# Best aftermarket strike bezel head for a Surefire 6P?



## DuckhunterInTN (Jan 23, 2008)

I have been thinking about getting an aftermarket strike bezel head for my Surefire 6p. I don't want to spend a lot on it but want something that is of decent quality.

I have seen some from G&P on ebay. What is everyone's opinion of them? Is the lense glass? Also, I have seen some on ebay with stainless steel "teeth." Has anyone had any experience with them?


----------



## Sgt. LED (Jan 24, 2008)

Stainless head from Lighthound!
Fantastic. 
Buy it NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

http://www.lighthound.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=3079
+ remember your CPF discount.


----------



## ace0001a (Jan 24, 2008)

Yeah, I like the G&P/Solarforce strike bezeled heads too. I have the black aluminum one with the Stainless Steel bezel and I love it. The all Stainless Steel one seems cool too, but I don't like that much silver color on a black flashlight.


----------



## kavvika (Jan 24, 2008)

Here's a Solarforce bezel on ebay for only $14 shipped. I take it it's the same as the Lighthound bezel?


----------



## pbs357 (Jan 24, 2008)

Yeah, lots of choices here...I'm curious to hear more opinions from users. Also, does the stainless ring on these things fit onto the stock 6p's bezel in place of the factory lens bezel ring?


----------



## Scattergun (Jan 24, 2008)

The GP heads are marvellous, lens easily replaced with a UCL 28,8mm change the o-ring so the glass sits on top of the o-ring and you have the extra room to fit any aftermarket drop-in, including the outer spring! :twothumbs


----------



## cfromc (Jan 24, 2008)

I was thinking about the stainless steel one but an aluminum one should offer better heat sinking since aluminum absorbs heat faster.


----------



## Sgt. LED (Jan 24, 2008)

Al is better for heat issues, you are quite right.
I went for total stainless to make my G2 with Q5 WE and AW 17650 as tough as I could. I don't think that I can break it now unless I was really just trying to!


----------



## DuckhunterInTN (Jan 24, 2008)

Thanks for the help, guys. I like the lighthound one but I think I would prefer the black finish over all silver.

Can anyone tell me what material the lense in the G&P and/or the combination aluminum/stainless is made of?


----------



## ace0001a (Jan 24, 2008)

DuckhunterInTN said:


> Thanks for the help, guys. I like the lighthound one but I think I would prefer the black finish over all silver.
> 
> Can anyone tell me what material the lense in the G&P and/or the combination aluminum/stainless is made of?



The G&P/Solarforce Black Aluminum Head with Stainless Steel Strike Bezel uses a regular glass lens. Works great on C2 and I like the look of it. I may swap it out with a UCL, but to me it works great as is. :thumbsup:


----------



## ykb (Jan 24, 2008)

I bought a G&P tactical head from eBay. The sharpish bezel was supposed to be removable (http://www.gp-web.com/en/productspop.php?pid=496) but wasn't. Also, there was no G&P packaging. 
I emailed the seller, who said sometimes the bezel is glued at the factory, and the G&P packaging was removed to save weight...
They offered to replace it but I'd nicked it a couple of times trying to remove the bezel, so declined.
Other than that - good item!  
Fits a Cree and a Seoul drop-in no problemo


----------



## dudemar (Jan 24, 2008)

I have the GG&G strike bezel, it is one mean piece of metal. Check it out at www.gggaz.com under "Flashlights and Accessories". It can be had for fairly cheap, if you know where to look.

Dudemar


----------



## Bogie (Jan 24, 2008)

dudemar said:


> I have the GG&G strike bezel, it is one mean piece of metal. Check it out at www.gggaz.com under "Flashlights and Accessories". It can be had for fairly cheap, if you know where to look.
> 
> Dudemar



Same here It is deffinetely a high quality unit.


----------



## ace0001a (Jan 25, 2008)

Bogie said:


> Same here It is deffinetely a high quality unit.



