# Counterfeit Surefire SW01 Fatty & Slim tailcaps + Z49



## Rat (Nov 28, 2013)

*I HAVE SHOCKING NEWS FAKE SW01 TAILCAPS ARE OUT THERE AND HAVE BEEN FOR SOMETIME FATTY & SLIM* :shakehead

We all know too well about the counterfeit SW02 tailcaps and how to pick them out. Sadly I have found there are more Counterfeit Surefire Tailcaps out there SW01 Fatty, Slim & Z49 tailcaps and who knows how many others.

I purchased a SW01 slim thinking it was the real deal not long ago it turned out it was a fake SW01 slim tailcap. A very good copy the HA is perfect and the machining is spot on. Sadly I have now found a fake SW01 fatty that I have had in my collection for a long time which I would of paid top dollar for so who knows how long these have been around for.

The seller of the fake SW01 Slim found out they were fakes after he had sent it out to me. He did the right thing and told me to send it back which I will do or than again i just might crush it under a 10-ton press. I am not going into any other details about the seller as yet he is a member on here so lets see if he cuts in. After I found this out about the SW01 slim I looked at a Z49 tailcap I got from the same seller a few weeks before and guess what also *FAKE.* Not sure he is as innocent as he makes out. 
There is a lot more to this part of the story but I will leave it there for now.
Thinking I was interested he offered me more at $60ea 5 for $250 or 10 for $450 so as you can see there is a lot of these out there. Do not ask me about buying any of these counterfeit tailcaps because I think they stink and want no part in it.

If they made copies and called them #####fire or whatever than good I would never buy them but at least I would know they could not be mistaken for the real deal. They have been made for one reason and one reason only to fool us collectors into paying top dollar for a fake item. It does not do our hobby of collecting Surefire products any favors at all. So I hope you all will stay clear of these fakes. If nobody buys them they will stop making them.

This thread is more about telling all you fellow collectors to watch out for these fakes.* I do know there has been a few sold on eBay as the real thing so if you purchased any on eBay you better have a real good look at them.* The real SW01's have been pulling big money for a long time now so to pay top dollar for a fake that I would not pay a dime for would be a sad day indeed. I am pretty sure if yours has came sealed in the bag you should be OK.

*SW01 Slim*
One way to tell them apart is to go by weight.
The real SW01 slim will weight 38.6 grams 
The Fake SW01 slim will weight 39.3 grams
All three of my real SW01 slim tailcaps weight spot on the same and they all came sealed NIP around three years ago.


The spring inside on the fake SW02 slim is thinner and shinier. Also the flat area on the spring seat is thinner see below.











Have a good look at the text. This is not the same with the fatty.







*SW01 fatty

*
Same as the Slim the spring inside on the fake SW02 fatty is thinner and shinier. Also the flat area on the spring seat is thinner see below.
















*Z49* 
Now the Fake Z49 tailcaps same thing very good copy's 
The real Z49 will weight 34.7 grams 
The Fake Z49 will weight 32.8 grams

From the outside the rubber boot is a different shape very slightly & the knurling on the Fake is also different. The clicky switch is softer as well.





The spring is thinner and shinier it’s also much softer you can easily push it all the way down onto the plastic much harder to do on the real one. 
The black plastic bit the spring sits on is also different the notches are bigger and as you can see below the plat has different cut outs in them.











Let me know if you have a Counterfeit fake SW01's, SW02, or Z49

Feel free to use this anywhere you think people should know about these fakes

:wave:

EDIT: Whole post has been edited with photo's and new discovery of fake fatty


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## dc38 (Nov 28, 2013)

*Re: “WARNING” Counterfeit (FAKE) Surefire SW01 Slim tail caps*



Rat said:


> Hi Guys
> We all know too well about the counterfeit SW02 tailcaps and how to pick them out. Sadly I have found there are more Counterfeit Surefire Tailcaps out there SW01 slim & Z49 tailcaps and who knows how many others.
> 
> I have one of the fake SW01 slim tailcaps and they are a very good copy from the outside you cannot tell the difference the HA is perfect and the machining is spot on
> ...



