Quoted:
Any tips on spotting a fake Surefire products?
I've seen a few fakes at gun shows. They look very much like the real deal. Most of them will be sold as "used" since they want to keep them cheap by not counterfeiting the Surefire packaging.
On the aluminum versions the white lettering on a real Surefire will a subdued white. The LED versions have beams that are not completely white. There are numerous other things that are off; although, the only real way to tell is to compare a real against the fake.
If you buy a weapon light it will come in a red Surefire box and inside there will be an inspection number and date that is handwritten on a small strip of metal placed somewhere in the box. By the way Surefire does not put serial numbers on any of their lights. The serial number will be on a slip of paper that comes with the light when you buy it new.
Your biggest indicator is probably going to be price. Surefire as always is and will most likely forever be a high priced item. If it's sold as new, a super low price is probably a fake. Surefire has a strict MAP(Manufacturer's advertised price) system with it's dealers; you will typically not see much price deviation from the list price on the Surefire website.
The most safest way to go is to buy new from a reputable dealer. I've bought six Surefire over the years for a grand total of about $1k. Buy smart and don't skimp on cost.
http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=150968 Here's a compare and contrast on a real and fake U2 ultra.
http://www.modernrifle.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=22&t=23287&start=0 Some companies are even making replicas of Surefire.