# The ABTOMAT Police Flashlight Collection



## ABTOMAT

The other day I realized I hadn't been active in the scene for a while, and people from half a decade ago were still waiting for pics of these lights. So, to kill two birds with one stone, I've started photographing my entire flashlight collection for the benefit of CPF.

I'll be slowly posting them as the get the photos taken, and have the time to resize and upload them all.

Kel-Lite 26" Batonlite. These lights use 5C cells plus an aluminum spacer rod. Without the spacer, this one holds 12 C-cells:






Kel-Lite 22" Batonlite. The silver bezels are made of solid stainless steel, for durability:





Mag-Lite 7D. They stopped making these in 1989:





Kel-Lite 7D. Medium head models were a late-'70s addition:





Bianchi B-Lite 7D. A post-Kel-Lite Don Keller design:





New Products Development Co. Tru-Grit 7D. Each knurled section unscrews to vary the length. I believe these guys ran afoul of Kel-Lite's lawyers around 1972:





Pro-Light 6D. Another Don Keller design:





Mag-Lite 6D. Recent production--I bought this new around 2004:





Streamlight 7C. With a surprise...





Trouble with unruly suspects or hippies? Well...





Out pops an ASP baton! It takes up four cells' worth of space in the light:





Streamlight 5D. Streamlight made a whole raft of D/C-cell flashlights in the '80s based on late designs they got when they bought Kel-Lite:





Brinkmann 5D. I believe Brinkmann's series of similar lights use the design from LA Screw Company's Code-4 models:





Mag Instruments Vari-Beam 5D. This was an '80s Mag-Lite sold through commercial suppliers. Designed to be hard to lose in dark places:





To be continued...


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## ABTOMAT

*Re: The ABTOMAT Collection*

It's probably pretty obvious, but I should mention the focus of the collection is vintage police flashlights. Most of them are from the 1968-1984 period before the market shook itself out.

Kel-Lite 7C with Judo Head tailcap:





Same light, tail end. Designed for certain types of defensive fighting tactics. Kel-Lite used the same shape for a yawara stick they made at the time:





Streamlight SL-35. Early production:





Mag-Lite 6C:





Brinkmann 5-3-2. It unscrews into segments of various lengths, just like the earlier Code-4:





B-Lite 5D. B-Lite used two main head sizes on their D-cell lights:





Kel-Lite 5D. This has some wild stories from the original owner:





Kel-Lite 5D. Covina-era:





Pro-Light 5C. Pro-Light often used a lot of plastic in their lights. This one has a metal barrel with plastic ends:





Streamlight 5C:





Kel-Lite 5D:





Kel-Lite 5D:





Kel-Lite 5D:





Mag-Lite 5C:





To be continued...


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## ABTOMAT

*Re: The ABTOMAT Collection*

Longtime CPF members'll notice I'm not using the famous leather couch any more. Collection outgrew that for group shots.

Gem-Lite 2D. As far as I know, these were made independently by a Bianchi supplier, using parts designed for the B-Lite. This one has a surprise, too:





A canister of Curb tear gas fits into the tail end:





Detail of the spray itself:





Kel-Lite 6C:





B-Lite 4D:





Kel-Lite 4D with a rare rechargeable tailcap:





Pro-Light 5C. This one's all-plastic:





B-Lite 4D:





Kel-Lite 5C. This one has a storage tailcap--uncommon on C-cell models:





Pro-Light 5C. I made the tailcap on my lathe--it originally had a rounded plastic cap that disintegrated:





The new tailcap:





Streamlight 4C:





B-Lite 5C. For some reason, they sold many fewer C-cell than D-cell lights:





Safariland Polaris. Bet you haven't seen one of these recently. It's a poorly made, all-plastic rechargeable that uses a magnetic reed switch. Built like a dive light so it's probably waterproof. I'd guess designed to compete with early rechargeable Pro-Lights and Streamlights:





Kel-Lite 4D. Very clean:





Kel-Lite 4D:





Kel-Lite 4D. Very early production. Probably pre-Covina. San Dimas, maybe. This was the first vintage police flashlight in my collection:





To be continued...


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## boss429

What a great collection-My compliments! Do have a "in" for vintage police lights? You just don't see most of those heavies often(or ever!).


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## BIGLOU

Wow! Sick collection! I love the Mace light. Thanks for sharing these photos. I read the other thread were you guys broke it down on the history of these companies. I now stop a yard sales and ask if they have old school flashlights and they look at me all wierd.:twothumbs


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## ABTOMAT

boss429 said:


> What a great collection-My compliments! Do have a "in" for vintage police lights? You just don't see most of those heavies often(or ever!).



Thanks. No "in," just time and legwork. Some cool people have donated to the collection. I have limited resources so I don't add new lights often.

And moving on...

Mag Vari-Beam 3D:





Streamlight SL-20. This was the flashlight that basically put everyone else but Mag out of business. Totally new technology and design:





Kel-Lite 5C. The Illinois State Police bought massive quantities of these things. You see them everywhere. Probably the most common Kel-Lite size:





Kel-Lite 5C:





Streamlight SL-20. Well-used:





Pro-Light rechargeable. While all Pro-Lights were designed to be rechargeable, this one was designed _as_ a rechargeable, along the lines of a Streamlight SL-20:





Pro-Light 3D. Hazard color scheme:





Gem-Lite 3D:





Streamlight SL-15. Smaller brother to the SL-20, all plastic, not made for as long:





Mag-Lite 3C. Need to replace the switch cover:





Kel-Lite 3D:





Stud-Lite 3D. What's a Stud-Lite? It's a Kel-Lite made for sale to truckers. Dunno why they were so specific, but they were trying to branch out from police sales at once point:





Citation:





To be continued...


