# Backwards in time



## Megalamuffin (Jan 17, 2022)

When I was a kid in the early 2000’s I remember seeing surefires in gun magazines and was awed by how awesome they looked. I always wanted one of those tough looking flashlights, especially the gray HA models and the e2d.

I’ve been carrying a flashlight for years but it was not until recently that I bought a surefire like those ones that wooed me in the magazines years ago. I have a few LED defenders now, and a C2. I love using a P60 in my C2. Now I have the urge for more of those great old incan models. I don’t need more lights or the expense. It’s a bit of nostalgia. That lovely warm incan light that comes out of some of the coolest flashlights in history just stirs me.


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## thermal guy (Jan 17, 2022)

Yep same here. Could never afford them when they came out so starting buying them now. Just don’t get your hopes up. They are great lights but really can’t compare with even todays keychain lights.they say it’s never a good thing to meet your hero😂


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## Megalamuffin (Jan 17, 2022)

True, but since many of them can freely swap between incan and led it makes buying them worthwhile for more than nostalgia alone. The modularity is great.


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## thermal guy (Jan 17, 2022)

Ya that was my thinking as well. The problem with that is as soon as you update the nostalgia is kinda gone. No led is going to look like an incandesce


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## bykfixer (Jan 17, 2022)

You need a 6P in your life. 

Just sayin'……


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## thermal guy (Jan 17, 2022)

Yes everyone needs a 6P! That is a given. In fact it should be some sort of CPF law. Can we do that😁


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## dotCPF (Jan 17, 2022)

Funny, one of the things that got me on here was acquisition of a NIB 6P, and deciding that I needed to have a full "new from package experience" 6P if I were to really start diving into the Surefire collecting scene. Largely from reading what people still said about them while I was lurking. Took me about two years of occasional use to use the 2 original cells it came with, then I popped in a W M61 LLLL module and the cells still run that another 2 years later. 

I love the incan bulbs though, I always keep a few ready to rock. I love the P61, I've kept that in the defender 6P, and the P91 is rad in a C3. 

That being said, the LF Incan bulbs are great to run off of 2x 18650 as they are meant for it. Hurts my wallet a lot less since I've really not been able to let go of incandescent lighting.


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## Olumin (Jan 17, 2022)

I enjoy the old incans. I like the simplicity. Nothing beats the tint & even the small ones throw like crazy. Just recently got a 1st gen strion, originally just as a collectors item but I enjoy using it quite a lot. + its rechargeable so no feeling guilty about wasting batteries. I normally carry a single mode light anyway so i still find the old incans very useful. Thinking bout carrying the strion, but it'd be a shame to scratch the finish.


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## Megalamuffin (Jan 17, 2022)

bykfixer said:


> You need a 6P in your life.
> 
> Just sayin'……



I have one, with another soon to arrive. As good as the 6P is I like the C2 even more.


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## thermal guy (Jan 17, 2022)

The C2 is a fantastic light. The square body makes for great grip and loaded with a modern dropin makes for a great combination.


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## Bimmerboy (Jan 17, 2022)

I'll tell ya', much as I love the 6P and C2, I think the Z2 is even better. The feel in hand is just superb.


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## sandalian (Jan 18, 2022)

Have you heard about Lumens Factory? 
They build P60 drop-ins with LED inside that has similar characters to incand.


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## Megalamuffin (Jan 18, 2022)

sandalian said:


> Have you heard about Lumens Factory?
> They build P60 drop-ins with LED inside that has similar characters to incand.



Yes. I am really happy with my warm malkoff M61’s so I haven’t tried any other led P60’s. I do mean to try some of the lumens factory lamp assembly’s soon.


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## Lumen83 (Jan 26, 2022)

thermal guy said:


> They are great lights but really can’t compare with even todays keychain lights.they say it’s never a good thing to meet your hero😂



I suppose it all just depends what you are looking for. In terms of output and battery life? No, they don't compare. But in terms of the quality of light, I find many of the old incans to be far superior. The color rendition and tint is a much more enjoyable experience for me. And when I am home I carry a 6P with P60 lamp.


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## Megalamuffin (Jan 29, 2022)

I checked one classic off the list. It’s in very good shape and the switch clicks nice and crisp like new. The 60 lumens it puts out is pleasant and useful. The only thing to complain about is the short runtime.


