Initial impressions and review- Surefire G2 LED

T

thatotherguy

Joined
Oct 9, 2011
Messages
2,189
I just got this light, and am lovin' it so far. Initial impressions now, and I will drain a set of batteries in normal use and then give you guys an update.
Specs- Surefire G2 LED
Batteries- CR123 lithium x2
Body- Nitrolon
Head- milled Aluminum with a Lexan lens
User Interface- Twist tailcap down fully for constant on, unscrew a little for momentary, unscrew a little more for lockout
Country of origin- California, USA (unless they've been lying to me)
Light output- 80 lumens initially, 12 hours of usable light
Modes- on and off (:D)
Features I like- no roll head, made in USA, tough, high output, LED, lockout, reliability, smooth threads, easy grip body, lockout
Don't like-no clicky tailswitch (can be bought though), price of batteries, incredibly smooth (read: a little loose) threads on the tailcap
Overall I love the light, I'm impressed with it, the only real problem I see is that the tailcap will tighten itself a little in the pocket in my experience, occasionally trning the light on in your pocket. I caught it within the first 5 minutes, but if left like that your light's head could become very hot and possibly burn your leg.
Hope you enjoyed the review, have a nice day.
 
I've got the G2L too. It's in my car, where the nitrolon body does not feel cold to the touch during the winter-months, like the aluminum. Don't worry about the light getting warm while being on, the led does not emit that much heat, so it gets hot to the touch. The "Caution Hot Surface" is a remnant from the incandescent days.
 
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I have a G2 led on mounted on my fire helmet.

The batteries will cut off when I gets a few hundred degrees... but the light always comes back on. :P
 
polecat-hmmm, the head was warm when I caught it on, prolly just my body heat. Thanks for posting!
texas gun person- Wow, I'd think the nitrolon wold melt before the batts shut off because of the heat. Thanks!
 
Surefire does make "fire rescue" lights, but it seems the model that would be comparable to my G2 is the G2 except for that it it yellow and has some reflective stuff on it. All their fire rescue lights are made of nitrolon. So it's some pretty tough material. :thumbup:
 
The G2 is a useful and ready light that has almost endless upgrade capabilities.

The led lamp in the G2 is also suitable for a 3 cell light so using 2 x 3.7v RCR123's is safe. Keep a few sets of primary 123's around as backup and use the rechargeables for daily use.

They make replacement "glass" lenses that on the G2 are simple to install. A pair of needle nose pliers is all you need. The stock plastic one can get scratched up and can reduce light output, the glass one will also yield 10% more light OTF.

The stock lamp has a 12 hour runtime but a thermal regulation that from the start will reduce the output by about 10 Lumens in the first few minutes of operation. This is followed by about 4 hours of "max output" after which the light quickly drops to "useable output" which I'd put around 10-20 Lumens. Not bad but I like the malkoff "LL" drop-in for better performance. I've had a G2 for several years and its been my go-to work light or when I need a long burn time. It's also been useful in cold weather conditions, being plastic its not nearly as cold to grab.

Congrats, the G2 is a nice light.
 
Not trying to stir up anything, just looking for information - What makes these so expensive? Or I guess I should say, what makes them worth so much? They seem awfully high ($86 on Amazon) for a single mode 80 lumen light that (according to reviews) is not particularly well regulated. What am I missing?
 
MVF said:
Not trying to stir up anything, just looking for information - What makes these so expensive? Or I guess I should say, what makes them worth so much? They seem awfully high ($86 on Amazon) for a single mode 80 lumen light that (according to reviews) is not particularly well regulated. What am I missing?
Click to expand...

Surefire lights are high quality high reliability lights that are purpose built. It's a true tactical light made for and tested by those that demand the most from a piece of gear. Is it the best light today? No, but it works every time and in the worst of conditions.

