# ASP Taclite / Triad



## konifans (Sep 10, 2017)

Beautiful 20+ years old Xenon flashlight, made in 1996 or 1997.
Designed by Don Keller, who also designed the Kel-Lite in 1968. 
This is the reason ASP made this light:
http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?438388-Truax-Nightstalker

The Taclite / Triad has internal beam adjuster, and a smooth reflector. 
The beam quality is not as good as Surefire but it is adjustable, and it can throw better than Surefire.
The tailcap switch is similar to Surefire Z58 / Z59, but is is more smooth and easy to switch it on / off. 
The reflector is aluminum and the lens is plastic which can be replaced with a glass lens.
It uses 4.8V Bi-Pin bulb, 2X CR123A batteries. A Tad's 7.2V or 3.7V or 4.8V bulbs can be used in this light, but you have to ask him not to cut the pins, since the ASP bulb has a longer pins than Tad's pre-cut bulbs.

By the way, the light comes with two ASP CR123A batteries, they are made in China, one is dead, and one is almost dead when I received them. 
Anyone knows if the light is also made is China? 
I know the new ASP LED flashlights are made in China or somewhere else but not in the USA.

















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## konifans (Sep 10, 2017)

BTW, I got this from Hellenic Arms, they have them in brad new condition. 
I cannot believe that I can still get a brand new light made in 20 years ago. I bought 4 of these. :twothumbs


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## bykfixer (Sep 10, 2017)

GOOD SCORE!!!


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## LiftdT4R (Sep 10, 2017)

Very nice!! Do they have any more? If you don't mind me asking how much are they asking for them?

I have a few of these and I've been meaning to do a write up on them for a while. I've not really seen any collectors interested in these though, especially not on the same level of Kel-Lites, Surefires, and Maglites. They were designed by Don Keller in 1996 after he left Brinkmann and they came out in 1997. The name Tac-Lite was quickly changed to Triad after Maglite threatened to sue. On the early packages they have a sticker affixed over any mention of Tac-Lite. Armament Systems and Products (ASP) is most known for their extendable baton and ASP approached Don about making a light to be affixed to the end of their baton and that's how this light was born.

The lights came stock with a rear clicky. However, you could also purchase an inline clicky with threads on both ends so it would screw on over a standard ASP baton end. Don sold me one of the prototype lights given to ASP executives that is gold anodized along with a handful of accessories. I took a pic of what I have below. This includes the switch but unfortunately I never picked up an ASP baton to try it out. I will eventually though. I think it only works with their Street Tough baton which is their classic model from what I understand.












The bulbs are interesting in that you could buy several different models which would change the brightness and run time. I took a picture of the back of one of the replacement bulbs.






All in all these were solid lights and were an early competitor to Surefire but they never really took off. They aren't as rugged as early Surfires and they didn't really work too well with the baton. From the folks I talked to that used these they claimed the baton end was just too long and the incan bulb didn't hold up well to heavy use. I believe this earlier style was made in America although I don't know for sure.


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## LiftdT4R (Sep 10, 2017)

Very interesting writeup on the Truax too!! I did not know about them. Was that light a flea bay find?


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## konifans (Sep 11, 2017)

Thanks LiftdT4R for the information. 

I purchased the ASP here:
https://hellenic-arms.gr/eshop/asp-triad.html
They should have 6pcs left at EUR40/pcs plus tax and shipping.

The gold ASP, I almost placed a bid on this one but I do not like gold color so I gave it up.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/ASP-Flashli...D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

I purchased the Truax lights from Ebay.:wave:


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## snakebite (Nov 16, 2017)

will 18650 or 16650 fit?


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## fyrstormer (Jan 25, 2019)

Thanks to this thread, I finally have my very first grail-light. (and a spare, because reasons.)






Back in the 90's, before I knew anything about electronics, before anyone outside a research lab knew high-power LEDs were 5 years away from hitting the market, before I was old enough to get a job, before I had any money to my name so I resorted to stealing money to buy candy (because everything I enjoyed as a kid was rationed or withheld as a means to control my behavior), before I had ever heard of Surefire or Streamlight or the term "flashaholic"...one day I saw the ASP TacLite in a catalog and I knew I wanted one. I had a 2xAA Mini Maglite at the time, and it was a dim, flickery, nasty-beamed piece of junk. I could tell the TacLite was better just from the product photos. I couldn't afford one at the time, of course; I don't remember whether I asked for one for Christmas at any point, but I do know I never received one if I did ask. By the time I had enough money to consider buying one, whatever catalog had offered them was no longer offering them, and anyway I was busy with my first real mountain bike and my mom's beat-up old car and limping through high school so I could go to college and escape from the long shadow of Jerry Falwell. But I never quite forgot about it. Something about the shape of the ASP TacLite makes me happy, I can't explain why.

Now, 22 years later, I finally own one, and something far in the back of my mind has quietened a bit.






So, naturally, I celebrated by immediately taking it apart to modify it, giving the reflector a few spritzes with a can of clear acrylic spraypaint to texture it and smooth-out the beam. The hotspot looks much nicer now -- more of a blurry football instead of the Eye of Sauron. Eventually I will look into fitting it with a McClicky switch and/or a pocket clip of some sort.

Soon, I will need to go through my collection of much fancier flashlights to see which ones I still want to keep. My collection has grown too much too fast lately.


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