For $46, it better be! Looks cool though, but I think it's funny that one part costs more than the $45 I paid for my Surefire 6P.


----------



## kavvika (Feb 15, 2008)

Thought I would post an update. I ordered the $14 SS Strike Bezel a few days after I posted the link. It took about 2 weeks to arrive, which isn't bad at all. I received it Tuesday, I believe, and was astounded at the quality of the unit. The glass is perfectly clear, held in place by a rubber gasket one one side, and then a thin plastic washer to prevent scratching when the SS bezel ring is fully screwed on. The anodizing is thick and flawless, nearly matching the SF black Type II ano, but it's slightly "deeper" and a bit shinier. It's hard to notice a difference unless you really look for it. There are no machining marks whatsoever, and I have no reason to believe this isn't the same unit sold elsewhere for twice the price. At $14, you CAN'T go wrong, and I will be purchasing at least one more. The stainless steel is surprisingly durable, able to chip concrete I found out, and it still shows no scratches. Previously, when I had tried to install DX #1343 in my 6P, it left a large gap with the stock bezel, but with this one, the gap is just less than 2mm. I'll take some pictures later. Get 'em while you can!


----------



## DuckhunterInTN (Feb 16, 2008)

kavvika said:


> Thought I would post an update. I ordered the $14 SS Strike Bezel a few days after I posted the link. It took about 2 weeks to arrive, which isn't bad at all. I received it Tuesday, I believe, and was astounded at the quality of the unit. The glass is perfectly clear, held in place by a rubber gasket one one side, and then a thin plastic washer to prevent scratching when the SS bezel ring is fully screwed on. The anodizing is thick and flawless, nearly matching the SF black Type II ano, but it's slightly "deeper" and a bit shinier. It's hard to notice a difference unless you really look for it. There are no machining marks whatsoever, and I have no reason to believe this isn't the same unit sold elsewhere for twice the price. At $14, you CAN'T go wrong, and I will be purchasing at least one more. The stainless steel is surprisingly durable, able to chip concrete I found out, and it still shows no scratches. Previously, when I had tried to install DX #1343 in my 6P, it left a large gap with the stock bezel, but with this one, the gap is just less than 2mm. I'll take some pictures later. Get 'em while you can!


 

I second your post. I ordered a stainless steel and a regular aluminum head and they are both of excellent quality. They appear to be worth twice the cost, the stainless steel version especially.


----------



## pbs357 (Feb 16, 2008)

For the Solarforce bezel, is it ALL steel, or just the ring? I think an all steel head would make the flashlight very front heavy, wouldn't it?


----------



## kavvika (Feb 16, 2008)

The $14 Solarforce bezel I purchased is all aluminum, with the same dimensions as the stock 6P head, but with an extra stainless steel bezel ring screwed to the front. The ring can be taken off, since the lamp is not held in place by the window, but rather a lip inside the bezel, but I wouldn't trust the plastic washer to hold it in. There is an all-stainless steel head w/ strike bezel available, but I didn't purchase it as this one was much more in line with what I wanted to pay and looks far better than having a giant silver chunk of metal on the head of a black light.
Here's the eBay image I rehosted:


----------



## labrat (Feb 29, 2008)

Just got one stainless steel head from SolarForce, bought on eBay from a vendor in Hong Kong.
USD 21, shipping included.
It looks great, mean, thick/very transparent glass, nice fit, but heavy.
Makes for a mean looking self-defence item:





But not pocket friendly!


----------



## pbs357 (Mar 1, 2008)

Wow! I just rec'd my $14 Solarforce strike bezel form eBay, in 8 days from Hong Kong! You guys are right, the quality is extremely good. Yes, it does make it non pocket friendly, but it sure makes my 6p look bada$$. However, the bezel does seem a bit deeper - my DX modules that used to make a gap between the head and body (which I filled with an o-ring) now fit in there flush YAY!.... but my Malkoff M60 won't light reliably in it AWW!! Has anyone know if Gene's bezel fitting ring would fix this?


