Surefire
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Surefire is a California-based company that produces precision tactical flashlights commonly used in the law enforcement and military fields. Surefire flashlights are also popular in the civilian market for personal, occupational, and self-defense purposes. Their lights are often seen in TV shows and movies, such as the television show CSI.
Surefire produces flashlights for a wide variety of purposes, from the tiny E1E and E1L to the hand-held M6 Guardian, all the way up to the Hellfire weapon-mounted searchlight for the M2HB machine gun or Mk 44 Mini-Gun (this system is currently deployed overseas with the U.S. Military). One of Surefire's most popular products is the 6P Original. At 5.1 inches (130 mm) in length, it is slightly shorter than the ubiquitous AA Maglite Mini-Mag, and weighs just 5.3 oz (150 g). Two Lithium 123 A batteries provide power to produce 65 lumens of light, roughly twice the output of a typical three D-cell incandescent flashlight, for about sixty minutes. The Z2 tactical light, which sports similar performance, is specifically designed to be used in conjunction with a sidearm, and is standard issue to the FBI and U.S. Marshals Service.
Surefire models range from single-cell Xenon lights to a large 20-cell HID model (also available with a rechargeable solution). Models employing an incandescent bulb offer the option of a brighter bulb (albeit at the cost of reduced battery life). . They also produce a line of LED flashlights which include features such as electronically-controlled power regulation (allowing them to run in both 6 volt and 9 volt bodies and with less battery power than necessary to light an incandescent bulb) and multiple levels of brightness. The company has moved from the lumileds luxeon leds to the more efficient Cree XR-E leds in some of the 2007 models.
Most of their flashlights are powered by Lithium 123 A batteries that allow for compact size and low weight while offering high power output. Some are available with rechargeable battery packs.
Like most higher-end flashlights marketed today, Surefire flashlights are primarily made of aluminum, usually hard anodized or type II anodized in various colors. Some less expensive models are made from Nitrolon, a proprietary impact-resistant, non-conductive, glass-reinforced polymer.
Surefire flashlights are waterproof and have a number of accessories to enhance them, including red (night), blue (blood trail) and infrared (night vision compatible) filters, beam diffusers, beam covers, lanyards, pouches/holsters and spare battery/bulb carriers. Surefire's marketing slogan is "smaller, brighter, better". Most models may have several times the output power of standard flashlights, yet are much smaller, portable and easy to carry, albeit at the expense of a shorter battery life.
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[edit] Weapon Attachments
In addition to flashlights, the company produces dedicated Weaponlights employing either a shock-protected tungsten filament bulb assembly or LEDs to address recoil issues. The Weaponlights are available for shotguns (Remington 870, Benelli Super 90, Mossberg 500 / 590 in full-size and 14" barrel versions), Heckler & Koch MP-5 and MP-5K submachine guns, carbines / assault rifles (AR-15/M-16, M-4, Ruger AC-556, AK-47/AK-74/AKM, and Steyr AUG), and handguns (with integral Picatinny rails; for those pistols not having an integral rail, Surefire produces a series of innovative and rock solid rail mounts designed by famed Weaponsmith Timothy F. Lafrance). The Weaponlights are quite popular in the Special Operations community and with SWAT Teams.
Surefire also produces sound suppressors for firearms in the 5.56 mm, 6.8mm and 7.62 mm calibers, top-of-the line tactical communication earpieces, visible and infrared laser modules using the highest quality components (with a price to match), and what it calls "Combat/Utility" knives intended to eliminate the necessity of carrying both a folding knife and a Leatherman / Gerber multi-tool.
[edit] History
Surefire began as a laser weapon-sight company, Laser Products, Inc. Presently based out of Fountain Valley, California, Surefire remains an innovator in the flashlight industry and continues to be the biggest supplier of flashlights to the U.S. Armed Forces. The flashlights you see mounted on the foreends of M-4 carbines and M-16 rifles carried by our troops in Afghanistan and Iraq are almost all Surefire products. Surefire products are also extensively used by Federal, State and Local and law enforcement agencies, including virtually every SWAT team employing shotguns and the immensely popular Heckler & Koch MP-5 submachine gun. Surefire products are also employed by British special operations forces (i.e., SAS and SBS).