When buying a surefire you are getting your moneys worth even if it doesn't have 20 modes and the latest LED. You really have to hold one to understand.
 
knifenut1013 said:
Surefire lights are high quality high reliability lights that are purpose built. It's a true tactical light made for and tested by those that demand the most from a piece of gear. Is it the best light today? No, but it works every time and in the worst of conditions.

When buying a surefire you are getting your moneys worth even if it doesn't have 20 modes and the latest LED. You really have to hold one to understand.
Click to expand...

I couldnt have said it better myself.

That is why i carry 2 Surefires at work, the Z2 and E1B. They are tools you can trust and their customer service is second to none.
 
texas gun person said:
They cost more because they say "Surefire" on the side. :p
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That too.
Surefire lights may not be the brightest but they are very hard to touch quality wise. They are great lights for people who have realized that you don't need 20 modes of 200 bazillion lumens.
They are also discontinued lights, in favor of the g2x series.
My local Lowes has em,surprisingly. Check yours and see if it's a national phenomenon. Ours has em hidden behind the Coast lights.
 
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Well, I don't need 20 modes but I wouldn't mind a bazillon Lumens :D
 
I love my G2L. It is my go to light. I should pick up another one. Funny thing, my mother lost her G2 incan that I bought her several years ago. I went to buy her another light for Christmas and I was gonna get a G2Xpro. The store was out. I picked up a 6PXpro ($$$) and later that night I found her G2 up on a high shelf in a closet. Back to the store to return the 6PX the next day. I bought her a Toro Power Shovel for snow instead. :)

I love Surefire flashlights. I have a 9P and a G2L and a little single cell executive. My dad has a 6P and My mom has the G2. I want a G2Xpro for myself now. They may be a little pricey but I've never had a problem with any of them. And if I do, I've heard that Surefire's customer service is excellent. I'm not a fl nut like some here and those guys on CPF, I just want the thing to light up bright when I push the button or twist the end. Surefire has not let me down yet. Enjoy your new light. :cool:
 
They cost a lot more than other competitors because you're paying for simple and rugged designs that are battle proven (ie tested by thousands of infantryman rather than something that is tested by a civilian in China). You're also paying for the superb customer service that is kind of like "if you break it, we'll replace it" and they will uphold their warrantee where ever you are whether it be in the US, Australia, even Iraq and Afghanistan (although they don't have to, they always choose to), whereas with many other Chinese flashlight companies, if you break it you have to prove it, you have to deal with the dealer (which may not be possible if you bought it from CPFMP or ebay), and there is a limited warrantee. There's also things that you will not find with other manufacturers such as the TIR optic, and the 2 stage switch (press lightly for low, press hard for high).

The 80 lumen P60L is actually an outdated LED drop in with a Seoul P4 LED, you can replace it with a Malkoff for increased output and runtime.

A lot of them are single mode or dual mode for simplicity, if it's purpose is to use with a weapon you don't want to it turn on in moonlight mode or doing a little disco.
 
I never said I didn't want a bazillion lumens, I just don't need it. :D
Yeah, they're excellent tools, and made in America, major selling point for me.
I do wish the g2l came with a belt pouch or a pocket clip though.
I wish it had a 5 or 6 lumen tasklight too, and I didn't have the option to get the g2x pro, as this was a gift to me. Still love it, have maglites tor low output lights.
 
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I broke out my old 2d mag with a nite ize LED upgrade to use it last night, surefire has ruined it for me. Compared to the g2l, the mag was just a birthday candle.
I also found out that you can fit 2 cr123s in an altoids smalls tin with a little room, you might be able to fit 3 with a little modification.
 
thatotherguy said:
I broke out my old 2d mag with a nite ize LED upgrade to use it last night, surefire has ruined it for me. Compared to the g2l, the mag was just a birthday candle.
I also found out that you can fit 2 cr123s in an altoids smalls tin with a little room, you might be able to fit 3 with a little modification.
Click to expand...

Have you looked at terralux drop in modules for that mag lite?
 
I have not, right now I'm happy with the LED it's running. I get about 7 months per set of batteries, the TerraLux prolly wouldn't allow that.
 
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