----------



## kavvika (Mar 4, 2008)

Just as a heads up, KaiDomain now has the "$14.00 eBay Solarforce Strike Bezel" for sale for only $11.51.

Also, my roommate decided to test out how strong this bezel really was. He gripped my light and slammed it against a concrete post as hard as he could.:sigh: Sure, it _survived_, but one of the teeth is really roughed up now. It's only metal, right? More reason to pick up a second one!


----------



## kramer5150 (Mar 4, 2008)

kavvika said:


> Just as a heads up, KaiDomain now has the "$14.00 eBay Solarforce Strike Bezel" for sale for only $11.51.
> 
> Also, my roommate decided to test out how strong this bezel really was. He gripped my light and slammed it against a concrete post as hard as he could.:sigh: Sure, it _survived_, but one of the teeth is really roughed up now. It's only metal, right? More reason to pick up a second one!



LOL... but it could pierce flesh unscathed... right?

thanks for the $11 tip. I wasn't going to get one of these things, but heck I might now.


----------



## adamlau (Mar 4, 2008)

Replace the 6P bezel with an M2 13586-11 and pick up an RPM Ti crenellated version upon release:


----------



## quatra2008 (Mar 5, 2008)

b/s/t forum for a 6pd bezel? i have seen a few floating around there lately


----------



## Justin Case (Apr 1, 2008)

kavvika said:


> The $14 Solarforce bezel I purchased is all aluminum, with the same dimensions as the stock 6P head, but with an extra stainless steel bezel ring screwed to the front. The ring can be taken off, since the lamp is not held in place by the window, but rather a lip inside the bezel, but I wouldn't trust the plastic washer to hold it in. There is an all-stainless steel head w/ strike bezel available, but I didn't purchase it as this one was much more in line with what I wanted to pay and looks far better than having a giant silver chunk of metal on the head of a black light.



Could you show some photos of the bezel with the silver strike ring removed and the location of this plastic washer you refer to? I am interested in getting some replacement 6P bezels that use either a plain glass window already or an easily replaceable window so that I can swap in a UCL Pyrex window. How easy is it to remove the existing window? What is the diameter -- is it 28.8 mm like someone earlier said was the diameter for the G&P head? What do you mean when you say that you "wouldn't trust the plastic washer to hold it in." Hold what in -- the window? Where is this plastic washer located and how is it attached to the bezel (e.g., press fit, retaining lip, threaded and glued, ....)? Thanks.


----------



## Justin Case (Apr 1, 2008)

Scattergun said:


> The GP heads are marvellous, lens easily replaced with a UCL 28,8mm change the o-ring so the glass sits on top of the o-ring and you have the extra room to fit any aftermarket drop-in, including the outer spring! :twothumbs



Can you describe what needs to be done to swap out the window for a new UCL Pyrex one? When you say "the glass sits on top of the o-ring", do you mean that the o-ring goes into the bezel and then the window goes in next? Or vice versa?

And just to confirm, the strike ring simply unscrews from the rest of the bezel, to leave you with essentially a stock 6P head?

Thank you.


----------



## kavvika (Apr 1, 2008)

Sure thing. The first picture is of the order of disassembly. First the stainless steel ring is removed, then the thin plastic washer come off, letting the glass window fall out. Underneath that is a nifty moulded rubber gasket that centers the window, hugging it from the back and sides, as if to protect it from drops. Then you obviously have the aluminum bezel. It's a little dark, but I hope it helps.





Then I have a picture of the washer sitting on top of the bezel. I think it's to protect the glass from the stainless steel ring, as it really doesn't hold the window in if the ring is unscrewed.





Then here's the window sitting on a ruler. I think the macro function distorts the image, as the right side is at 0 and its diameter is exactly 28mm.





As a side note, I see KD raised the price of the bezel to $14, matching the eBay price. When I get another, I won't be purchasing it from Kai since I'd rather have it sooner than a month after I order.