Perhaps you should bring this up with surefire's counterfeit reporting?


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## Rat (Nov 28, 2013)

*Re: “WARNING” Counterfeit (FAKE) Surefire SW01 Slim tail caps*



dc38 said:


> Perhaps you should bring this up with surefire's counterfeit reporting?



I have dealt with David from Surefires counterfeiting services in the past and he has been notified all about them and linked to this post already. He may pop in and say a word or two lets see.

Cheers


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## badtziscool (Nov 28, 2013)

*Re: “WARNING” Counterfeit (FAKE) Surefire SW01 Slim tail caps*

Thanks for PSA Rat! I've been keeping track of the rare SF stuff on ebay, and lately I've been seeing SW01 tailcaps (both fatty and slim) more often than in the past and it has crossed my mind if they could be fake. Now we know they're out there.


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## m4a1usr (Nov 28, 2013)

*Re: “WARNING” Counterfeit (FAKE) Surefire SW01 Slim tail caps*

Outstanding info RAT! Some pictures would be wonderful for reference. I'll post some soon.


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## rje58 (Nov 28, 2013)

*Re: “WARNING” Counterfeit (FAKE) Surefire SW01 Slim tail caps*

Thanks for the heads up! I don't have a scale that is accurate enough to weight my Z49s. I have two that I purchased on CPF back in 2010 or 2011. Should these be safe? or were there really good Z49 fakes in that timeframe as well?



Rat said:


> Now the Fake Z49 tailcaps same thing very good copy in fact I prefer the knurling on the Fake than the real deal.
> From the outside the rubber boot is a different shape very slightly I will need to show you pictures.
> The inside is the same thing as above the spring is thinner and shinier. The black plastic bit the spring sits on is also different it is smaller and the notches are bigger. I will need to show you also.
> The clicky is softer as well.
> ...


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## RGB_LED (Nov 28, 2013)

*Re: “WARNING” Counterfeit (FAKE) Surefire SW01 Slim tail caps*

Hi Rat, thanks so much for highlighting this to us. I've noticed recently that there have been a few Z49's going up for sale on Fleabay so this is quire concerning.

It does make one wonder how much trouble people go through to make a fake... since, presumably, it means someone has to purchase the aluminum blanks, machine it, anodize it and so forth. I guess selling the fake as the real thing makes the profit margins all worthwhile. :shakehead


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## Rat (Nov 29, 2013)

*Re: “WARNING” Counterfeit (FAKE) Surefire SW01 Slim tail caps*



badtziscool said:


> Thanks for PSA Rat! I've been keeping track of the rare SF stuff on ebay, and lately I've been seeing SW01 tailcaps (both fatty and slim) more often than in the past and it has crossed my mind if they could be fake. Now we know they're out there.



I have yet to see a fatty but you would think if they have done the slim than they very well could also have done the fatty. Who knows they might have done many more than we know of. We do now know there is the SW02, SW01 slim & Z49 I am sure there would be more and maybe after I post all the pictures people will start to find more models. As one member has pointed out the only problem with talking about it this way is they then know what they need to change but with out talking about it people do not know what to look for and are getting cheated. It's a hard one that's for sure.




m4a1usr said:


> Outstanding info RAT! Some pictures would be wonderful for reference. I'll post some soon.



I should have some free time tomorrow to start on the photo's. With the photos as reference it will be very easy to tell the fakes.




rje58 said:


> Thanks for the heads up! I don't have a scale that is accurate enough to weight my Z49s. I have two that I purchased on CPF back in 2010 or 2011. Should these be safe? or were there really good Z49 fakes in that timeframe as well?



I would think you should be fine. The fakes would of been picked up before this if they have been out there for that long. You will know any way when I post the pictures as the Z49 has five key points it's very easy to tell a fake without weighting one.




