The Rohrbaugh Forum
Miscellaneous => The Water Cooler -- General Discussions => Topic started by: DDGator on July 05, 2004, 12:35:09 PM
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I have been addicted to Surefire flashlights since the G2 Nitrolon price went down a while ago (1 year?) and I took delivery of my G2. What a light for about $35!
Since then I got an E2e and like it a lot -- slimmer and easy to carry.
I recently bought the 1 cell E1e light. I was worried that I would not like the 15 lumen output and much as the standard 60 lumen output on the E23 and G2 -- but I wanted something that could slip into my pocket opposite my R-9 and be nearly unnoticeable.
I was not disappointed. I tried the E1e out a lot at home, but I kind of put it thought its paces last night while out for fireworks. This tiny little flashlight still throws one heck of a bright, focused beam. These are great lights.
Next on my list is a 120 lumen bulb for the G2 -- with as bright and blinding as 60 lumens is, I think 120 should be almost incapacitating to be hit with unexpectedly at night. What a great advantage. Could turn a gun fight into a one-sided track meet pretty quickly.
You guys use Surefires?
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Yup...I have 2 E2e and 2 Z2 flashlights. I carry one of the E2e's on my person in the winter, and keep one in the car. The Z2 goes into my pocket when I go on "house calls." I want to upgrade the light bulb in my Z2 flashlights. I never use the Z2 as a utility light.
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I've got the 6P. I have all of my mag carriers made as a combo to hold the light as well. An example is the Blade Tech below -- for my M357.
http://img78.photobucket.com/albums/v250/flyandscuba/Steyr_Blade_Tech.jpg
(http://img78.photobucket.com/albums/v250/flyandscuba/Steyr_Blade_Tech.jpg)
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I keep a 6P on my nightstand and one in my car. I bought one for my wife and daughter, all upgraded to 120 lumens. Also have a C3 Centurion upgraded to 200 lumens, but it's a bit long (3 cell) for nightly carry.
They work. The other night I was walking my two dogs, R9S and Surefire 6P in tow, when I spotted two rotweilers crossing the street about 100 feet in front of me--no leashes or owner in sight! They saw me at about the same time and both turned to come my way. I seared their retinas with the 120 lumen 6P and they stopped in their tracks: the light blinded them! The owner then came up and collared them. It ticked me off that he would let his (attack) dogs out without leashes, so on my way past them I gave him a flash in the eyes with the 6P (by accident, of course). I do think the light kept the situation from turning very ugly, and may have been responsible for my not having to draw the R9S, although I'm sure glad I had it along.
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I keep a Surefire 6Z by my bed to investigate odd noises in the night but I also have a Streamlight M6 Tactical Light/Laser Aiming device which will mount on 3 of my guns.
Frank
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I just have the diminutive E1e ..... adequate tho and remarkable for what it is. Sits on my belt without taking up too much space ..... and keep a coupla boxes of 123A's in stock. At night it is on the floor with carry piece.
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First post here, and I see some familiar people from the North American Arms forum.
My first Surefire was a 6Z. I later bought a G2Z and an E1E. I found the E1E to be a bit small, and the Z-series to be a bit bulky, but they definitely had better lenses than the Streamlight Scorpion I used previously.
After taking some training in low light shooting, I found that the cigar/Rogers/Surefire hold didn't work as well for me as simply holding the light at high chest/shoulder height, or in an FBT method position, so I switched to the smaller E2E. The E2E fits in my rear pocket next to my wallet.
Right now I am carrying the L4, which uses an E2E body but has a 65 lumen LED head. Unlike most LED lights, it has true focusing and spotlight capability, although the E2E still provides superior light at large distances. With the LED, bulb failure is a non-issue, and when the batteries no longer have the energy to drive the light at 65 lumens, I don't get sudden light failure, but get 20 lumens for another 3 hours.
I just wish someone would make a Kydex belt carrier for the E2E or L4.
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Welcome, Bill! I was wondering what we were going to have to do to get you to join us at this campfire.
Look around and you will find a number of familiar and kindred souls here. As a fellow G-380 fan, I predict you will soon also be a fan of the Rohrbaugh 9mm.
RS
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Welcome, Bill. Its a nice group of folks here.
