# Surefire 6P Original



## xdayv (Oct 1, 2014)

Spotted a couple of these... planning to get one or two, and most probably have it modded. Question is, would you still buy the 6P? How much will you be willing to pay for it (bnew)?


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## Grizzman (Oct 1, 2014)

I would happily buy a new 6P for modding. They make great hosts.

I think I paid $50 each for my last two.


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## novice (Oct 1, 2014)

Surefire no longer makes the *A19* 1xCR123a-extender, but you can get them from people like Overready.com (but it's orange), and they are a perfect match for your 6P. I'm sure you can find some original, black NOS if you spend some time searching the web. Get one of those and you can make your 6P run off of 3xCR123a, or 2x17500 rechargeable Li-ion cells, and get one more if you want to use 2x17670 rechargeable Li-ion cells. Thank goodness Surefire did not drop this light when it shook up their product line a few years ago.


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## cland72 (Oct 1, 2014)

Heck yes I'd buy one. I see them quite often for approx $50 USD.


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## twin63 (Oct 1, 2014)

I received one in the mail today. For $49.95, I got a new 6P, FM35 red filter, and a molle flashlight sheath. I didn't need it (I have a bunch of Solarforce hosts), but it's a light that I have always wanted but always passed over for something else. I'm glad I picked it up. I may even leave it stock with the incandescent bulb and carry it with my 25 year old 2AA Mini-Maglite - just for nostalgic reasons.


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## scout24 (Oct 1, 2014)

If there is such a thing as a future-proof host, this has got to be it. Therefore, the cost is a small price to pay given the utility down the road. Everything from stock or hotrod incands, to 5mm battery vampire hacks on up to 2500 lumen monster dropins are built for the 6P. If you have a specific output/tint/beam pattern need, it can be accomplished with a 6P. Bore it, cerakote it, dress it up with different bezel rings, get a McClicky or ZeroRes switch, the list is endless. Initial buyin can look cheap by the time that you're done. Nevermind that the stock P60 still works just as well as it did back when it first came out. Take one out on a dark night and try it.  For $50.00 each, I'd stock up...


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## cland72 (Oct 1, 2014)

Well said scout. Best light of all time.


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## scout24 (Oct 1, 2014)

Thanks Cland! Just echoing the thoughts of many wiser than myself...  Novice- If I'm not mistaken, Oveready has one-cell extenders now in black. Bored for 18mm cells. Not SF A19's, but worth looking at.


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## fivemega (Oct 1, 2014)

*If your plan is to modify or bore it for 18650 cell, it might be better to get already made one. Search for Genuine modified 6P

For use with 2x18500 or 2x18650 cells, use extension tubes. Search for Ex/Cap at top left of this page, next to Google Search.*


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## yellow (Oct 2, 2014)

.
there is only one "6P ORIGINAL" - the one with the OLD STYLE round bezel --> NOT PRONE to a bent front lip even without any hard use.
If You got the actual hex bezel, IMMEDIATELY get a *bezel ring* to protect that flimys part.
be4 You start to use it!!!


... if from the start planning to mod the light, take fivemega's recommendation and get an already _18650 bored body _/ flashlight.
Better and much less hassle (or chance to destroy the body) than trying to do that afterwards.
And cheaper also.


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## ampdude (Oct 10, 2014)

The hex bezel is not flimsy, that is a pretty crazy thing to say. The body will be more flimsy when bored out for 18650, and the stock batteries will rattle in the body and probably not have the greatest contact with the lamps you use during serious use, especially when the springs lose tension or are not strong enough to begin with or the body dimensions are exact.


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## yellow (Oct 11, 2014)

perfect when your light works, wish you it will stay that way.

my story: 
had the _real_ 6P since ~'90, modded it to 18650 and led in 2004 and it works for years. 
Noticed sometime there is the hey bezel now but never had one.
Finally I got an orange ceratoked one from oveready and at the same time recommended a 6P to a biking friend (who never really used it, he had it stored in his biking backpack).
At some tour it got dark and we mounted the lights.
His - till that time really unused - hex bezel was bent inside halfway around the outside diameter, a quick check at my light showed a noticeable dent. Both at the unprotected lips.
At my light not too big to not be able to mount a BEZEL RING (which I recommend for hex bezels, in case I did not mention yet)  but visible.

NONE OF BOTH LIGHTS - at that time the only hex bezel Surefires I had in hand - ever saw something like an impact or so, which could possibly lead to these dents,
the old 6P - the real one - was used heavily and saw quite a number of falls ... just a little bending seen.