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## raggie33 (Jan 30, 2022)

im a tech lover im wierd and dislike old tech. but if it amkes you happy yhat is all that matters


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## Megalamuffin (Jan 30, 2022)

It makes me very happy. I enjoy new light tech also, but these are so much more fun. Plus now I get to make an E1D incan. How cool is this little thing!


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## bykfixer (Jan 30, 2022)

E2D was my first E light. The day it arrived I said to myself "now I know what all of the fuss is about"… and it was still daytime. 
Soon after some Lumens Factory bulb modules arrived.


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## tech25 (Jan 30, 2022)

My gateway Surefire was the G2L. That was only after years of looking atSurefire lights. A friend of mine had an early 6p that blew me away. It was so much brighter than my 3D maglight and was so small! 

When I finally splurged for one, LEDs were the rage and the G2L lasted so much longer and didn’t need bulbs to be replaced. 
Yes, it had a blueish beam but that meant it was better, right?!? 

A few years ago I got 2 e2e and a 6P , kept one e series and the 6P incandescent and recently put together an E1e with a Lumens factory 18350 body for guilt free runtime. 

There is something about the Incan E series that I love, almost every night I carry one. 

What I would have done years ago to have a E2e/E1e to carry alongside my trusty Mini mag!


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## bykfixer (Jan 30, 2022)

I think the gateway SureFire for me Tech was the G2x Pro. I was all in on zoomies at the time since they were just like a Maglite to me. Only smaller like a Coast HP1. Then a black G2x Pro arrived and I was hooked on the low output. To me it was like my 90's minimag with an option for a heck of a lot brighter. I never knew the beam had a hint of green until CPF told me so.

Soon after a tan one, and a yellow one arrived. A genuine SureFire flashlight for $55. It was probably the tan one that was the gateway. A 6P wasn't that far behind with a z59 clicky tossed in the cart. A Malkoff M61WLL went into that one. I never considered an E light for a while.

But when PK gave me a Vital Gear it kinda stoked up the urge for an E light. I have a few now. Some going back to the early days. Most are stock shelf queens but I do have a beater E2D LED with a Scout tailcap and a 300 lumen Tana 219c in 3600 kelvin (iirc, it's warm) I like to use at work some times. Folks who see it in action think it's a light bulb.

To this day the yellow G2x Pro is my favorite LED flashlight. I gave away the tan one to a gentleman who could not find a 320 lumen version in his country. Yet my favorite SureFire is still the 6p.


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## Kestrel (Jan 30, 2022)

Megalamuffin said:


> I checked one classic off the list. It’s in very good shape and the switch clicks nice and crisp like new. The 60 lumens it puts out is pleasant and useful. The only thing to complain about is the short runtime.
> 
> View attachment 23095


That fish light is straight baller, son. 
(Sorry, inside joke for the old-timers)


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## Megalamuffin (Jan 31, 2022)

tech25 said:


> My gateway Surefire was the G2L. That was only after years of looking atSurefire lights. A friend of mine had an early 6p that blew me away. It was so much brighter than my 3D maglight and was so small!
> 
> When I finally splurged for one, LEDs were the rage and the G2L lasted so much longer and didn’t need bulbs to be replaced.
> Yes, it had a blueish beam but that meant it was better, right?!?
> ...



There is definitely something special about the incan e series. 60 lumens doesn’t sound like much but that incan light has a way of punching through the dark. I have mine today.


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## Olumin (Jan 31, 2022)

Currently im carrying my MDC with the LF E-head and a 50lm 3.7V incan module again. Plenty of beautiful incandescent light. Ive also gotten some Osram 64410s and running them in my G4 modded 3C. With the vertical filament it throws very well + should have about 3 hours of runtime on 21700s. Spare bulb still fits in the tailcap. Bulbs are about 80 cents each. Very practical even in 2022.


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## Chadder (Feb 14, 2022)

I always remember seeing Surefire advertise in magazines and would end up saving up my money and buying one. I also started getting the annual surefire catalog and would read the stories and wait for them to finally come out. Most of my incans have drop in LED's but I do put in an incan bulb now an again to enjoy the warm glow. My E2O and my E2E are my two favorite lights. I also still love my C2 and 6P. I remember reading about how an Alaskan Brush Pilot used the E2O and I could not wait to get one. It took about a year after seeing that article in the catalog for me to finally afford one.


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## 3_gun (Feb 14, 2022)

SureFire isn't the only way to time travel; had my Streamlight(s) TwinTask, TL-3 & Scorpion out for a check-up over the weekend. All incan(s) & all still working like new. My 1st SF was a LED L2 which still works like new. When you buy good gear you usually only need to buy it once in a lifetime


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## bykfixer (Feb 14, 2022)

Here's one for ya 3_gun




This 2aa light uses a PR2 bulb and head swivels 90 degrees. Twisty-click for on/off.