RGB_LED said:


> Hi Rat, thanks so much for highlighting this to us. I've noticed recently that there have been a few Z49's going up for sale on Fleabay so this is quire concerning.



This ebay one is 100% fake 261336764824 but remember that the seller probably does not know he is selling a fake.


:wave:


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## Rat (Nov 30, 2013)

*Re: “WARNING” Counterfeit (FAKE) Surefire SW01 Slim tail caps*

*Add the SW01 Fatty to the list*

Sad day today. These fakes have been around for some time by the looks. I just found a fake SW01 Fatty in my collection. I would have paid $250+ for this thinking it was the real deal not happy.
I am not sure where I got it from but I am sure it was from MP a year or so ago as i have not purchase a SW01 fatty in a long time. It's 100% fake so these have been around for some time by the looks. 

Sadly us collectors properly have been selling them to fellow members with out even knowing they are fakes.
So guys time to check your SW01 tail caps for fakes lets see how many we have in our collections. I think I was lucky I suppose to only have one fake it could of been worse. I think that was the only one out of the four fatty 's I have that did not come new in the bag.
Photo's will be up within the hour so you guys can 100% check if you have fakes.

EDIT: I have just updated the first post with photo's and text.


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## LightJunk (Nov 30, 2013)

*Re: “WARNING” Counterfeit (FAKE) Surefire SW01 Slim tail caps*

Sorry to hear that Rat. Actually there are few fake Surefire lights & parts around. Google "firekylin". First few links are interesting.


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## Rat (Nov 30, 2013)

*Re: “WARNING” Counterfeit (FAKE) Surefire SW01 Slim tail caps*



LightJunk said:


> Sorry to hear that Rat. Actually there are few fake Surefire lights & parts around. Google "firekylin". First few links are interesting.



Hi mate yea I have seen them before not a fan. I think they could be the source of this type of thing. I had seen a few weapon lights and the SW02 before but never knew about the SW01 before.
It's when they start putting the name Surefire on them and people try selling them for the real thing that pisses me off.


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## Mathiashogevold (Nov 30, 2013)

*Re: “WARNING” Counterfeit (FAKE) Surefire SW01 Slim tail caps*

Do you know the weight of the real SW01 fatty? Mine is ca 36 grams on the kitchen scale. Looks like i have a real one when comparing to your picture, as mine have a fat ring inside.


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## LightJunk (Nov 30, 2013)

*Re: “WARNING” Counterfeit (FAKE) Surefire SW01 Slim tail caps*

So far I've never seen a fake SW01. Thanks for the photos. The Z49 & Z48 definitely from there. SW02 as well. 

But the SW01 with Surefire letterings on it is definitely rare in the sense that it is already rare.


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## Rat (Nov 30, 2013)

*Re: “WARNING” Counterfeit (FAKE) Surefire SW01 Slim tail caps*



Mathiashogevold said:


> Do you know the weight of the real SW01 fatty? Mine is ca 36 grams on the kitchen scale. Looks like i have a real one when comparing to your picture, as mine have a fat ring inside.



There was only 0.3 difference so I did not list it. My real fatty switches are all different as well two are 35.6 the other is 35.7 The fake is 35.4


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## Cerealand (Nov 30, 2013)

*Re: “WARNING” Counterfeit (FAKE) Surefire SW01 Slim tail caps*

Thanks for the heads up. This post made me pull out my SW02 to check the spring. Non-shiny spring and same plate cuts out as the real one. :rock:


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## RGB_LED (Nov 30, 2013)

*Re: “WARNING” Counterfeit (FAKE) Surefire SW01 Slim tail caps*



Rat said:


> *Add the SW01 Fatty to the list*
> Sad day today. These fakes have been around for some time by the looks. I just found a fake SW01 Fatty in my collection.... EDIT: I have just updated the first post with photo's and text.