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## swampgator

Great thread! 

A couple of questions now come to mind. 

Given a certain large company has a well known reputation for using litigation to protect their patents, how is it that their head is almost the same shape as the Bianchi? 

Also how many companies was Keller directly involved with?

When did Kel go to the internal push button switch?

And the last, did the Streamlight SL series pre-date their acquistion of the Kel-Lite brand?


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## ABTOMAT

swampgator said:


> Given a certain large company has a well known reputation for using litigation to protect their patents, how is it that their head is almost the same shape as the Bianchi?



I'm not up on my legal details, but I'd assume that wasn't something Bianchi cared about. And going the other way, Mag's issue is typically with the lettering around the heads and not the shape itself. They took down Streamlight and Brinkmann over that.



> Also how many companies was Keller directly involved with?



Off the top of my head, Kel-Lite, Bianchi, Pro-Light, Mag-Lite, ASP, Brinkmann, and Nordic.



> When did Kel go to the internal push button switch?
> 
> And the last, did the Streamlight SL series pre-date their acquistion of the Kel-Lite brand?



The pushbutton Kel-Lite was from somewhere around 1982-83. Right before Streamlight bought them. Streamlight's SL series started in the mid-late '70s. They only made rechargeables until the Kel-Lite buyout.


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## ABTOMAT

When I get around to it, I also have a bunch in their boxes, plus all kinds of odd accessories and paperwork.

Kel-Lite 3D. This one was painted at one point:





Kel-Lite 3D:





Kel-Lite 3D. Another early production one. You can tell these by the thin switches, no tailcap markings, and "KEL-LITE" directly behind the switch:





Mag-Lite 2D. This is very interesting, for a Mag-Lite. A 1980 production model before they finalized the design everyone knows. Has a very different switch with a large button, and says "PATEN PENDING" (misspelled) on the side:





GT Price Code-4 2D. GT bought the basic design from LA Screw as far as I know. This one has a movable red filter for night use:





GT Price Smoke Cutter 2D. Fireman's model with an anti-glare lens:





Pro-Light 2D:





B-Lite 2D:





Kel-Lite 2D:





Kel-Lite 3C:





Pro-Light 2C:





Kel-Lite 2D:





To be continued...


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## N10

the 2D Mag you have looks shorter than the present production one..like a cutdown....very nice(impressive) collection!


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## ABTOMAT

Thanks. I think that's just the angle of the photo--my 2D Mag is within 1/4" of the current one.

This the last of the used lights for now. I'll see about getting photos of the new ones and the other stuff soon.

Kel-Lite 2C. With a Judo Head tailcap:





A view of the tail end. Before I got a real one like this, I made one of these tailcaps myself using photos as a reference. I'll post that further down.





Kel-Lite 2C:





Kel-Lite 2C. This one has a polished front bezel. I've never seen another:





Kel-Lite 2 1/2D. The smallest Kel-Lite made. It was designed to use two 1/2D-cell batteries, but many people call it a "1D" light for simplicity. These days you'd be better off getting a 3AA adapter and a brighter bulb. It's also another very early production example:





Two Streamlight 2C. I don't have very many details on these. The bodies and tailcaps are machined like an early C-cell Kel-Lite. I'd guess Streamlight wanted to use the tooling for something and cranked out these simple lights. Twist bezel to turn on/off:





Same lights, other ends:





Healy Coach Works 2C. It's nearly identical to the Streamlight 2C but with Healy markings, shorter head, and longer knurled section. Made under contract, I assume. Missing the reflector assembly:





To be continued...


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## 3000k

What is the Vari-Beam maglite, was that the first focusable maglite or just a special name for the color combination?


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## ABTOMAT

3000k said:


> What is the Vari-Beam maglite, was that the first focusable maglite or just a special name for the color combination?



Just that color combination. The modern Mag-Lite design had been around for ~3 years before. Might have been the first non-black Mag, though.


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## Niteowl

Awesome collection. My favorite is the B-Lite 5C. I've got my 4C sitting here on my desk.

Any chance for a group pic?


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## ABTOMAT

Niteowl said:


> Any chance for a group pic?



Will do, stay tuned.


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## RedLED

I have a 3 D cell Mag Lite in the blue like yours, and bought it in a truck stop in 1982-83 or 84.

Still have it. Put an lED in it, and it serves as an emergency light in my studio, clipped to my production bench with the mag clips.

Looks like new. I think it cost $25.00 then.


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## Kestrel

Thanks for posting the pics.
I really like that pair of Streamlight 2C's near the end of your last post. :thumbsup:


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## bla2000

My favourite is the GT Price Smoke Cutter 2D. Great collection.


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## ABTOMAT

Moving on...

Mag Magcharger. This is probably the best flashlight Mag ever made, and it's still my favorite police rechargeable. Came out around 1982 to do battle with Streamlight's SL-20. It's a beautifully engineered light, and incredibly durable:





Now a few of the new lights.

Bianchi Super B-Lite 2D. This was Bianchi's final flashlight design, from right before they left the market around 1984. Shows some Streamlight influence, but a little more compact:





Super B-Lite 4D. Funny story: A surplus company was selling these things at discounted prices a few years ago. I mentioned to a fellow collector I was planning on buying one, then mysteriously the next day their entire inventory had been bought by someone with his name before I had a chance to get one.