TSA may not let me on a plane with this old Pentagon:




Here's why:




You can use the serations to cut steak. Pentagon called them "spikes" and they weren't joking. 

But seriously folks, my favorite E lights are an E2D Defender LED with a Tana and an Aviator converted to an E1 with a Tana.




Both have Scout tailcaps.


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## thermal guy (Feb 14, 2022)

Still IMO one of the best incandescent lights that was made.One of my TL’s has a Fivemega 2X18650 and SF beam defuser and is awesome for searching for lost stuff in the house or checking on the little ones at night


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## Chadder (Feb 14, 2022)

Besides my surefire lights I love this guy and my Incan stinger as well!


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## Megalamuffin (Feb 14, 2022)

I took the old round body 6p on the walk tonight. What a nice light. It did a nice job with the HO6 installed which projects a nice big hotspot. I am warming up to that particular lamp assembly, although it is quite the gas guzzler.


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## Megalamuffin (Mar 2, 2022)

Chadder said:


> View attachment 24016
> View attachment 24017
> 
> 
> I always remember seeing Surefire advertise in magazines and would end up saving up my money and buying one. I also started getting the annual surefire catalog and would read the stories and wait for them to finally come out. Most of my incans have drop in LED's but I do put in an incan bulb now an again to enjoy the warm glow. My E2O and my E2E are my two favorite lights. I also still love my C2 and 6P. I remember reading about how an Alaskan Brush Pilot used the E2O and I could not wait to get one. It took about a year after seeing that article in the catalog for me to finally afford one.



Great collection.

I have seen that same page in the ‘04 catalog with the E2O and the bush pilot. It made me want one, 18 years later. Maybe a tough find now but I put it on the list.


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## Chauncey Gardiner (Mar 2, 2022)

At the top of my Surefire game back in 2010 -







My very first quality flashlight. Now sporting some aftermarket bling - 







My favorite Surefires are these two, purchased from the fine folks at Oveready -


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## skillet (Mar 2, 2022)

Olumin said:


> I enjoy the old incans. I like the simplicity. Nothing beats the tint & even the small ones throw like crazy. Just recently got a 1st gen strion, originally just as a collectors item but I enjoy using it quite a lot. + its rechargeable so no feeling guilty about wasting batteries. I normally carry a single mode light anyway so i still find the old incans very useful. Thinking bout carrying the strion, but it'd be a shame to scratch the finish.


Those are called “guilt free lumens” - A phrase first coined by Paul from Maryland I do believe


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## Megalamuffin (Mar 3, 2022)

Chauncey Gardiner said:


> At the top of my Surefire game back in 2010 -
> 
> View attachment 24566
> 
> ...



Great lights. The e1e all the way right, did they make a factory version like that or did you have to take the head and tail off an e2d?


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## Chauncey Gardiner (Mar 3, 2022)

Megalamuffin said:


> Great lights. The e1e all the way right, did they make a factory version like that or did you have to take the head and tail off an e2d?


 
My memory fails me other than that was the configuration when I purchased it. I don't know what the factory option/s were. 

I do remember placing one of those tail on my BackUp. Slipperiest flashlight I've ever owned.


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## Megalamuffin (Mar 23, 2022)

Checked another classic off the list. Great looking light and great ergos.


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## vicv (Mar 26, 2022)

For me it’s not even backwards in time. I’ve never really switched over to led. I have a few but they mostly just sit there. My use case is usually under an hour and I don’t have them running the whole time. So runtime is a moot point. All of my lights easily get me an hour. And around 100 lumens is all I ever really need. Even that is overkill most times but sure is fun. 
Loving the great lights in this thread


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## bykfixer (Mar 26, 2022)

A couple of my favorite oldies: 





A 6P with coating removed and polished along with a polished alluminum Solitaire. 
The 6P has an Elzetta wire lanyard ring with olight adjustable wrist strap. The Solitaire has a MicroStream clip and a generic miny carabiner


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## scout24 (Mar 30, 2022)

Kestrel said:


> That fish light is straight baller, son.
> (Sorry, inside joke for the old-timers)


🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 Haven't thought of that in a while! Thanks for the laugh, K..