Rat, sorry to hear about this - that must have been incredibly disappointing. But, thank you again for posting this along with the pics. :thumbsup:



Cerealand said:


> Thanks for the heads up. This post made me pull out my SW02 to check the spring. Non-shiny spring and same plate cuts out as the real one. :rock:


Same here. I checked out my various SW02's and all had non-shiny springs and plate cuts. I do have to wonder if those scammers, who make fakes, would ever try to copy the switch exactly with non-shiny springs and plate cuts. Worrisome.

Rat, I would assume that any fake Z48's would also have the same differences as those for the Z49. I'll definitely take a closer at these in the future.


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## m4a1usr (Nov 30, 2013)

*Re: “WARNING” Counterfeit (FAKE) Surefire SW01 Slim tail caps*



LightJunk said:


> Sorry to hear that Rat. Actually there are few fake Surefire lights & parts around. Google "firekylin". First few links are interesting.


 Fire-Kylin has been making fake SW02 and Z49/Z48 switches for many years. And I wouldn't doubt this latest flood of fake SW01's is somehow tied to them. But there also is Apextac and probably more Thanks for the pic's. That is a big help!


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## m4a1usr (Nov 30, 2013)

*Re: “WARNING” Counterfeit (FAKE) Surefire SW01 Slim tail caps*

Ah ha! Found another way to spot the fakes. After checking my SW01 it matched all of Rat's warnings AND it has a metric cap screw. It's a 3mm I believe.


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## Rat (Nov 30, 2013)

*Re: “WARNING” Counterfeit (FAKE) Surefire SW01 Slim tail caps*



Cerealand said:


> Thanks for the heads up. This post made me pull out my SW02 to check the spring. Non-shiny spring and same plate cuts out as the real one. :rock:



That's some good news.




RGB_LED said:


> Rat, sorry to hear about this - that must have been incredibly disappointing. But, thank you again for posting this along with the pics. :thumbsup:
> 
> Same here. I checked out my various SW02's and all had non-shiny springs and plate cuts. I do have to wonder if those scammers, who make fakes, would ever try to copy the switch exactly with non-shiny springs and plate cuts. Worrisome.
> 
> Rat, I would assume that any fake Z48's would also have the same differences as those for the Z49. I'll definitely take a closer at these in the future.




Sadly you would think they properly will. 
I am sure it will be the same for the Z48's as the Z49's and the same with the SW02's Luckly all my Z48 & SW02 switches are the real deal so I could not document them.






m4a1usr said:


> Ah ha! Found another way to spot the fakes. After checking my SW01 it matched all of Rat's warnings AND it has a metric cap screw. It's a 3mm I believe.




Sorry to hear you also have a fake. Good find on the crew size I bet there are many more ways to tell the fakes but I think we should leave a few out so if they try again we can pick them up on a few more things. I was going to pull my fake SW01 fatty down and have a good look at all the components but never had the time.

Keep checking your switches guys lets see how many of us have been deceived. 

:wave:


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## Z-Tab (Dec 1, 2013)

*Re: “WARNING” Counterfeit (FAKE) Surefire SW01 Slim tail caps*

I believe that I have a fake SW02. There's an old thread where the differences were pointed out on some earlier fake SW02s. Since then, the makers seem to have altered their design to make them more like the real ones, where the differences are now extremely minor, like with the SW01 you have.


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## GrizzlyAdams (Dec 1, 2013)

*Re: “WARNING” Counterfeit (FAKE) Surefire SW01 Slim tail caps*

Do the fakes work reliably?


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## OKUPANT (Dec 1, 2013)

*Re: “WARNING” Counterfeit (FAKE) Surefire SW01 Slim tail caps*

To me these SW01's all look real surefire. 
The internals on them are all the same as on Z41 taicaps. I have a few Z41's that came with surefire lights, that was nip. Some of them have the same internals as your "real" SW01, and some are the same as a "fake" SW01. So to me it is just a slight design change by Surefire during production. They often make changes into design, letterings and such. I might think those "real" SW01's are just earlier production and "fake" SW01's are later production. 

