I don't get it.  Why aren't the 500 handguard and 900 foregrip series lights black like their flashlights all used to be?  I think an M500A I saw a year or two ago was, but since most weapons these are going to be mounted on are grey or black, wouldn't you think they would want the aluminum on the light itself to match?

My understanding is that SureFires are are Hand Anodised to Mil Spec Level III - a natural growth that is harder if it is not dyed or coloured which means it's a "Millennium Grey" colour. This can range from a very dark slate to a greenish hue - the shading varies from batch to batch because SureFire want consistancy of HA thickness and therefore performance in terms of durability.

Someone once said that Level II Black Anodise like that of the M500 Series used to be stood out much more when viewed through NVGs. HA looks dull under most lighting conditions compared to the more glossy Level II Black.

I personal like the HA (but that's beside the point as it's there for performance)

Al

Surefire is ditching the old black finish in its military lights because the finish wore too easily.