----------



## Caligvla (Apr 1, 2008)

dudemar said:


> I have the GG&G strike bezel, it is one mean piece of metal. Check it out at www.gggaz.com under "Flashlights and Accessories". It can be had for fairly cheap, if you know where to look.
> 
> Dudemar



GG&G makes great stuff, but just check to make sure you are legal to carry it. In Los Angeles it's considered and edged weapon... Silly and probably enforcement is hit and miss, but... if you are concerned about LE attention... check to make sure it's legal in your area.


----------



## pbs357 (Apr 1, 2008)

Cool pics Kavvika! I like the Solarforce bezel (especially at that price!), but with some of my P60 drop-ins it requires some sort of ring to make reliable contact. I got a few from Gene on my last Malkoff orders, and it works great now. I can be a little more care free than with my 6P defender bezel. Darn these shelf queens! Can't throw'em around like my G2 or old worn 6p!


----------



## Justin Case (Apr 1, 2008)

kavvika said:


> Sure thing. The first picture is of the order of disassembly. First the stainless steel ring is removed, then the thin plastic washer come off, letting the glass window fall out. Underneath that is a nifty moulded rubber gasket that centers the window, hugging it from the back and sides, as if to protect it from drops. Then you obviously have the aluminum bezel. It's a little dark, but I hope it helps.
> 
> 
> Then I have a picture of the washer sitting on top of the bezel. I think it's to protect the glass from the stainless steel ring, as it really doesn't hold the window in if the ring is unscrewed.
> ...



Thanks. I see what you mean about that plastic washer. Looks like if I got the Solarforce head that I'd have to keep the strike ring, which looks like it was designed by someone who never considered that people might actually carry the light in a pocket.

The glass window in your photo looks good. Is it as optically clear and flat as it appears?

For those who have ordered the G&P tactical head and UCL Pyrex replacement window, what was your total price including shipping? Basically, the head looks like it costs $13 and the flashlightlens.com web site says a 28.8mm diam UCL Pyrex window costs $5.25, giving a total price of $18.25 excluding any shipping. Optics Planet has a Z44 HA bezel for $23, and ground shipping is free for orders over $29.95. Since I plan to replace several old Lexan window 6P bezels, I'll make the Optics Planet limit easily.


----------



## kavvika (Apr 1, 2008)

I'm more than satisfied at the clarity of the window and have no desire to upgrade to UCL. If you look at my second picture, you can see a little smudge on the outside, though (whoops). The windows is quite thick for it's diameter, at exactly 2mm, and it is flat on both surfaces. The window is nicely finished, with rounded edges and no sharp corners, which is a pleasant surprise for only $14. I say get the $14 eBay bezel that I bought, and save the difference to put towards a premium P60 module, which will make more of a difference.

Scattergun previously stated that if the window is replaced and a o-ring is placed underneath, there will be more room for a P60 module inside. That is not the case. The head itself has a machined lip, that both the module and window are butted up against on either side. Moving the window outwards does not affect the space for the module whatsoever, as it does not rest against the window.


----------



## Infamous (Apr 2, 2008)

pardon my noobiness, will this thread onto and fit a G2?


----------



## generic808 (Apr 2, 2008)

You can swap all parts from a 6P to G2.


----------



## Panaphonic (Apr 2, 2008)

I'm looking for a strike bezel too, preferably just a replacement for the stock lens retainer 

I think lighthound had one but it's not listed anymore, any chance it will be in stock again?


----------



## Justin Case (Apr 2, 2008)

Panaphonic said:


> I'm looking for a strike bezel too, preferably just a replacement for the stock lens retainer
> 
> I think lighthound had one but it's not listed anymore, any chance it will be in stock again?



Lighthound told me that the GP313 is out of stock, back in stock perhaps in a month.


----------



## Infamous (Apr 2, 2008)

generic808 said:


> You can swap all parts from a 6P to G2.



thanks!


----------



## NA8 (Apr 4, 2008)

:devil:

http://www.sportsauthority.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2461775


----------