Cant comment on Z49's. I only have one Z48 (in HA) and it looks "real"


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## Rat (Dec 1, 2013)

*Re: “WARNING” Counterfeit (FAKE) Surefire SW01 Slim tail caps*



OKUPANT said:


> To me these SW01's all look real surefire.
> The internals on them are all the same as on Z41 taicaps. I have a few Z41's that came with surefire lights, that was nip. Some of them have the same internals as your "real" SW01, and some are the same as a "fake" SW01. So to me it is just a slight design change by Surefire during production. They often make changes into design, letterings and such. I might think those "real" SW01's are just earlier production and "fake" SW01's are later production.
> 
> Cant comment on Z49's. I only have one Z48 (in HA) and it looks "real"



Hi OKUPANT
Did you read the first post? 
There is one small problem with your thinking. The seller admitted they were fakes and offered me wholesale prices. He only did this because I made him believe I was interested in them to try and get as match info as I could before I run out of time as the 45 days was ticking very close. So they might very well look like the real thing to you but they are 100% fake. 

I have over 150 x Z41 tailcaps in my collection black and HA. The earlier ones have the wider machining lip on the spring seat and the later tailcaps has the thinner lip like the fakes on the spring seat but not one in over 60 tailcaps I check before giving up had a spring as soft as the fakes do.

I know the seller knows me from here on CPF as he said he did but I do not know the ID of the seller as yet. 
Excuse me if I sound a little suspicious.
I am expecting a counter attack from the seller hidden behind the security of the unknown ID and I am also sure I have pissed off many of the eBay sellers who are selling the fakes and properly some of them are members here just like the seller. So I am expecting some derailment attempts. 
Not that I need to but I will be sending my Fatty & Z49 to Surefire they will let me know what they think. The SW01 slim will be going back to the seller as he has accused me of scamming him for a free Fake SW01 but I will be pressing it flat under a 10 tonne press than sending it back. I will post some pic’s of that. 



:wave:


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## OKUPANT (Dec 1, 2013)

*Re: “WARNING” Counterfeit (FAKE) Surefire SW01 Slim tail caps*

Just my thoughts seeing pictures. Sorry. I am not connected anyhow with the seller of these. I am buying parts on the bay and MP here too, so will have to watch out.


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## Rat (Dec 1, 2013)

*Re: “WARNING” Counterfeit (FAKE) Surefire SW01 Slim tail caps*



OKUPANT said:


> Just my thoughts seeing pictures. Sorry. I am not connected anyhow with the seller of these. I am buying parts on the bay and MP here too, so will have to watch out.



No problem. Yes we all need to pay more attention now I think sadly. 


Stuff it here is the seller here guys http://feedback.ebay.com.au/ws/eBay...ingye1957&ftab=AllFeedback&myworld=true&rt=nc
Have a look before more of his sales start to time out. As you can see most of his stuff is fake just go thought his feedback. You will see M300C and M600C weapon lights sold months apart with different pictures but the same models have the same serial numbers.
I wish I had of shown more attention to his previous sales before I purchased anything from him. I would have picked that up as I knew about the fake weapon lights out there with the same serial numbers.


:wave:


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## 880arm (Dec 1, 2013)

*Re: “WARNING” Counterfeit (FAKE) Surefire SW01 Slim tail caps*

Rat, thank you for sharing the information, details and great photos. I'm very sorry to hear about you getting ripped off and I hope the individual(s) selling these fakes get what they deserve in the end.

The seller you referred to is familiar to several of us here already. Looks like it is the same guy we discussed back in April.


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## Rat (Dec 1, 2013)

*Re: “WARNING” Counterfeit (FAKE) Surefire SW01 Slim tail caps*



880arm said:


> Rat, thank you for sharing the information, details and great photos. I'm very sorry to hear about you getting ripped off and I hope the individual(s) selling these fakes get what they deserve in the end.
> 
> The seller you referred to is familiar to several of us here already. Looks like it is the same guy we discussed back in April.