Spec-Lite 6D. The Super B-Lite designs from when Bianchi bailed out were bought by an outfitting company and produced as Spec-Lites in the 1980s:





Grendel Grendelite A-2 8AA. This is the weirdest and one of the rarest flashlights I have. Grendel was an '80s firearms company known for high-tech but poorly designed and built handguns. The founded (George Kelgren) later founded Kel-Tec, another firearms company known for high-tech but questionably designed and built handguns, rifles, and shotguns. What you have here is a high-tech but poorly designed and built flashlight. It takes eight AA batteries, and has two brightness settings via a resistor:





One of the switch end:





To be continued...


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## bla2000

The Grendel Grendelite A-2 8AA must have been the inspiration for the Fenix TK40  Can it fit the standard cup holder in a car and was designed to do so? No matter what the reason for the design I like it.


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## merrimac

I have one of the Grendel P-30 pistol / 22mag-30 round clip (FACTORY) would luv to get one of the lights, it sounds kick a-- like the 30 rounds of 22-magnum. It lost out in the 94 band on hi-cap magazine sort of like the high velocity flashlights did in the late 70's (hippie tamers) - very nice collection, letting all the CPF'ers see what the good old days were like...


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## Solscud007

Do you not have the Surefire 3BL and 6BL?

You are also missing the ASP baton light.


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## ABTOMAT

Solscud007 said:


> Do you not have the Surefire 3BL and 6BL?
> 
> You are also missing the ASP baton light.



CR123 lights are outside the scope of this collection. I'm aiming for 1968-1984 or so, or lights connected to them.


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## toby_pra

huuugggeeeeeee collection!


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## Solscud007

ABTOMAT said:


> CR123 lights are outside the scope of this collection. I'm aiming for 1968-1984 or so.




ahh I see. well that makes sense. I thought you were just collecting police lights.


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## purelite

That Grendel is really ahead of its time if you look at the details. A crenallated bezel ring, head down pocket clip. Can anyone say there is an earlier flashlight with a crenallated bezel? That is a very cool light.


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## sween1911

WOW! Thanks for sharing all those pics and taking the time to put them all together and label them! I love that old school cop gear!


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## Chryslerguy

Awesome collection


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## roadie

Holy Sh*T !!!!!

Nice lights, i love them all 

:bow::bow::bow::bow::bow:

especially those with batons or for clubbing ....


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## ABTOMAT

Forgot about this thread. Need to photograph more...


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## angelofwar

Wow...I really like the styling on these...especially the Kel-lights...Ever get 2 of 1 model and look into to revamping it? I bet the Grendel Lite could do some damage with a xenon bulb! Like a 7D Magnum Star xenon!!! (If it doesn't melt first). Nice lights there abotamat!


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## Hamilton Felix

Wow, brings back memories. My 3-D large head Kel-lite was bombproof, but it suffered alkaline leakage when ignored. The first time, I was able to order parts and rebuild it. Last time, I gave up and it was tossed. 

I recall the 7-D Bianci B-lite I ordered; might still be at Dad's house somewhere. 

I recall a 4-D Herrett's Hi-lite, too. 

Well, at least now I know where Kel-light vanished to. 

Thanks. :thumbsup:


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## SCDC_Officer90

great collection really shows alot how much the flash light industry has changed


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## [email protected]

Nice! :thumbsup:

When I take out my 2C Kel-lite on the odd occasion and feed it 2 NiCDs I can't help but feel all nostalgic


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## ABTOMAT

Man, long time no post. ...now you get pics of THE REST OF THE COLLECTION.

Stay tuned....


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## RI Chevy

It is like a stroll down memory lane!  Cool pics. Thanks for sharing.


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## dbkraemer

Hi Abtomat. I just came across my old Grendelite A2 body, 2 battery hold subassemblies, parts, manuals, etc. I would like to refurbish it to working condition. Any thoughts?


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## ABTOMAT

dbkraemer said:


> Hi Abtomat. I just came across my old Grendelite A2 body, 2 battery hold subassemblies, parts, manuals, etc. I would like to refurbish it to working condition. Any thoughts?



Thoughts? If you have the stuff I don't see any reason not to fix it. They're rare. I don't like mine as a flashlight but it looks interesting on the shelf.


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## ABTOMAT

Moving on...

Pro-Light 6D, large-head model in the box. Metal tube with plastic head. Quite rare in this head size--possibly the largest reflector put in one of these lights:






Mag-Lite 3C from 1981. The box says "Large Head" on it--I believe early on Mag had multiple head options, but I've never seen one:





Streamlight Kel-Lite II 2D. Early Kel-based Streamlight. This one in a rare "Camo Lite" model with woodland anodizing:





Even rarer for having a D-ring tailcap:





Another camo Streamlight Kel-Lite II D-ring, this time in 4D:





Tail end:





Streamlight Kel-Lite II 2D. Plain back with flat tail:





Streamlight 3D SL-3DX. This was one of the last Kel-Lite based Streamlight models. Still made in Barstow:





Same light, out of the package. Streamlight did make an early run of these with Mag-eqsue lettering around the head. I've never owned one but you can imagine that didn't last long:





Back when people still remembered what a Kel-Lite was:





I believe that's it for my current flashlight collection proper. Next up we'll have some photos of the parts and accessories.