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## Megalamuffin (Apr 13, 2022)

The best flashlight


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## bykfixer (Apr 13, 2022)

From what I understand these lights were not very popular so SureFire did not make a whole lot of them in gun metal. 
Both arrived with working bulb modules that have been replaced with modules from Lumens Factory. 
Both are semi-retired.


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## jabe1 (Apr 13, 2022)

I keep a stock E2e around just because of how great the beamis. I wish I had the presence of mind at the time to get an Incan TL3 also…


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## bykfixer (Apr 13, 2022)

Some back to the future action: 





1973/4 Kel-Lite 2C with 2x18500 lifepo4 and 4 cell xenon Mag PR flange bulb and ultraclear glass. 





Without a flashlight. Lots of moonlight tonight. 





With the 2C Kel-Lite. Big light, little package.


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## aznsx (Apr 13, 2022)

bykfixer said:


> View attachment 26268
> 
> With the 2C Kel-Lite. Big light, little package.



Dang, man - you 'bout lit up the next zip code with that thang

EDIT: I noted after posting this that autocorrect didn't mess with 'thang'. Someone must've taught it some Southernese!


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## bykfixer (Apr 14, 2022)

My favorite auto correct feature? 
The off button.

Yeah, that little 2c packs quite a punch with those extra volts. The neighbors in the distance seem ok with me shining a light on their house on occasion. If they only knew that one is a light from 1974 with an early 2000's bulb fueled by solar lamp batteries……


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## scout24 (Apr 14, 2022)

*Love it! May have to scour the 'Bay for one of those, Byk... 👍👍👍*


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## Megalamuffin (Apr 14, 2022)

Bulbs still rule, and the mn03 is one of the best. I greatly enjoy using this light.


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## ledbetter (Apr 14, 2022)

Megalamuffin said:


> Bulbs still rule


You gotta be kidding me. They’re just hanging on with their old yellow fingernails. Zero house lights are bulb and only one flashlight, a knock off g2 is incandescent, and that’s a garage light. But glad you old timers are loving those bulbs and rotary phones!


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## Megalamuffin (Apr 14, 2022)

ledbetter said:


> You gotta be kidding me. They’re just hanging on with their old yellow fingernails. Zero house lights are bulb and only one flashlight, a knock off g2 is incandescent, and that’s a garage light. But glad you old timers are loving those bulbs and rotary phones!



They have their uses, and we just like them. I don’t have a rotary phone though.


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## ledbetter (Apr 14, 2022)

I was sort of kidding. Bulbs are cool sometimes and so are rotary phones.


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## vicv (Apr 14, 2022)

I much prefer a piece of string and two cups


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## Megalamuffin (Apr 14, 2022)

vicv said:


> I much prefer a piece of string and two cups



The best thing about that method is you aren’t bombarded with spam calls 24/7.


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## Roger Sully (Apr 14, 2022)

And if you are you can use the string to choke 'em out...


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## ledbetter (Apr 14, 2022)

The spam calls are intense! Even my 94 year old mother knows better and screens calls. If she hears it…


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## Megalamuffin (Apr 18, 2022)

This is a fun combo, VME head and HO6 lamp.


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## Megalamuffin (Apr 22, 2022)

Check this one out. Pretty nice shape, just a few dings and some scratches on the lens. It was a nice surprise that it has a momentary tailcap like a 6P. Really nicely built, like it has some kind of special sauce that modern e series don’t. Unfortunately the lamp seems to be on its last leg as it’s behaving erratically. Oh well, at least you can still buy mn03’s.


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## vicv (Apr 23, 2022)

Megalamuffin said:


> Check this one out. Pretty nice shape, just a few dings and some scratches on the lens. It was a nice surprise that it has a momentary tailcap like a 6P. Really nicely built, like it has some kind of special sauce that modern e series don’t. Unfortunately the lamp seems to be on its last leg as it’s behaving erratically. Oh well, at least you can still buy mn03’s.
> 
> View attachment 26683
> View attachment 26684


That’s nice


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## bykfixer (Apr 23, 2022)

I actually prefer the beam of the Lumens Factory bulb over the SureFire for the e lights.




Two e lights look similar from this angle. 





Twisty vs clicky. Right is the clicky.


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## thermal guy (Apr 23, 2022)

Twisty for sure!!


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## Megalamuffin (Apr 23, 2022)

Very nice lights BYK, twisty for the win. Just a wonderful user interface.