What a dipstick I am  I feel so stupid now. 
They were the weapon lights I was talking about in the post above and here you have it six months later I fell victim to the very same seller. I think I am loosing my memory.

I wonder why he was left to continue to sell fake lights & parts eBay should try and clean this type of thing up a bit. I will phone them tomorrow and ask just that.



:shakehead


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## RI Chevy (Dec 1, 2013)

*Re: “WARNING” Counterfeit (FAKE) Surefire SW01 Slim tail caps*

Thank you for the heads up on these. :thumbsup: Sorry to hear that fellow members here are falling victim to these deceptive practices by other fellow members here.


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## 880arm (Dec 1, 2013)

*Re: “WARNING” Counterfeit (FAKE) Surefire SW01 Slim tail caps*



Rat said:


> . . . I think I am loosing my memory.
> 
> :shakehead



Don't beat yourself up. He is just one of the many sellers out there but I believe he accounts for a large number of the fakes that are getting out in circulation now. There is no doubt he has made a killing selling bogus merchandise.


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## luisma (Dec 11, 2013)

Rat said:


> What a dipstick I am  I feel so stupid now.
> They were the weapon lights I was talking about in the post above and here you have it six months later I fell victim to the very same seller. I think I am loosing my memory.
> 
> I wonder why he was left to continue to sell fake lights & parts eBay should try and clean this type of thing up a bit. I will phone them tomorrow and ask just that.
> ...



Rat I have on manny occasions reported the seller to eBay for selling fake stuff but they seem to wash their hands with the whole thing. As long as Surefire and eBay let him get away with it he will continue to sell them. He sold a bunch of SW02's and lately it has been the SW01's skinny. It's definitely a shame for all of us who are collectors and like to buy these great looking tail caps. 


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD


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## Kif (Dec 13, 2013)

For SW01 its really hard to tell which one is real which one is fake. I have couple of SW01s and now I have to check all.
For Z49 Z48 type it is easier to tell by checking the internal metal piece where the black plastic sits at.


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## brucejiang (Dec 13, 2013)

You may also find a Z48 copy on ebay

http://www.ebay.com/itm/RARE-NEW-SU...3073906?pt=US_Flashlights&hash=item4acd5e10f2


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## brucejiang (Dec 13, 2013)

Kif, check the shinny spring and you ll find difference, i do believe you know the company.


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## RGB_LED (Dec 14, 2013)

Rat and gents, thanks again for all the invaluable information here. I have been looking for a Z48 and would not have known that I could have bought a fake. 

I have to wonder if some of these sellers are actually aware or if they knowingly sell them regardless of their authenticity.

Now that I am aware, I will now know what to look for. Thanks again!

Sent from my Android device using Tapatalk.


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## jamesmtl514 (Dec 22, 2013)

I'm pretty confident mine are real. Let me know if you spot something fishy.


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## m4a1usr (Dec 22, 2013)

I have found another faka roo in my collection but the one common thing both have is the metric screw holding the aft section together. Its a 3mm metric screw and painfully obvious once discovered. The thin spring is another dead give away. But not the shinny spring reference. I have taken apart several Z41 to upgrade to McClickies and the springs on those were shinny. Not dull.


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## Fusion_m8 (Jan 21, 2014)

I must say that I panicked for a while reading this thread as I just recently purchased a SW01 Slim on CPFMarketplace! I have not received the tailcap yet but according to the pics uploaded by the seller, the tailcap I purchased is real. How could I tell? Well, the width of the metal rim where the spring sits on the real SW01's is significantly thicker than the fake's. This means lower electrical resistance on the real product.

Jamesmtl514, your SW01s all look real to me, they do have a thick rim on the switch!


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## RI Chevy (Jan 22, 2014)

He is probably one of the members that you don't have to worry about.


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## Fusion_m8 (Jan 23, 2014)

RI Chevy said:


> He is probably one of the members that you don't have to worry about.