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## N10

okay, I have to ask,where do you source such lights..? amazing collection ABTOMAT!thanks for sharing & btw, is that "large Head" [email protected]'s head really larger than that or regular mags?


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## ABTOMAT

N10 said:


> okay, I have to ask,where do you source such lights..? amazing collection ABTOMAT!thanks for sharing & btw, is that "large Head" [email protected]'s head really larger than that or regular mags?



In the past, CPF, eBay, Craigslist, gun boards, etc. A few people have donated them which is awesome. I slowed down collecting a few years ago since I stick to a budget.

That Mag has the standard head size everyone knows. From what I've read, really early on you could get a small head model.


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## Boudreaux

Thanks for sharing your awesome collection.


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## ABTOMAT

You're welcome.

These are a pair of Kel-Lite chargers that would have been used with the tailcap on my 4D light on the first page. They didn't sell too many of those, so you don't see many of these. Kel-Lite was distributed by Safariland for quite some time:






Streamlight chargers, for the SL-15 and SL-20. You'll notice the middle one has the very early Streamlight logo:





Pro-Light chargers. Similar to Streamlight's:





And here's one that doesn't exactly fit the vintage police light theme, but it's interesting regardless. Charger and charging tailcap for the Streamlight Jr. It works a lot like the old Kel-Light charger--I wouldn't be surprised if that's where the idea came from:





To be continued...


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## SG688

Good to see you back.


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## ABTOMAT

Thanks, it's been a while.

Another item not directly connection related. Mini Mag bulbs from the '80s. Old style packaging and graphics:





Federal traffic cones for the C-cell Kel-Lites. They work pretty well and are surprisingly head duty:





This is the box and spare parts that came with the ASP baton adapter for the 7C Streamlight on the first page:





To be continued...


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## ABTOMAT

Something you don't see every day. But what is it?





...A Kel-Lite armorer's kit:





Full of all kinds of goodies:





I've seen two on eBay. Not cheap:





Not sure how complete mine is:

























Late-model knurled tailcaps. I think these were standard on the early pushbutton models. I don't own one of those:





To be continued...


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## ABTOMAT

Kel-Lite didn't just make flashlights. They also had a small line of police accessories. Batons, reusable plastic target ammo, and an interesting revolver speedloader:





Kel-Lite Firepower. Pouch by Tex Shoemaker, although I think the pouches were made by different companies along the line:





The actual speedloader is molded rubber:





The cartridge casings snap into the cavities in the rubber. When you load the gun you peel the rubber bit off:





To be continued...


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## purelite

Yoou know whats amazing to me All the stuff like SS bezels,bodies that can be adjusted to different numbers of cells,pocket clips and crenellated bezel rings? Its all stuff we on CPF look at as new and cool and innovative but its all been done before!!!! Some of those lights looks like modern creations!!!


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## ABTOMAT

All that stuff was done long before these lights were made, too, as far as I know. Technology as a way of going around. Other than LEDs and integrated switches, the "modern" alkaline-cell flashlight hasn't changed all that in 40 years or so.


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## ABTOMAT

Here's an original Streamlight SL-15 replacement lamp. This probably was the first machined and potted flashlight bulb. One reason Streamlight's lights destroyed the old D/C cell police light market:





Random B-Lite parts. Not quite as impressive as the Kel-Lite kit, but interesting regardless:





Super B-Lite head. The design is unique among older flashlights in that the switch is located in the wasted space behind the reflector. I think Streamlight later went that route with their Stinger:





To be continued...


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## ABTOMAT

One of my other hobbies (that I need much more practice at) is machining. Before I got my first Kel-Lite Judo Head tailcap a few years ago, I tried to make a replica based off measurements from a fellow collector. Turned out OK for a beginner project but I botched the threading.











To be continued...


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## ABTOMAT

Nope, no new pics. But another first in a long time--collection got smaller today as I traded away the two Magchargers for some non-vintage stuff.


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## CamoNinja

They'll be in good hands. You do have an awesome collection. Which is your favorite ? Most precious ?


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## ABTOMAT

Thanks. Favorite's probably the 26" Batonlite. Just something funny about that much whack in flashlight. Not sure about most precious, exactly. Either the 4D Kel-Lite that started the collection or the trashed 5D with all the police stories behind it.


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## ABTOMAT

Well, for years I've been telling myself "you're done collecting," and now tonight I couldn't hold back and I bought one of the most interesting vintage police lights made.

Stay tuned!


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## fiatluxetluxautemerat

Wow. Awesome collection!  There's always room for one more!:twothumbs

I look forward to seeing what you have.

AJ


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## ABTOMAT

I couldn't pass this up. I now have a Cold Steel Brute! It's a super-heavy-duty 7AA flashlight made around 1990. Has a small fan following on CPF, or at least did a few years ago. And contrary to most old police light literature that hinted "hey, you might be able to use this as a baton," the Brute was sold as "You're supposed to hit people with this."

Here's a pic of the ad. I'll get pics later today.


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## Fresh Light

I looked through all your pictures but did not see this one. I have this 7D I received from my dad a long time ago.





7D Kel-Lite with a silver 4D Mag

Is this considered the Large head Kel?


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## ABTOMAT

Yup, that's a large-head from the late '70s. Kel-Lites were available in all combinations of lengths and head sizes during their production.


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## Fresh Light

Thanks. I took somebody's advice a while back and through in a mag 6D bulb cause the 7D ones aren't so easy to find. Other than something like your baton Lites, this has got to be one of the biggest and heaviest clubs. You have an amazing collection, btw.


