Flashlight Related: Malkoff M60 Drop-In Review/Recommendation

Guyon

Guyon

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I've long had a Surefire 6Z tactical flashlight that I keep alongside a Ruger P95 pistol. Just recently, thanks to the "Flashlight Snob" thread over at the Horton Knives subforum, I discovered how easily I could upgrade this roughly 65 lumen light into a more durable 200+ lumen powerhouse.

Flashlight4.jpg


To do so, I ordered and installed a Malkoff M60 drop-in assembly. This assembly replaces the standard Surefire bulb assembly and turns a number of Surefire flashlights (6P, 6Z, C2, M2 and G2) into much brighter LEDs. All you do is screw off the lens cap/cover, remove the Surefire bulb assembly, replace it with the Malkoff M60 drop-in, and replace the cap/cover. That's it. Takes less than a minute.

Here is the description of the M60 found at http://www.malkoffdevices.com/

This is the Malkoff Devices P60 style dropin with solid brass heatsink construction. This design utilizes a Cree 8 degree optic. The optic has a very nice balance between throw and spill. It is an outstanding room lighter and short to medium spotter. It was designed specifically for use in SureFire 6P, 6Z, C2, M2 and G2 flashlights. It may or may not fit other models. The input voltage is 3.8 - 9 volts. Below 3.8 volts it will drop out of regulation and run direct drive. The output is 235+ lumens. The current draw is only 750ma at 6 volts. The runtime is 1 1/2+ hours on 2 CR123 primary batteries. It will easily illuminate objects at 350+ feet and will blind opponents within a 100 foot radius. The LED is a Cree XRE 7090.
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And here is a picture of the drop-in.

m60.jpg


Below are some contrastive beam shots. I took these with my camera in a tripod (flash turned off, same conditions for each pair) so I got the same shot for comparative purposes. The indoor shots were taken from approximately 8 feet away as I shone the Surefire 6Z flashlight onto the blankest wall I could find in my house.

First the Surefire bulb assembly...

SFa.jpg


And then the M60 drop-in...

M60a.jpg


With the M60, the entire room was noticeably brighter. The above pics don't really do justice to how much better you could see objects throughout the room.

Then I went to my backdoor (it was raining outside) and shone the light up into a tree approximately 30-35 feet away. Here's the Surefire assembly...

SFb.jpg


And here's the M60...

M60b.jpg


You can see the M60 drop-in adds a much more intense, more clearly defined white beam. For me, it was well worth the $60 upgrade cost, especially considering the durability that this new LED assembly is supposed to add. The Malkoff assembly reportedly handles bumps and shocks much better than the original Surefire incandescent assembly. I like the upgrade so much that I'm planning to pick up an older Surefire 6P original for my vehicle and install the same Malkoff drop-in.


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My wife has a 6P that she uses to walk the dog. I am thinking of getting a M60L for her to use for the extended battery life. Still should be plenty bright for her purposes. Carefull here, flashlights are as addictive a blades. :D
 
Katdaddy said:
My wife has a 6P that she uses to walk the dog. I am thinking of getting a M60L for her to use for the extended battery life. Still should be plenty bright for her purposes. Carefull here, flashlights are as addictive a blades. :D
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Actually you need to get her a Lumapower D-mini VX Ultra and run it on a RCR123...

http://www.cpfmarketplace.com/mp/showthread.php?t=206374

I had a VX on order (ordered it a few days prior to this being announced) and I got a email about a "little delay in my order but they would make up for it" and well...lets just say I wasn't to sad about waiting a week longer and having the VX Ultra show up.
 
I have Malkoff drop-ins in a couple of my Surefire lights.

Overall I like them, though admittedly for situations where color rendition is wanted I still use the Surefire bulbs.
 
Malkoff makes W("warm") versions of his dropins, though they're technically neutrally binned Cree emitters. Much better color rendition, though you sacrifice a bit of brightness. I won't use anything without neutral emitters ever since trying a Malkoff M60W for the first time. Malkoff also makes L(low) versions that have lower output, double the runtime, and create less heat, making them suitable for use in the Nitrolon lights like the G2, G3, and G2Z.
Also available are F(flood) version with an integrated diffuser. The M60WLF(warm/low/flood) is my favorite for close use, indoors and out.

There is also the "VME bezel" made by Valiant Concepts, and available from Malkoff, that is a dedicated head for the E series Surefires that allows them to use those same dropins that were originally intended for the Classic series. They're actually more compact than the LED bezels that SF offers, though they add weight, and give the light more of a forward balance.

Malkoffs are not cheap, and don't have options like multiple modes, but are the highest quality dropin LED replacements available. I don't recommend many things, but Malkoffs are one of them.
 
I also have the M60 drop-in in my 6p. I love it! I took the led that was in my 6p and put it in a cheap G2 incadensent.

What I like most about the M60 is that I can use my rechargeables in my Surefire now.
 
orthogonal1 said:
I have Malkoff drop-ins in a couple of my Surefire lights.

Overall I like them, though admittedly for situations where color rendition is wanted I still use the Surefire bulbs.
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Why? get a malkoff "warm" :D

Picture298.jpg


Guyon, I think this picture explains the durability part ;)
MalkoffAR-15.jpg
 
The M60 MC-E looks even more sweet. If it fits a C2, will it fit a C3?
 
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