# Can anyone date Surefire lights by their serial numbers?



## Brownstone (Dec 21, 2009)

Hi all,

Is there a table or document anywhere that can provide a rough date of manufacturer given a Surefire serial number?

Specifically interested in the M95x bodies.

Thanks!


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## greenLED (Dec 21, 2009)

As far as we've been able to tell, SF serial numbers have no relationship with age.


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## Roger Sully (Dec 21, 2009)

My SF doesn't even have a serial# :shrug:
I just know that it's ooold !


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## greenLED (Dec 21, 2009)

HSG said:


> My SF doesn't even have a serial# :shrug:
> I just know that it's ooold !


Pics please. What model is it? DaFabricata would be interested in it.


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## Roger Sully (Dec 21, 2009)

It's my first 6P that I got when I first became an EMT about 15 years ago.
I moved about a year ago and while going through an old dersk I found the box..of course I didn't know about CPF then and thought "Do I still need this box? It's not like I'm going to return it..." 
It was in durned good shape too! Everything it came with (except the light and batteries of course) were still in the box...


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## souptree (Dec 21, 2009)

Size15s can date them just by looking at the file name of a jpeg. :laughing:


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## Tempest UK (Dec 21, 2009)

greenLED said:


> Pics please. What model is it? DaFabricata would be interested in it.



Back in the Laser Products days, when the bodies of the flashlights didn't have flat surfaces for markings, no serial numbers were used. As such, there were a lot of models produced without serial numbers, not just the usual, smaller 3P/6P/9P lights but also the larger 12PM/12ZM models and all of the other oddities that no longer get any mention on CPF.

The only markings were on the tailcap.

If you (the OP, or anyone else) want to date a SureFire then posting a picture would certainly help. The serial number itself might not be very useful (although it can help sometimes) but the design itself and particular features can place it at a particular time. 

Doing this with more recent SureFires is a lot easier now that just about everything is marked in some way and one can therefore distinguish one revision from another with ease. For example, the KL1 and KX1 are visually similar, but the fact that one is marked KL1 and the other KX1 helps a fair bit in telling them apart. No such luck with the older models. 

Even with such markings, though, it's not always easy. To use the KX1 example again, there's no difference in the markings between the single-level (30 lumen) KX1 and the two-level (3/45 lumen) KX1 replacing it.

To summarise: serial numbers aren't a good guide, determining age is difficult but not impossible, and it's best to post a photo of the light in question 

Regards,
Tempest


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## ampdude (Dec 22, 2009)

I wonder if Surefire has any type of records kept over the years that would date flashlights to an approximate date, I am thinking they must have some form of records in this respect.


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