The "new" lip is a joke!
I wonder that noone else ever mentions that, there must be other ppl who do use their lights, not baby them around like me.
:thinking:







*--> whoever reads this: get a bezel ring that extends around the lip!*
Like the oveready one on the orange model



PS: correct, when bored out the remaining sidewall at the rubber seal cutouts is paper thin. But that is not outside at the light, where impacts hit ...


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## Monocrom (Oct 17, 2014)

xdayv said:


> Spotted a couple of these... planning to get one or two, and most probably have it modded. Question is, would you still buy the 6P? How much will you be willing to pay for it (bnew)?



No, wouldn't buy one now. But only because I love the extra room for grip afforded by the 9P. I'd absolutely buy a stock 9P. I wouldn't pay retail for it though. At least 25% off of what most the Brick & Mortar shops want for one. But they're Authorized Dealers and SureFire won't allow them to discount any SF lights. Not even the old, discontinued ones. 

Not cool, SureFire. Not cool. :thumbsdow


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## N8N (Oct 17, 2014)

I have noticed the same thing with the bezel, I have a 6P that lives in a duffel bag in the trunk of my car with blanket, compass, knife, change of clothes, etc. (and some powerbars etc. in the wintertime) - e.g. not a really brutal environment - and it too has a dent in the lip.

I just live with it, it's an emergency light after all and wasn't pretty when I put it in there.


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## xdayv (Nov 2, 2014)

Monocrom said:


> No, wouldn't buy one now. But only because I love the extra room for grip afforded by the 9P. I'd absolutely buy a stock 9P. I wouldn't pay retail for it though. At least 25% off of what most the Brick & Mortar shops want for one. But they're Authorized Dealers and SureFire won't allow them to discount any SF lights. Not even the old, discontinued ones.
> 
> Not cool, SureFire. Not cool. :thumbsdow



Thanks for your opinion. I'll check out 9P.


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## xdayv (Nov 2, 2014)

cland72 said:


> Well said scout. Best light of all time.



I can understand why. I'll try to get hold of one. And it's good to have many option onwards... /and maybe just for that nostalgic incandescent tint.


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## Str8stroke (Nov 2, 2014)

I have to warn you. They are addictive! I have about a dozen, with about 2 dozen different drop ins, bezels, extenders, holsters, filters, mounts, tail caps and the list goes on. I even keep a stock unmodified version on my desk. It works great for early morning animal chores and trash to the street runs and so on. To me: Nothing beats the warm indy light early in the am. Some Surefire nostalgia that is easy on the eyes. 
6p or 9P they are nice. I like the 9P if you want a larger more powerful rig. 
Already mentioned, but make sure you get a McClicky tail switch. It is also a good time to change the rubber switch color should you so choose. I like the orange or blue ones.


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## bulbus maximus (Dec 7, 2014)

I just bought a 9p, but I bought some crap rechargeable's that were evidently unprotected as they reached over 4.1 each. Three of them fried the SF Xenon bulb in a flash. They also fried a T6 right behind it. It is perfect for my duty belt, and comfortable in the car unlike the ultra stinger I just got. So what would be the best LED drop in and the best batteries to power it for dependable nightly use versus trying to scorch the surface of the moon?


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## sgt253 (Dec 7, 2014)

My opinion, Malkoff M91B drop in 5.5v-12v. "825 measured out the front lumens at turn on and 700 continuous lumens after warm up." I would use AW brand 17500 batteries to power it. Sweet spot for performance and rechargeability! Best of luck.


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## Illum (Dec 7, 2014)

The 6P is still a good host for 17670 + D26 set ups, twisty with lockout function, very little to break. They make very robust Home duty lights. 
If you're going for an 18650 host, I would recommend buying a Solar Force L2 or L2P dedicated 18650 host instead. Only beef I have with them is the enlarged "pill socket." The area where the lamp sits in the body is significantly larger than that of the 6P, causing certain drop-ins to rattle and incur intermittent contact. 

I still have two 6P hosts on my shelf, no idea what they're there for or how I ended up or what I plan to do with them. But one things for sure, they are keepers.


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## cland72 (Dec 7, 2014)

bulbus maximus said:


> I just bought a 9p, but I bought some crap rechargeable's that were evidently unprotected as they reached over 4.1 each. Three of them fried the SF Xenon bulb in a flash. They also fried a T6 right behind it. It is perfect for my duty belt, and comfortable in the car unlike the ultra stinger I just got. So what would be the best LED drop in and the best batteries to power it for dependable nightly use versus trying to scorch the surface of the moon?