I can’t tell a difference (aside from brightness) between the eo-e2r and an mn03. LF does a great job. My e2d has a slight green corona around the hotspot and I was never sure why. Turns out it’s because of the coating on the lens which the lexan e2 doesn’t have. I have a LF glass lens for the e2d but have never put it in because I need to buy a couple strap wrenches to get the bezel apart.


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## Batou00159 (Apr 23, 2022)

Megalamuffin said:


> I checked one classic off the list. It’s in very good shape and the switch clicks nice and crisp like new. The 60 lumens it puts out is pleasant and useful. The only thing to complain about is the short runtime.
> 
> View attachment 23094
> View attachment 23095
> View attachment 23096


This Fish


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## Megalamuffin (May 2, 2022)

Here is a beautiful condition 6p that was very generously given to me by a longtime CPF member. There are some fine folks on this forum.


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## bykfixer (May 2, 2022)

This thread rox!
Keep 'em coming megal.

Edit




Added the TL-2 shockproof. 
This one was said the withstand being clamped to a 12 guage shot gun.


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## bykfixer (May 19, 2022)

How about a Pentagon…… eX2 to be specific. 




This was Pentagon's answer to the 6P. 





Good ole Pentagon anti-roll and tailcap boot. 





Up front is an early Malkoff pat pend M60T module





Kinda ringy pre-McCliesch reflector of the M61.

I bought a couple of these for $10 each back around 2017. Not as grippy as a 6p but it was a nice alternative. When Scout 24 let go of the M60 I knew this was the light for that one.


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## Megalamuffin (May 31, 2022)

Finally got my hands on a C3. Not HA, but it’ll do for now. 😁

It came with a p90 and I have a LF EO9 lamp. The E09 has more brightness in the spill and a more balanced beam overall, but the p90 holds its own.


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## badtziscool (Jun 1, 2022)

Those old Surefires sure do pull on those nostalgic strings, don't they?


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## Megalamuffin (Jun 1, 2022)

Yes they do. Nice lights.

I’m using the c3 with the EO9 on the job today. Incandescent light is the perfect choice for the beautiful old made in 1910 building we’re working on currently.


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## Megalamuffin (Jun 2, 2022)

I put some teeth on the c3. They are sharp!


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## Megalamuffin (Jun 8, 2022)

Finally got a gray C3 thanks to a forum member. A very, very nice one. It was worth the wait. 😁


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## bykfixer (Jun 11, 2022)

One of my all time favorites:




The Vital Gear FB2 with clip and working LM2 module.


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## aznsx (Jun 11, 2022)

Byk -

Looks like a cool piece, and I'm totally unfamiliar with it. I guess it's likely from a decade +/- ago when I was working so many hours (using my flashlights nearly continuously) I didn't have time to think or care about what was going on in the flashlight biz. I'll bet I missed a lot of good stuff!


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## bykfixer (Jun 11, 2022)

Vital Gear was a side project by SureFire's VP named PK from around 2005. It was short lived company where he had a lineup of 1,2 and 3 cell lights with an e-series size body and P60 size front end. Some were switchless while others were clickys.
The bodies still show up from time to time at eBay or here at CPF but the LM2 bulb module are pretty much extinct. Most people bought them to modify. The most radical I've seen was a 1 cell body with a 50mm Maglite head.






Vital Gear -"Mild to Wild"


Vital Gear - small, silent, and bezel down. Show your FB1, FB2, FB3, F2, FL2, twistys, custom, modified, and LEGO'd Vital Gear flashlights. EDIT: 7/10/17 Many pics lost in crash. Still a lot of good reference pics in this thread. EDIT: 04/11/20 Scroll down for lots of good pics. Thread of...




www.candlepowerforums.com


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## Bimmerboy (Jun 11, 2022)

bykfixer said:


> Vital Gear was a side project by SureFire's VP named PK from around 2005.


I was well aware of Vital Gear back then, but had no idea it was PK's! How did that one slip past me?... lol.


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## bykfixer (Jun 11, 2022)

One day at the SureFire collectors page on fakebook I posted a Vital Gear light and got flamed until PK himself made a statement about them. Folks were wondering wth was with Vital Gear being posted on the SureFire page.


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## PastorGman (Jun 14, 2022)

I was looking through all my accessories in my safe and found a Sure 6P Original that I had forgotten about. It probably was in there for about two years without even clicking it on. As soon as I depressed the end button...voila!...it turned on. Those things are worth the money if you can find them. Not bright, according to today's standards, but they work! I got mine from an old Army buddy. The remote switch is a Chinese cheapo but it works, too.


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