Can't help you with kydex, but Kevin at K&D has access to my E2e if you want a belt carrier made of leather.
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Thanks Rich and Duane.
Rich, I suspect you are right. I try not to be the first one on the block with a new toy, but the Rohrbaugh is increasingly looking like a must-have item for anyone who carries concealed. My first priority right now is finding something my wife would like to carry (NOT an easy task).
Duane, leather is certainly a good option. Can one be made that carries the light vertically bezel-down? Or, horizontally in a manner that keeps the entire light pulled into the belt, and permits grabbing the light for a thumb-activation of the switch?
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You should probably talk to Kevin directly -- sales@kdholsters.com. If its physically possible and does not violate the laws of physics -- he can probably do it! ;D
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I know nothing about them personally, but have seen www.blade-tech.com mentioned. I have an old E2 with various filters-- use the red one at night a lot on the boat
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RWT,
I am a big fan of Blade-Tech IWB holsters, and I also have their belt sheaths for a 6Z and G2Z. I was about to post that they don't make one for the E2E or L4, which has been the case for quite some time, however, upon checking their site, they now do make a belt sheath for the E2E.
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My Blade-Tech belt holder for the E2E arrived yesterday.
The good news:
1) It is secure.
2) They flipped the Tec-Lock upside down for easier on-off and so it rides higher on narrower belts.
The bad news:
It is about as bulky as a similar holder for a G2Z, and totally defeats the purpose of the E2E - having something less bulky to carry around than the G2Z. There is a lot of air space between the light and the holder in the top section, and between the lens and the bottom of the case. It also takes up more space on the belt than should be required for this thin light.
Next step will likely be to see what K&D can do.
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Quick question for anyone ....... I have used my E1e quite a bit ... tho hardly ''logged'' time. They say 90 mins from one cell for duration.
Now - I know alkaline batt's have a sharp ''knee'' to the discharge curve - meaning they fall off quick once failing.
These Lithium dealies ..... I haven't gone hunting for info but wondered what to expect ..... sharp fall off? Or is it gradual so you get some warning.?
I am so mean it ain't true and so hate to trash a bettery until it is done .. OTOH - I want my light ready and good at all times, without changing cells too prematurely and thus being wasteful.
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You get no warning whatsoever before your batteries die or your bulb burns out. One minute the light works fine, the next it is useless.
I usually replace my batteries whenever I reset my clocks to/from daylight savings time, and replace my bulbs every other time, if it is a light I carry daily and therefore use occasionally.
This is why my most often carried light is my L4. It is about the same diameter as the E2E and only slightly longer, but the LED will probably never burn out. The LED can run on less than full power, and the digital circuitry in the lamp assembly is wired to provide 3 hours of light with an average of 20 lumens after the initial 1 hour at 65 lumens is used up. The slight decrease in the ability to spotlight things at long distance is a worthwhile tradeoff for reducing the likelihood of equipment failure to almost zero.
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Very, very, very sharp drop off. One the beam gets alittle yellow, it is history.
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Been thinking on this - pretty much as expected then .. rapid drop-off!
Decided to get an LED conversion head for my E1e ... don't want to carry anything bigger but - this'll safeguard against ''Murphy'' failure I think! Thx for feedback guys.
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Chris,
See if you can get an L$ head for your E2E. The standard LED conversion head for the E2E puts out a lower number of lumens for a longer period of time, and is more intended for utility use rather than defensive use.
While I am not sure I totally agree with this, Surefire says that 60 lumens is the minimum for defensive use.
The L4 head is different from the standard E2E LED conversion head in that it is intended to duplicate the defensive usefulness of the E2E fairly closely by providing an hour of light at over 60 lumens.
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I have just sent a Sure Fire E2e along with the SC3 spares carrier, a dozen batteries and a MN01 spare bulb over to a buddy in Iraq. At last notice, he was 50 miles west of Bagdad and said he could jump in the Euphrates. Sounds like Fallujah. I wanted to order the E2d, but was told that there was a waiting period so the E2e had to do. God bless the peacemakers.
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Bill .. I only have the E1e ... and there's only one head option for that. I may yet go for an L4 or E2e one day but ... my small light lives by its clip on my left side belt .. it is unobtrusive, accessible and ...... even tho way down on output compared with the ''big boys'' has even so, surprised several folks (me included) with it incredible brilliance.