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## fiatluxetluxautemerat

I like it!

 Great dual purpose flashlight.


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## ABTOMAT

Inch-for-inch this has more whack that anything else in my collection. It's really not very large but it's very heavily built. I also noticed that, due to how it's constructed, if you had a couple of these lights you could do some pretty silly things--like have a 14AA light with a reflector on both ends.




























And another random photo--flashlight technology's come a long way in the last 40 years.


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## fiatluxetluxautemerat

Awesome! thanks for sharing!! :twothumbs:

Gone indeed are the dark ages of flashlights :candle:

AJ


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## HotWire

I have a Kel-Lite 2C just like the one in your picture. Not my oldest light, but I used it camping, walking, working on the car, etc. It still has the original bulb. I removed the batteries long before they could leak. Nice dim light with an easy-to-use switch.


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## [email protected]

HotWire said:


> I have a Kel-Lite 2C just like the one in your picture.
> [snip]
> Nice dim light with an easy-to-use switch.



Might need some deoxIT on the lights contact points and/or a krypton bulb


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## RStev

I know this is a bit of an old thread, but wanted to thank you for sharing all the excellent pictures and knowledge. I love these combination baton/torches.

Ron


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## ABTOMAT

Thanks. This thread'll be active as long as I'm collecting. And probably afterwards, since I imagine whoever buys them will have some new insight.

Just remembered I have an old book about using these lights for defense and combat. Gonna have to dig that out and post some pics.


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## ABTOMAT

Got a pic of the whole collection today. First time I'd done this since the couch pics 6+ years ago.


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## Sparkey97

Thanks for takng the time to photograph and share your collection. Great thread. I particularly like the Mag Instruments Vari-Beam. The '80s Mag-Lite. Being a girl, I like the splash of subtle colour.
That group shot rocks BTW!


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## ABTOMAT

Haha. Thanks, and I never thought about it like that. Welcome to CPF, by the way.


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## sween1911

BTTT. This is one of my favorite threads. Didn't notice you did some updates. Love that old cop gear!


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## KITROBASKIN

Pulled out my old Streamlight 3C light from when I did security in the latter 80's. My first one, in ~1985 is a 3C B-Lite with a worn out switch but could not find it for the time being. The (krypton?) bulb still works in the Streamlight. Curious that there are no brand markings, just a serial number. Astonishing to compare with today's torches.

What should I do with it? The protected switch B-Lite holds more sentimental value to me. Could I get a TerraLux LED for the Streamlight? Which one? Any advice would be much appreciated. They were both used extensively and served admirably.

CORRECTION: Was reading another thread. Found brand marking on tail cap. Norristown, PA and I think Barstow, CA. Can't tell for sure because of 'honor scars' on tail cap. Serial number: 0030268


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## ABTOMAT

Been a while. I have some interesting paperwork I really should get photos of for this thread. Also might have another B-Lite coming soon. I keep telling myself I'll sell off the entire collection and then I never get around to it...

Kitrobaskin, any PR-style LED dropin would work with the Streamlight. LED mods that require replacing parts of the light itself wouldn't work too well without customizing it.


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## boss429

I'm still watching this! Yes post more pictures:thumbsup:


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## ABTOMAT

I'm alive! It's funny, I just remembered today that I created this thread because I took all the flashlights off the shelf to dust them and realized I'd be too lazy to take pictures of them again.

Anyway, back to business. Standard 2D B-Lite, new to me recently:





Here's a fairly rare Kel-Lite. A later C-cell light with an enclosed metal switch and a medium head. Seldom seen--not sure if it came along very late or they just weren't popular:





Now a coupe cool books. First is "Defensive Tactics with Flashlights." It goes into great detail on both choosing a flashlight (to a CPF level of OCD) and how to fight with one. Surefire didn't come up with the idea of jamming flashlights into peoples' faces. It seems to have been sponsored by Mag-Lite just as the Magcharger was being introduced but it covers all the contemporary police light brands and their history:

















And a similar but much smaller book by Don Keller himself. "Kel-Lite Manual of Defensive Tactics:"













That's all for now...


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## me_no_thing

Amazing thread that i've seen


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## magellan

Cool photos. When was that defensive tactics manual published?


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## magellan

ABTOMAT said:


> Got a pic of the whole collection today. First time I'd done this since the couch pics 6+ years ago.
> 
> Extra large detailed photo: http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq141/20487/lights/2012collectionlg.jpg




Nice VariBeams too.


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## ABTOMAT

magellan said:


> Cool photos. When was that defensive tactics manual published?



1982


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## magellan

Thanks!


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## ven

Awesome!!! wow what a great collection


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## LeafSamurai

Great perspective and amazing collection. Thanks for sharing


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## magellan

I enjoyed seeing the old defensive tactics books as well as the lights.


