Maglite Switches

Tribull

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Hi, so I've come full circle back to my youth and Maglite. I have a 2D cell that I converted to a nite ize 74 lumen led with a glass lens and aluminum reflector. Today I bought a 2C and dropped in a 55 lumen led. My question is this, why are the switches so different? The d cell is firm and substantial. The C cell with a cat symbol on it is weak and flimsy. Has anyone else run across this?
 

LiftdT4R

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Congrats!! I am in the same boat. Love my 3D Mag with Malkoff Drop In. I've been using it for 17 years now!

The switches use the same internal parts so you should not be feeling a noticeable difference. If the serial has a letter in front of it they have the newer style switch. If the serial lacks a letter they use the older style switch. The same goes for Cs and Ds although Cs were modernized until 2003 whereas Ds were modernized in 1992. Even still both the old and new switches feel the same functionally.

Likely what has happened is one of the switches has more wear than the other. When the switches wear they do get a little sloppy. A new switch can be had for about $8 or so. Mag stopped replacing them for free a while back sadly. :-(
 

bykfixer

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The boot with panther logo'd switches feels more squishy than the non logo one on the D cell light. Like Lift'd said the piston, springs and stuff are the same other than the OD of the housing that is either C or D cell girth.

I bought a repair kit that came with several switches, boots, reflectors etc. The boots with the panther logo are thinner and softer than those labeled for the D sized light.

But yeah it does provide a bit of "sloppy" feel to it. I ended up swapping non logo boots onto my C size lights.
 

LiftdT4R

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I've seen such a variety in boot thickness on the lights I've worked on. It seems like Mag probably subs the boot production to third parties so the polymer type and thickness winds up being a little different each time. I've run across switch boots that were really tough to press and others that were as soft as a tissue.

I always wondered why they put a Panther logo on some switches and not others. I think it was to distinguish C cell boots from D cells but as far as I can tell all of the boot covers appear to be identical.
 

Tribull

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Yeah both are brand new, so if it really bugs me I'll swap the boots. Nice to know it's an option. It's amazing how much light the 55 lumen drop in gives off.
 

bykfixer

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Maglite shaping causes a little bit of light to look like a lot more than the numbers suggest.

Yup, C and D boots are the same shape and diameter size. If you go to order one chances are great it'll be the thicker/stiffer non logo boot. Only place I've seen those panther logo ones is in the dealer repair kits Maglite used to provide their repair shops. They can be found on eBay if anybody reading wants enough parts to fix like 8 Maglites.
 
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bykfixer

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IMG_20180410_195445.jpg

I have used those acrylite. They work well.

Left is the acrylite, right is factory
 

bykfixer

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If you speak of the rant about rates on his homepage I think that is international. I think shipping was like $3 or something. I bought a few for various Maglites to make shipping seem like less.
 
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