[edit] Index of Flashlights
| Name | Performance (Lumens) | Runtime | # of 123A Lithium Batteries | Length | Weight | Bezel Diameter | |
| Battery-Powered Xenon Flashlights | |||||||
| E1E Executive Elite | 15 | 1.5 Hours | One | 3.3" | 2.2 oz. | 1" | |
| E2E Executive Elite | 60 | 1.25 Hours | Two | 4.5" | 3.1 oz. | 1" | |
| E2D Executive Defender | 60 | 1.25 Hours | Two | 4.85" | 3.2 oz. | 1" | |
| G2 Nitrolon | 65 | 1 Hour | Two | 4.9" | 4.1 oz. | 1.25 | |
| C2 Centurion | 65 | 1 Hour | Two | 5.1" | 5.3 oz. | 1.25" | |
| G2Z CombatLight | 65 | 1 Hour | Two | 5.1" | 4.1 oz. | 1.25" | |
| 6P Original | 65 | 1 Hour | Two | 5.1" | 5.3 oz. | 1.25" | |
| Z2 Combatlight | 65 | 1 Hour | Two | 5.1" | 4.8 oz. | 1.25" | |
| A2 Aviator | Xenon:50/LED:3 | 1/20 Hours | Two | 5.6" | 4.1 oz. | 1.13" | |
| M2 Centurion | 65 | 1 Hour | Two | 5.5" | 5.8 oz. | 1.47" | |
| C3 Centurion | 105 | 1 Hour | Three | 6.4" | 6.7 oz. | 1.25" | |
| 9P Original | 105 | 1 Hour | Three | 6.4" | 6.7 oz. | 1.25" | |
| M3 CombatLight | 125 | 1 Hour | Three | 7.1" | 7.0 oz. | 1.62" | |
| M6 Guardian | 250 | 1 Hour | Six | 7.75" | 15.0 oz. | 2.5" | |
| M3 Turbo Combatlight | 125 | 1 Hour | Three | 7.8" | 8.0 oz. | 2.5" | |
| M4 Devastator | 225 | 1 Hour | Four | 8.3" | 11.0 oz. | 2.5" | |
| Battery-Powered LED Flashlights | |||||||
| E1L Outdoorsman | 25 | 4 Hours | One | 3.75" | 3.5 oz. | 1" | |
| L1 LumaMax | 1.1/22 | 90/4 Hours | One | 4.6" | 2.9 oz. | 1" | |
| L4 Lumamax | 100 | 2.5 Hours | Two | 5.05" | 3.4 oz. | 1" | |
| E2L Outdoorsman | 30 | 6 Hours | Two | 5.25" | 3.5 oz. | 1" | |
| KROMA | White:50/Blue:3.4/Red:6.3 | 1.5/8/8 Hours | Two | 5.5" | 4.9 oz. | 1.47" | |
| A2 Aviator | Xenon:50/LED:3 | 1/20 Hours | Two | 5.6" | 4.1 oz. | 1.13" | |
| L2 LumaMax | 15/100 | 18/1 Hours | Two | 6.06" | 4.2 oz. | 1" | |
| U2 Ultra | 2 to 100 | 40+ Hours | Two | 6.13" | 5.7 oz. | 1.47" | |
| L6 LumaMax | 100 | 4 Hours | Three | 7.74" | 8.4 oz. | 1.62" | |
| Rechargeable Xenon Flashlights | |||||||
| 8AX Commander | 110 | 50 Min | 6.9" | 9.7 oz. | 1.47" | ||
| 8NX Commander | 110 | 50 Min | 7.0" | 8.0 oz. | 1.47" | ||
| 9AN Commander | 20/140 | 2 Hours/40 Min | 7.9" | 12.8 oz. | 1.62" | ||
| 10X Dominator | 60/500 | 3 Hours/20 Min | 9.5" | 20.0 oz. | 2.5" | ||
| Rechargeable LED Flashlights | |||||||
| L7 LumaMax Kit | 100 | 2.5 Hours | 7.9" | 11.3 oz. | 1.47" | ||
| Limited Edition Flashlights | |||||||
| The Beast II | HID:2000/LED:12 | 1.5 Hours/20 Hours | Twenty | 15.5" | 72.0 oz. | 1" | |
| |7.9" |11.3 oz. |1.47" |- | colspan="8" style="background: #cee0f2; padding: 0.2em; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 0.9em; text-align:center;" | Weaponlights |- |colspan="8" style="border-top:1px solid #cee0f2;"| |- |Products include dedicated Weaponlights for various shotguns, rifles, submachine guns, and pistols
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- Surefire
- Surefire lumens/gram — 'Surefire/Maglite comparison chart showing lumen output per gram'