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## dcriver

ABTOMAT said:


> Moving on...
> 
> Mag Magcharger. This is probably the best flashlight Mag ever made, and it's still my favorite police rechargeable. Came out around 1982 to do battle with Streamlight's SL-20. It's a beautifully engineered light, and incredibly durable:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Now a few of the new lights.
> 
> Bianchi Super B-Lite 2D. This was Bianchi's final flashlight design, from right before they left the market around 1984. Shows some Streamlight influence, but a little more compact:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Super B-Lite 4D. Funny story: A surplus company was selling these things at discounted prices a few years ago. I mentioned to a fellow collector I was planning on buying one, then mysteriously the next day their entire inventory had been bought by someone with his initials.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Spec-Lite 6D. The Super B-Lite designs from when Bianchi bailed out were bought by an outfitting company and produced as Spec-Lites in the 1980s:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Grendel Grendelite A-2 8AA. This is the weirdest and one of the rarest flashlights I have. Grendel was an '80s firearms company known for high-tech but poorly designed and built handguns. What you have here is a high-tech but poorly designed and built flashlight. It takes eight AA batteries, and has two brightness settings via a resistor:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> One of the switch end:


*ABTOMAT,*


Those Grendelite a2, do you you kow if they were also made in a olive color and plastic case. I lost my old one and it looked exactly like these. Same belt clip, 8 AA, switch looks identical, only one ouput. The lens and bezel looks the same. Twist off lens and insert batteries. Body was ribbed or fluted.

I had carried mine with a maglite krypton bulb, was very bright for the time.


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## RI Chevy

You can upgrade MagCharger with a Malkoff drop in. Just mentioning, as I have 2 of them, and like them.


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## ABTOMAT

dcriver said:


> *ABTOMAT,*
> 
> 
> Those Grendelite a2, do you you kow if they were also made in a olive color and plastic case. I lost my old one and it looked exactly like these. Same belt clip, 8 AA, switch looks identical, only one ouput. The lens and bezel looks the same. Twist off lens and insert batteries. Body was ribbed or fluted.
> 
> I had carried mine with a maglite krypton bulb, was very bright for the time.



I don't know much about them. They were available in more than one style, since I've seen photos of one that had a yellow (possibly plastic) body.


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## magellan

Just went thru this thread again. Very interesting lights and history.


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## magellan

I finally pulled out my only two police lights:
.



.

A B-Lite with the old slide switch and nylon holster and a Super B-Lite with the red rubber boot and original box.


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## ABTOMAT

Latest addition to the collection. It's not a police light and not exactly a Kel-Lite, but it's interesting. At some point in the late 90s or early 00s, Don Keller arranged for GT Price to be bought out and renamed Kel-Lite. This didn't last long and they soon became Nordic Light and then went out of business as far as I know. This light is one of GT Price's AA pilot's lights, but from the Kel-Lite rebranding period. It's the size of a Mini Maglite, with a pushbutton switch and a red filter that pulls over the bulb.


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## magellan

Nice!


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## RI Chevy

Cool.


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## lumen aeternum

RedLed said:


> I have a 3 D cell Mag Lite in the blue like yours, and bought it in a truck stop in 1982-83 or 84.
> 
> Still have it. Put an lED in it, and it serves as an emergency light



You have an exploding flashlight? Wonder how many lumens it puts out. Pretty short battery life though...

But seriously -- what kinds of bulbs do these use? How bright did they get?


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## bykfixer

Dusting off this jewel of a thread to say I found a Pro-Light in great shape recently. Scheduled to arrive Thursday. 







Don Keller may have been the most influential flashlight designer since CF Burgess created reliable dry cells and Conrad Hubert passed out Evereadys to local policemen way back in the 1910's. 

Thank you for doing this abtomat. Many- a hole in historical documentation was filled in by this epic thread.


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## magellan

Congrats on a great find. 

Nice to see some action on this thread.


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## bykfixer

^^ Thanks for that. 

My collection of 'cop lights' is pretty thorough from the real early days to the early 60's then it jumps over the 70's and 80's (to the early 90's) largely due to lack of knowledge. 

After reading this all I can say is "Hey Captains... you and the Maglites are gonna have company.


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## magellan

I'll second that!


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## sgt253

HAHAHA! How did I know that you would probably get this! I should have bid when I saw it....LOL!!! I LOVE IT! 

Best.


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## bykfixer

Until I get a proper 6 volt charger cord for it 3D cells will light it up. It arrived without the cord. And after ?? years between charges it did light briefly, then faded to nill.

It's rumored the SL20 battery works.


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## bykfixer

My first B-Lite:




The still working stock bulb was replaced with a PR6. 

The stock (Holland made Norelco) bulb was placed in the tail section and a Tung Sol went in. 
Saving the stock bulb was part of the reason, but those Tung Sol are so darn nice. Nary a filament shadow to be seen. 

This is a sweet flashlight circa around 1977-78.


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## sgt253

Very nice. Good score.


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## KITROBASKIN

Heart aflutter.

I have a 3 C cell B-Lite somewhere in storage with perhaps more usage marks than this one. Thank You for providing image. The switch started wearing out and I purchased a Streamlight for security guard duty way back then.


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## sgt253

KITROBASKIN said:


> Heart aflutter.
> 
> I have a 3 C cell B-Lite somewhere in storage with perhaps more usage marks than this one. Thank You for providing image. The switch started wearing out and I purchased a Streamlight for security guard duty way back then.






If you're interested, there is a switch on that auction house site that ends in -ay...:twothumbs


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## bykfixer

KITROBASKIN said:


> Heart aflutter.
> 
> I have a 3 C cell B-Lite somewhere in storage with perhaps more usage marks than this one. Thank You for providing image. The switch started wearing out and I purchased a Streamlight for security guard duty way back then.





sgt253 said:


> If you're interested, there is a switch on that auction house site that ends in -ay...:twothumbs



I pm'd kitro the link to it. I bought one and it's perfect.


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## bykfixer

Boo!!! Photobucket!!! Boo!!!