Very true, but I purchased the SW01 from AKflash, another great bloke to deal with.


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## RI Chevy (Jan 23, 2014)

:thumbsup: We do have many excellent, valuable fellow members here!


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## Rat (Jan 23, 2014)

Its good to see not to many of these fakes have been showing up in peoples collections.

I finally got a refund today from PayPal. It was an extremely hard process they make it very difficult and give you very tight time frames to come up with the documentation they want. I had six days to come up with a document of authenticity from a Surefire dealer just before Christmas. It was a hard tusk as we do not have many dealers down here. They would not give me an extension. I was very lucky I found a dealer one day before time was up who was willing to spend the time to authenticate it and wright a report out. 
Than they made a mistake on the very last document (guarantee to destroy counterfeit item) I sent in and they emailed me with a decline on my claim. I was bowing steam the poor girl who took my phone call.
If you ever make a claim with PayPal make sure you keep records of all your calls and emails sent into them. They had sent me an email with a notification of receiving that last document one day before dead line. It was just an office mistake all the email times & dates where fine when they rechecked them.\

:wave:


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## RI Chevy (Jan 24, 2014)

Good to hear that you made out OK with your claim! :thumbsup:


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## Kif (Feb 13, 2014)

Here are some pictures of two of my SW01 Slim tail caps
They are both authentic to me
Any comment?


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## Rat (Feb 14, 2014)

Kif said:


> Here are some pictures of two of my SW01 Slim tail caps
> They are both authentic to me
> Any comment?



Yes they look good to me also :thumbsup:

cheers


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## LightJaguar (Feb 16, 2014)

Oh man I have an SW01 that I paid a good chunk of change awhile back. I hope it's not fake. When I get home that's the first thing I'm checking. 
I do have a fake Surefire SW02 that I knowingly bought a long time ago from a seller at the MP. I don't have a problem with clones as long as they are sold as clones. I could use one in a beat up C2 that I got not long ago.
I have been away from collecting and have not kept up on the Surefire stuff. However I'm surprised that more SW01 are not being sold around since there is "more" of them circulating. Maybe people are hoarding them too.


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## RedLED (Dec 27, 2014)

What a nightmare to have these fakes to worry about.

This is a wonderful thread and I just checked my last remaining Z48, not that I thought it to be a fake as I bought several from Surefire directly in or around 2000/2001/2002 I wanted to check to see if there had been any design or minor engineering changes, and mine looks identical to the one Rat has posted. 

I dont know how long they were produced, I don't think it was more than just a few years? If they had been in continuous production from the time I bought mine, you could expect some up grades or differences in the design, and the more changes made makes it harder to figure all of this out.

I know for certain I bought these as soon as they came out because in those days, myself and my friends wanted a Tailcap switch for our 6P's, which were standard issue for us gun & knife guy's, mainly because we did not have or even know about different brands, I only remember long gone Pentagon as a SF look a like, and we certainly never had any idea of custom lights, we did not collect Surefire lights, we carried and used them. I suppose that it was the early days of custom lights, with more production brands popping up, and then by 2004 we knew much more by learning of this forum and since then, there seem to be thousands of flashlights of all kinds.

it is a shame there is always someone to ruin everything, no matter what it is. Who would think that there would be counterfeit flashlight parts? I liked it better when it was just money, Rolex and Louis Vuitton that were faked, and I am a Rolex collector, God that sounds awful, but nevertheless I learned of this forum from the watch site I check on for Rolex.

It does not matter if you get taken by a counterfeiter for a $30,000 watch, a $300 tailcap switch or a twenty dollar bill; it has to be the same sinking feeling.

I hope my chronography of when I bought my Z48/49 switches helps someway in all of this. At the least we don't have to deal with 15 different editions of minor design and engineering changes.

If there is an update on this or a comment from Surefire, I would like to hear what anyone has learned.

RL


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## Bullzeyebill (Aug 12, 2018)

BTTT.

Bill


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