Focus may have much to do with it but .. look into it and - it hurts!! It'll do me for now .. thanks for further feedback anyways.
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Oops, forgot we were talking about the E1E here. You are right, Chris. It is quite good for its intended purpose even though not as bright as the others.
For me, the long, thin profile of the E2E or L4 allows it to sit next to my wallet in my rear pocket for easy withdrawal. I also like the idea of being able to use the flashlight like a Kubotan/yawara/pocket stick. An E2D (actually 2 - one for my wife as well) may be on my shopping list. Unfortunately Surefire tells me they have no plans of offering an "L4D" or to sell the tailcap switch separately.
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I use a 6z, m500a, and a x-200 for work, a pair of G2s around the house & a 3p in the car. I bought most of these years ago and just haven't had a need to "upgrade."
My x-200 if far superior to my Streamlight M3. I find the 6 & 9 volt lights plenty bright. I'm issued a Stinger and a Maglight but they suck compared to any of the Surefire lights.
I've never broke a bulb but frequently find myself replacing batteries (FL heat kills them rather quickly). I believe the batteries discharge some from the heat of being left in vehicles.
Am I missing out by not getting LED? Would the potential gain in battery life be worth the expense?
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Yesterday I received a flashlight carrier from C-Rusty Sherrick. Click on other products and than flashlight carriers.
http://www.c-rusty.com/pages/home.html
The carrier holds the light lens-up, which I chose because it will work with both the E2E and L4. The carrier has none of the bulk of the Blade-Tech carrier. Rusty has an L4, and I believe an E2E, and can make the carrier lens-down or lens-up, but generally makes it lens up.
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I just received my 2nd Surefire. It is a G2 Nitrolon to go with my 9P (3 cell). The 9P is home protection and is next to my HK USP-C .40. The G2 stays in my vehicle.
I'm also considering a LED conversion, but will probably buy another light. I have two small (4 LED) flashlights that run on two AA's. They are great for general purpose, but nothing else.
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Through an order mix-up I received both a Z2 and a G2Z. I had also ordered the P61 bulb (120 lumens) as an extra. I decided to keep both the Z2 and G2Z. The P61 - 120 lumens - is *very* bright. Wanting to assess what the impact would be shining it in someone’s face, I tried it on myself - wow, that hurt... couldn't see much but a big white spot for several minutes and that was in daylight.. as it is being used for tactical purposes and sits next to a Glock with night sights, I think the 20 minute battery lifetime is a great tradeoff for the extra power. The G2Z has the standard P60 bulb or 60 lumens.. I'm using that for more of a general purpose light. The LED conversion sounds interesting.. I'll have to look into this option more.
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I've been taking every opportunity I can to do some side by side comparisons of the L4 beam v. the E2E beam at night. I am increasingly coming to the conclusion that there is no practical difference in the ability of the two lights to spotlight things at most reasonable distances. This is the first LED setup I have seen that is really worth anything other than as a floodlight.
On another subject, another 3 D battery light with 10 LED's, advertised as having a constant run time of one-month on one set of batteries, showed some serious decrease in brightness after less than 10 hours of run time. I'm starting to take more seriously Surefire's claim that other flashlight companies are providing exaggerated claims about the capability of their LED lights.
Now if we could only talk Surefire into making an L4 Defender . . .
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Got my E1e LED head thru a few days ago Bill .. and must say .. it is all I'd hoped.
OK, the E1e is only 15 lumens IIRC ..... even with special bulb but - the LED is surprising. Beam is more diffuse and of course light is ''colder'' .... much bluer color temperature.
Amazing tho is that when shone direct into eyes ..... dang ... it is painfully dazzling - much is down to design of reflector and focus etc I guess ... and so as an ''offensive'' tool under duress, probably still very effective at dazzling the ''opposition''. It is an expensive conversion but for me - well worth it ..... not only because still so effective but - the battery ''death'' will be slightly protracted .... giving time to install new before failure.
These are great flashlights .. no doubt about it.
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I am doing a Surefire Review for an upcoming issue of Concealed Carry Magazine, featuring the E1e, E2e, G2 Nitrolon, G2Z Nitrolon, 6P and E2D!