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## bla2000

Perhaps you already know this but to view the Photobucket photos:

right click on the broken image and choose open in a new tab.
This brings you to the Photobucket site. It will either show the image or show another broken image. If it is a broken image then:
right click on that broken image and choose open in a new tab.


It's a bit of a pain but better than nothing.


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## LiftdT4R

bla2000 said:


> Perhaps you already know this but to view the Photobucket photos:
> 
> right click on the broken image and choose open in a new tab.
> This brings you to the Photobucket site. It will either show the image or show another broken image. If it is a broken image then:
> right click on that broken image and choose open in a new tab.
> 
> 
> It's a bit of a pain but better than nothing.



Thanks, that works great!!

I'd like to offer to redo this thread and host the pictures on my imgur. This would be with Abtomat's and/or the forums permission of course. I would make a faithful reproduction and all credit would be given to Abtomat. I don't want any credit for this I just want to preserve this thread. if everyone agrees and include all of the original pics from Photobucket before they are lost forever. Can everyone let me know if this is something they would like or if they think it's a good idea?


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## bykfixer

Pix working again. Yay!!!


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## Chauncey Gardiner

bykfixer said:


> Pix working again. Yay!!!



Thats really great news. :twothumbs 

~ Chance


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## LiftdT4R




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## magellan

Glad to see this thread’s photos were preserved.


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## bykfixer

Pix still working (with their new watermark).


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## ABTOMAT

No, I'm not dead
Yes, I'll rehost the photos since Photobucket turned into garbage
No, I haven't stopped collecting but I have slowed way down
Yes, I have some cool stuff I'll be posting soon

And a little teaser for you all...


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## boss429

on my win 7 PC I can right click and select "view image" avoiding opening a new tab


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## bykfixer

Most excellent. 

The 2D small head Kel Lite is like carrying a portable snoot.


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## LiftdT4R

Very awesome! Looks like the first ever weapons mount light to me. This is hands down my favorite thread on CPF! Can't wait to see it back up again.

I really like your Streamlight with baton end cap too! I picked up a 6C with a similar ASP end cap a while back. The guy I picked it up from said he was a distributor and that they were made for C and D cell Streamlights and Maglites in the late 80s.


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## ABTOMAT

All right, Thread Major Feature Update 3-2020: I've rehosted all the photos, as well as resized them. They're still mostly ten years old and I couldn't find the originals in some cases, but definitely an improvement. In the meantime, I'll upload some of the more recent additions in the next few days.



LiftdT4R said:


> Very awesome! Looks like the first ever weapons mount light to me. This is hands down my favorite thread on CPF! Can't wait to see it back up again.
> 
> I really like your Streamlight with baton end cap too! I picked up a 6C with a similar ASP end cap a while back. The guy I picked it up from said he was a distributor and that they were made for C and D cell Streamlights and Maglites in the late 80s.



Good eye on the weapon light, although "first" might be pushing it. There were a few random ones going back to the turn of the century, but this was one of the first modern integrated lights.

The flashlight ASP is hilarious. Terrible idea but I'm glad it exists.


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## bykfixer

The first _recorded _weapon mount light in the US was a patent for a shock absorber mounted to a revolver in 1912. It was called a night sight. 

Once the PR base bulb was standard there were springs incorparated in the bulb fastener assembly that made things a bit better. They became much more drop friendly but were still far from ideal. Don Keller used tried and true pieces and procedures in his earliest products. Things used prior to the advent of the alluminum tube light but had shown potential to withstand shock to a degree.


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## ABTOMAT

Back to our regularly scheduled programming.

Nothing unusual about this 2C Kel-Lite, but it shows the kind of internal condition you often see these in:





Battery acid has nearly dissolved the threads at the tail end:





This 5D Kel-Lite has a more dramatic example:





One of the switch screw holes has been completely destroyed. This body is no longer usable:





On the flip side, this is a very clean 3C Kel-Lite. The 3C posted earlier in this thread is in worse condition:





Long-time readers may have noticed the thread was missing a 4C Kel-Lite:





Also interesting for having a Judo Head:





Another Kel-Lite 3D:





Readers may also have noticed no 6D Kel-Lites in the past. This one was painted at some point:





Another Kel-Lite 6D:





Tru-Grit 5D:





This one still has the lanyard ring:





And before anyone asks:





A weapon to surpass Metal Gear:





To be continued...


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## ABTOMAT

Here's a 2D Kel-Lite:





With this interesting metal rail:





That connects to this:





Which forms this:





The High Standard 10B was the second bullpup police shotgun made by High Standard. The 10A from about 1968 had a completely built-in flashlight. The 10B came out around 1972:





It was uncomfortable to shoot, hard to clean, worked with magnum shells only, and was known to destroy the flashlight. Police didn't like them and they were discontinued around 1977. I get the feeling this isn't going to be a frequent shooter for me:





Moving on, ever wonder what else you got for your money in the '70s? Here're the packaging for a 2C Kel-Lite:





Box, warrany card/parts list, and two 10th anniversary stickers:





Purchased at the very end of 1977. If you happen to have C0093543 consider reuniting it with its original package:





To be continued...


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## LiftdT4R

Thank you thank you!! I could read this thread all day! Do you mind if I post a couple Kel-Lites I have and have come across? Hoping you can help me out with some info but I don't want to steal your thunder.


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## ABTOMAT

LiftdT4R said:


> Thank you thank you!! I could read this thread all day! Do you mind if I post a couple Kel-Lites I have and have come across? Hoping you can help me out with some info but I don't want to steal your thunder.



