# SureFire D3 Defender



## kamagong (Feb 25, 2019)

Just bought a SF D3. Does anybody here have one? Care to share your thoughts? I've read all I could find on them, both here and elsewhere. Information is quite sparse. I couldn't even find any recently completed sales on eBay.

This is my first P90-based light.


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## Kestrel (Feb 25, 2019)

Congrats on the D3; along with the Z3, they are prob. the rarest production SF's. I had a near-mint D3 for a while, unfortunately they seem to be regarded as more utilitarian than collectible. A 9P with a pocket clip, what's not to like ?
Anyhow, like most of the 3xCR123 SF's, they got buried by the 1x18650 revolution. An interesting footnote for production SF's at any rate - my favorite config for your light would be a Malkoff M91 dropin & 3xCR123 primaries for a top-notch backup light around the house. :thumbsup:


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## Nephron44 (Feb 25, 2019)

kamagong said:


> Just bought a SF D3.



Pics or it didn’t happen


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## kamagong (Feb 25, 2019)

Kestrel said:


> Congrats on the D3; along with the Z3, they are prob. the rarest production SF's.



That's what I gathered. Only made for a couple of years?



Nephron44 said:


> Pics or it didn’t happen



I don't have it in hand yet, but I'll post pics as soon as I can. Until then, here's the seller's image to whet your appetite.


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## archimedes (Feb 26, 2019)

You've seen this info page ? ...

http://flashlightguide.com/2013/06/fact-sheet-surefire-d3-guardian-d3-defender/


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## kamagong (Feb 26, 2019)

I have, thanks. One of the few references extant on the D3.


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## archimedes (Feb 26, 2019)

kamagong said:


> I have, thanks. One of the few references extant on the D3.


This is the relevant main CPF thread ...

http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?251194-SF-Defender

You are correct, not much specifically on the D2/D3 around (never were all that common)


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## Nephron44 (Feb 26, 2019)

kamagong said:


> That's what I gathered. Only made for a couple of years?
> 
> 
> 
> I don't have it in hand yet, but I'll post pics as soon as I can. Until then, here's the seller's image to whet your appetite.



Hubba hubba!


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## Helmut.G (Feb 26, 2019)

Kestrel said:


> Congrats on the D3; along with the Z3, they are prob. the rarest production SF's.


I think the D2 is rarer still, I've only ever seen very few pictures of that.

I have two D3's that I picked up cheap from the bay, they used to show up quite a lot over here a couple of years back.



kamagong said:


> That's what I gathered. Only made for a couple of years?
> 
> 
> 
> I don't have it in hand yet, but I'll post pics as soon as I can. Until then, here's the seller's image to whet your appetite.



Interesting, the light on the picture has the new logo but the old-style round bezel. Both of mine have the new logo as well but came with the early hex anti-roll bezel with the plastic lens.


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## kamagong (Feb 26, 2019)

Helmut.G said:


> Interesting, the light on the picture has the new logo but the old-style round bezel. Both of mine have the new logo as well but came with the early hex anti-roll bezel with the plastic lens.




Care to share the serial numbers on your lights?


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## Helmut.G (Feb 26, 2019)

kamagong said:


> Care to share the serial numbers on your lights?


serial numbers are A05782 and A02791. the one with the higher number has the same body shape as yours, the other one has a more pronounced radius (no sharp edge) where the body widens next to the bezel.


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## kamagong (Feb 26, 2019)

I know the D2s at least had heads like mine.
​




_Image by DimeRazorBack
_​


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## Helmut.G (Feb 26, 2019)

kamagong said:


> I know the D2s at least had heads like mine.


yeah, dimerazorback's is an early model. it has a different style of clip, probably the crosshairs logo and an older style tailcap with unusual lettering.

despite not being in production for too long, the D3 was sold in a variety of slightly different incarnations.
at least 3 different bezels, different clips, different names, different logos, (subtly) different body shape, at least 4 different tailcaps (if tempest_uk is right in the defender thread).

I don't believe the serial numbers can be used to reliably date the lights, either.


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## nimdabew (Feb 26, 2019)

I had no idea a beast like this existed. Now you have me hunting for a D2 at the very least.


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## kamagong (Feb 26, 2019)

Good luck. They're not common at all. My cousin, who knows I like SureFires, picked this up for me and sent it my way. I know nothing about this light, which is why I created this thread. I doubt I could have found this one had I been deliberately looking for it.


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## nimdabew (Feb 26, 2019)

kamagong said:


> Good luck. They're not common at all. My cousin, who knows I like SureFires, picked this up for me and sent it my way. I know nothing about this light, which is why I created this thread. I doubt I could have found this one had I been deliberately looking for it.



It took me years to find stuff I have been lusting for. Now that it is on the radar, one will show up eventually. If not, well it will be a bucket list item.


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## kamagong (Feb 27, 2019)

Received the D3 today. Unfortunately it's not mint. It might have been a cop's old light because it came with an old Bianchi holster. The body is excellent, but there are marks of usage on the lens and tailcap. The light must have been activated and left on face down because there are bubbles and deformation on the lens. The rest of the head looks good aside from one very minor ding. Most of the marks are on the tail cap, the light was probably carried with the tail cap exposed. 






Pocket clip!











Still, a very cool and uncommon light.


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## Helmut.G (Feb 28, 2019)

I'm surprised to see that your light has the notch on the body where you would align the tailcap's notch, but has the non-lockout "laser products" tailcap with no notch.


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## Hightower (Oct 15, 2020)

Yesterday I received three D3, but newer versions


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