Pelican M6 3Watt LED (2390) for semi-compact carry with good brightness and throw that can be weapon mounted. It features flat regulation for 1 and 1/2 hours (compare to the Gladius stair-stepping runtime in constant on) HAIII anodizing, similar output and throw to the Gladius and half the price. The Pentagonlight L2 is another good suggestion; it has the same or better numbers than the Gladius and the Pelican M6 3Watt but is about 20$ cheaper than the M6 and features a mineral glass lens, full battery isolation and a custom 3Watt regulator that gives flat output for 1 1/2 hours. The Pentagonlight L2 is smaller than the Gladius but bigger than the M6 3Watt. For the budget concious check out the Vari-Brite 32L, a varible brightness 3-Watt light that outputs exactly the same or better than the Gladius but runs for 2 hours at the same brightness, it also features 18 different levels of output. Some of my personal recommendations do not feature variable brightness or strobing so if those are important to you than check the Gladius, Striker VG, or the Vari-Brite 32L. If you want really compact you could go with the Amilite Neo T3. It is as bright but slightly less far-throwing as the Gladius but is only 3Volts so only one battery with a good runtime of @1 hour. Bibliography: Gladius @220$ http://flashlightreviews.com/reviews/night-ops_gladius.htm LED Logic Striker-VG @120$ http://flashlightreviews.com/reviews/ledlogic_strikervg.htm Pelican M6 3Watt LED (2390) @100$ http://flashlightreviews.com/reviews/pelican_m6_2390.htm Vari-Brite 32L @40-60$ http://flashlightreviews.com/reviews/britestuff_vari-brite.htm Amilite Neo T3 http://flashlightreviews.com/reviews/amilite_neot3.htm Pentagonlight L2 @70-80$ |
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Thanks SpoonBot... I have not won over by the gladius yet, I think it is a bit pricey for what it is, though it seems to be a nice light, it would be a bit much for EDC. For on the Cheap one could get a Surefire G2 or even 6p and get a 3w led conversion for about $30 from bugoutgear.com. The main problem is that long battery life and High power pretty much in opposition to eachother. There are lights that last a long time at reduced output and there are others that make their little batteries scream in agony for the hour or so they stay bright. The surefire L2 is on my list of lights to look at for versatility as it has 2 output stages. I carry a cheap Nuwai 301-x3 and it has been decent for edc, but isn't readily mountable. It smokes 3d mag cells in usefullness though. try candlepowerforums.com and flashlightreviews.com, and hold onto your wallet. I just got interested in flashlights last fall and have had gotten waaaaaaaaay too many dirty looks from the spouse over my purchases so far and I still am not done. I have not gotten into weapon mounted lights yet, but have switched all the household and car flashlights to LEDs of one sort or another. |
Hey, at least my observations are from PERSONAL EXPERIENCE and not some internet regurgitation off of flashlight reviews.com |
My G2 died from a tail cap/body contact failure. I would not reccomend the G2 to anyone at this point. It is as cheap as its price. Before I go Id like to add The candlepowerforum.com guys can get very annoying sometimes. I even hear then dog on the Gladius for its narrow output. The beam is pefect with its sidespill for what its desgned for.... being a weaponlight. Its not a utility light for a flashlight geek. They also dog the "wings" saying its not suitable for EDC.... thats because it NOT AN EDC LIGHT, ITS A WEAPON LIGHT and you limit the way it can be used with a handgun by eliminating the wings,they are essential in that role. An EDC light needs different beam pattern, size and everything. |
Please calm down. No insult was meant in my post, just trying to add my opinion. Understand that I do not own a Gladius because I sold mine some time ago because it was simply too much flashlight for me and it was awkward to carry in the pocket due to the protruding ring meant for handgun use. Second, I haven't actually read the flashlightreviews review, just skimmed it to see the pertinant points before linking it and merely using the numbers to back up my opinion. Third, it is common knowledge that the P61 throws equal to the P60, it just throws a wider spot. Given that it, is not much for the Gladius to out throw the P60 and the P61. Fourth, again your Gladius my out throw the P60 significantly but my experience seems to be that the majority of Gladius lights will not due to differences in binning of the LEDs. The so-called "Luxeon Lottery" is still very much in effect even if one narrows it down to a specific Bin of LED. Fifth, Much like your Gladius will out throw a P60 by significant margin my L2 and every single one of the 15 L2s I purchased for crew lights was equal or better than the Gladius in raw output and throw. Sixth, the LED scoutlight, if we are both speaking of the same one here(M600A); actually puts out more light than the Gladius, it just throws significantly less. Seventh, the Gladius is indeed larger than most 6V lights and most definitely not what the poster was thinking when he said "semi-compact". Most 6V lights fall between 4.0"-5.0" the Gladius is slightly longer than 6 inches and wider that most lights due to the grip protrustion. Small differences matter to some. Eighth, the poster did not ask anything about switching set-ups as related to firearms, or switching set-ups at all. Please understand again that your opinion was appreciated but your fervor in which to recommend one specific light is somewhat startling. I am not insulting you by posting information on the Gladius, I am merely trying to recommend different solutions to a problem. I apologize once again if my post came off as offensive to you, it is easy to get caught up in things when you receive a spectacular product and wish to let everyone know. |
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