Sure, you can post a few. At this point you probably know more about the lights themselves than I do, though.

If you want to display your collection I'd say that'd be for its own thread.


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## LiftdT4R

I am none too familiar with the Kel-Lites and their history. I just wanted to post a couple I'm kind of lost on to see if you have any info or have ever come across them.

I was told this one is one of the first rechargeable flash lights and it's a prototype of a modified Kel-Lite. I bought it from a former CPFer a while back.












This one I think is a 1976 bi-centennial model. I tried to purchase it but the owner wouldn't let it go. 






The ASP lights are crazy! I loaded mine up with batteries and toted it around my neighborhood while walking my dogs. It is sooo cumbersome I couldn't ever imagine using this for any length of time. With the baton extended it is almost impossible to swing with any kind of accuracy.


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## ABTOMAT

I have no direct knowledge of either of those. Kel-Lite did offer a rechargeable tailcap for their flashlights, as seen further up in the thread, but I don't know how yours fits into the story. I've hear the tricolor ones described as bicentennial models as well, so your guess is as good as mine. I've also seen factory Kel-Lites with silver barrels and heads/tails of different colors--usually with white plastic slide switches.

At the moment I'm looking for a BTL-18 and any kind of non-black color style standard size. The former is pretty common but usually overpriced by sellers, and the latter rarely sells high but I haven't seen one in a year or two.


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## LiftdT4R

Thanks, do you have any pics of the tail cap on that rechargeable 4D? Also, do you happen to have the serial number on that very earl 2D Mag-Lite or 5C Mag-lite form the first page? They both look very very early.

Every time I see the BTL lights they seem sot go for $200+. I'd love to have a BTL 26 just because I think it's the longest flashlight I've ever seen. I got bid up pretty high last year on one and lost with a high bid of $350. Do you know of any longer lights?

I have a 5D Silver early Kel-lite and a Gold 2C but other than that the different finishes seem hard to come by.


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## ABTOMAT

Wow, I've never seen them go that high. Last few 18s that sold went in the $125-190 range and that was more than I'd be comfortable paying most days.

No one-piece longer lights. Some of the screw-together models can become as long as you can handle.


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## ABTOMAT

As I mentioned earlier in the thread, Kel-Lite made a variety of police-related products. One of them was the "Judo Stick."





It's a type of yawara stick, a short handheld baton used for a variety of self-defense and compliance techniques. Don Keller was an advocate for Eastern-inspired martial arts that were becoming popular in the 1970s.





Some of the techniques it was designed for appear...unconventional.





The same type of ribbed head was also available as a tailcap and saw a little more success in that role. Oddly, the baton was a slightly smaller diameter than the flashlights. I'm not sure if they were all this way.





To be continued...


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## LiftdT4R

Very awesome! I've been looking for one of those books for a while. I wish Don would either re-print them or make a scan available online. I'm sure it's a great read!


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## ABTOMAT

I'll get a scan one of these days, when I feel like risking the book.

Another Gemlite, or in this case "gem-lite." It looks newer than the two earlier in the thread, and the design has changed. Now features a logo and the machining much less resembles a B-Lite. In fact, the tailcap is a exact duplicate of a Kel-Lite's, only without the markings. The silver barrel isn't original--someone appears to have dunked this in chemicals which mostly dissolved the exterior black anodizing.


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## bykfixer

The B-Lite is my favorite vintage california cop light.


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## sween1911

Bump for a great thread! Was just thinking of this thread watching a video of Scotty Reitz formerly of LAPD SWAT relating some of his war stories. He told about pursuing a suspect under the floor into the crawlspace of a house with "1911's and SL20 Streamlights."


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## boss429

boss429 said:


> What a great collection-My compliments! Do have a "in" for vintage police lights? You just don't see most of those heavies often(or ever!).




I'm still here looking at your most awesome collection! 10+ years later! (Still haven't found a single one for myself "(or ever!)" ...lol)


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## cadbob

I have the almost exact one as you the Streamlight 7C, mine just has plain tail cap, I'm looking to find a parts list/Model number for mine. I want to fix the Light bulb and possibly use the light. Mine has this Aluminum piece that un screws with a spanner type wrench, but no bulb


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## ABTOMAT

Hey all, hope everyone came through the other end of 2020 in one piece. I made a few interesting additions to the library I'll be posting up when I have a chance.



cadbob said:


> I have the almost exact one as you the Streamlight 7C, mine just has plain tail cap, I'm looking to find a parts list/Model number for mine. I want to fix the Light bulb and possibly use the light. Mine has this Aluminum piece that un screws with a spanner type wrench, but no bulb



I may have a parts list somewhere but Streamlight no longer supplies parts for these. The ring with the spanner holes only comes out to work on the switch assembly, so you don't need to take it out unless you're fixing that. The bulb itself is held in with a smooth threaded collar. Do you have photos of what's wrong with yours?


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## jz6342

How have I missed this thread this long???!!!! The last seven pages have been a major trip down memory lane for me; my very first "police" flashlight was a 6 D cell Maglite bought when I was a LE Explorer back in 1979-80. I used that as a security officer and then LE Officer. I won a Magcharger in 1985 at the security company I worked at. I still have it somewhere. I used two or three 3 C cell Mags in my LE career - they were small enough to carry all the time, bright enough (for the time), and made an effective cosh if necessary in an emergency (of course). Ahh, the good old days when flashlights were metal, batons were wood and police guns were round...


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