You can run 2x17500 cells on a P90, or as sgt253 suggested the M91 would be a great option. If you want something with balance between runtime and output, a Malkoff M61 or M61L and 2x17500 would be just the ticket.


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## Timothybil (Dec 7, 2014)

I have never owned a 6P, but for as long as I have been lurking/a member here I have heard nothing but good about them. My first good light was the cheaper cousin, the G2, and I have had several more G2s over the years. My problem was that my son would borrow them, then forget where he left them, so I have been without for several years. I recently got the urge to move into the high CRI world, and thought that a G2 would make an ideal host. I scored a very nice hardly used one on eBay for $30. I replaced the P60 with the Lumens Factory 90+ CRI triple mode XP-G D26 drop in, and love it. I did a side by side with the P60 before I replaced it, and was pleased with how closely the two appeared. I am now in the process of selecting and ordering a rechargeable for it, so I will be all rechargeable. 
As far as I am concerned, the only real advantage the 6P has is if one is getting into the higher lumens drop ins. The metal head of the 6P does a much better job of handling the heat that goes along with the higher output lamps.


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## sgt253 (Dec 8, 2014)

I hope I helped bulbus maximus. I would definitely agree with cland72. I run currently a standard P90 lamp in a 9P with Aw 17500's. I love the incandescent output on those batteries. Furthermore, if I want a "smaller package", I run a P90 in a 6P or G2 with AW IMR 16340 batteries. I tend to prefer running IMR batteries in rechargeable incand set-ups. Good luck.


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## leon2245 (Dec 8, 2014)

yellow said:


> .
> there is only one "6P ORIGINAL" - the one with the OLD STYLE round bezel --> NOT PRONE to a bent front lip even without any hard use.
> If You got the actual hex bezel, IMMEDIATELY get a *bezel ring* to protect that flimys part.
> be4 You start to use it!!!
> ...





Yeah good advice, & I'll second your opinion about the bezel edges.


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## RedLED (Jan 15, 2015)

I have several 6P's and G2's decked out in Malkoff dropin's! and some with Nailbender's I have different colors, floods,3S's and a Malkoff LLLL, that is one Oveready had for a short time. All have Moddoo or DS clips, Triad tail caps, or RPM tail caps, Trit bezel rings or other cool bezel rings, and most with Cyros Cooling Bezels by Ronac.

Really hard to beat all these cool mix and match custom made parts.

I also have a few G3's decked out like these, and some 9P Turbo heads.

These Surefire's have to be the most fun I have had customizing my own lights.

Also, each and every one has a custom Titanium bead! All the Cyros Cooling Bezels have a Ti grenade bead from Tom Anderson from Artistry in Tiatnium, as they match the cooling bezels really well.

Again all have a bezel, bezel ring, dropin, tail cap, McGizmo switch, and a titanium bead on a 8 strand paracord lanyard.

This has become a cool way to set up your lights.

Really, the only thing left from Surefire is the body!

Thanks to all the above makers for providing the best parts in the world for us to Mod. Our lights a hundred different ways. 

Oh, I also have a decked out P3 in my inventory. A light I hated when it came out, it was dim and the batteries died quick. Fast forward twenty years later, and I have one of the best lights in the world. I still have the original bezel, tail cap and original Drop in for the 3P, all I really did was add a Malkoff M31, I switch it around and then bring it back to stock, even with all this, I have a couple of original 6Ps from way back that I keep in box stock form, I still like the Incan light, too.



Best,

RL


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## scout24 (Jan 15, 2015)

The fact that there are so many ways to build out a "6P" with or without any original SF parts speaks volumes as to the versatility and quality of the design.  They'll still be around and just as popular in 20 years. I know, famous last words...


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## rotncore (Jan 16, 2015)

Illum said:


> If you're going for an 18650 host, I would recommend buying a Solar Force L2 or L2P dedicated 18650 host instead. Only beef I have with them is the enlarged "pill socket." The area where the lamp sits in the body is significantly larger than that of the 6P, causing certain drop-ins to rattle and incur intermittent contact.
> 
> I still have two 6P hosts on my shelf, no idea what they're there for or how I ended up or what I plan to do with them. But one things for sure, they are keepers.



Do any of the Solar Force hosts have a lock out tail cap? That is the only thing keeping me from buying another batch of them.


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## Illum (Jan 22, 2015)

rotncore said:


> Do any of the Solar Force hosts have a lock out tail cap? That is the only thing keeping me from buying another batch of them.



Nope


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