Just bought a Surefire E1

E__WOK · Sep 17, 2000

This thing is tiny! If I'm not too lazy, I'll try post some pics.

It cost me $55.

[This message has been edited by E__WOK (edited 09-17-2000).]

copfish · Sep 17, 2000

Where did you get it? I am lusting for one... I don't suppose some one would want to trade for my mint 9P...

[This message has been edited by copfish (edited 09-18-2000).]

yeedude · Sep 17, 2000

E-Wok,

Ya didn't buy it yesterday from the Leaches at the Cow Palace, did ya?

(I almost picked one up myself from them)

Joe Talmadge · Sep 17, 2000

Heh, I picked one up from the Leaches yesterday! Gonna post a quick comparison with some other little lights later tonight or tomorrow.

Short review: thumbs up!

Joe

E__WOK · Sep 17, 2000

Yeedude, I buy all my surefires from Leach. Moo Palace.

copfish · Sep 17, 2000

Dang, I'll bet that Leachs is in Kalifornia... Hmmm... URL or mailorder?

[This message has been edited by copfish (edited 09-17-2000).]

E__WOK · Sep 18, 2000

Leach Enterprises
Larry & Sherry Leach
PO Box 4238
Diamond Bar, CA 91765
909-861-4955

Here are some pics:
http://albums.photopoint.com/j/ViewPhoto?u=135350&a=6940727&p=28650697&Scale=640x400

http://albums.photopoint.com/j/ViewPhoto?u=135350&a=6940727&p=28650770

[This message has been edited by E__WOK (edited 09-18-2000).]

yeedude · Sep 18, 2000

Is this Flashlightoholic psychic or what?

FWIW, I've done hundreds and hundreds of dollars of business with Leach Enterprises through the years also...

I bought an M2 from them on Saturday; am now having Buyers Regret.

Anyone want it?

[This message has been edited by yeedude (edited 09-18-2000).]

E__WOK · Sep 18, 2000

Yeedude, what don't you like about the M2?

Joe Talmadge · Sep 18, 2000

I had buyer's regret from the M-2 too, and posted about it a while back. In the end, I decided that since I already had a 6Z with a P61 lamp, there was just no justification to buy the M2, since the M2 didn't offer me enough over the 6Z to justify the new expenditure. Yes, the M2 has some cool features, but not cool enough to spend $100 if you already have a 6Z.

Joe

John Hollister · Sep 18, 2000

Here is another picture to show size. Here it's compared with a 3P at a trade show.

http://albums.photopoint.com/j/View?u=180263&a=5796494&p=22828577&Sequence=0&res=high

yeedude · Sep 19, 2000

E_Wok,

I dunno - I guess I thought that the upgrade features were significant enough for me to justify it's purchase. But what really bothers me isn't the cost - it's that it still doesn't have shock-resistant lamp assembly.

I've had a P60 lamp 'donut' on me three times due to relatively mild drops; I got so sick of it I retired my 6P a couple of years ago for a TACM III.

TACM III w/Mad Dog "Woobie" and SureFire M2

Oh, another thing - the smallish rubber ring on the M2 coupled with waterproof tailcap button setup makes it less comfy (for me) compared to other "CombatLights" using the SureFire/Rogers technique...

Joe Talmadge · Sep 21, 2000

Yeedude -- Talk to me about the TACM3. Obviously you like it, having retired your SureFires because of it. A few years ago everyone who tried a TACM3 complained about the switch, and TACM3 announced they were going to redesign it. I can't even tell how the switch works, from your pic. How well does the switch work, compared to, say, the Surefires?

thanks

Joe

yeedude · Sep 20, 2000

Hey Joe,

Yeah, I remember those posts - in fact, those were the very posts that got me to buy one to T&E for myself.

Overall, I love the light because it's shock resistance is vastly superior to that of a comparable SureFire (i.e. 6P, D2, M2) For me the other factors (lighter, slightly smaller and brighter) are iciing on the cake...

FWIW, I showed Larry Leach the light on Saturday at the Moo Palace and he (initially) wasn't particularly impressed at first - it does, after all, only look like a polymer 6P. But then I deliberately dropped the light a couple of times onto the concrete floor without any visible effect on the beam's spot. THAT got his attention!

In any case, the tailcap is (admittedly) not as nice as the now standard button on most SureFires. On the flipside, I like how its more watertight and durable. With the addition of the Mad Dog "Woobie", I have a defacto CombatLight - with the full tailcap acting as a pressure switch. Its something I've gotten used to, I guess.

In any case, don't anyone take these postings as SureFire bashing because they're not. I actually still own/use quite a bit of their stuff (i.e. M500A), but I personally think they really dropped the ball by not upgrading the M2 with superior lamp assemblies.

Flashlighoholic YeeDude

Joe Talmadge · Sep 20, 2000

Thanks Yeedude!

I'll never understand how TACM gets more runtime and a brighter beam. But my hat's off to them.

So what's the tailcap switch like? Does it rock and wobble, or is it pretty steady?

Brock · Sep 20, 2000

As a fellow flashlighoholic where can I get a TACM III. Is it really brighter than the surefires? Does it have a tighter beam or is it the same size beam but brighter?

Brock - http://www.uwgb.edu/nevermab/flash.htm

yeedude · Sep 20, 2000

Joe:
Tailcap is a single piece of machined and threaded Delrin with a metal disk that's held in place by a screw on the inside. There isn't really any wobble (not more than a 6P, for example) because the waterproofing rubber O-ring.

Brock:
I am humbled by your Flashlightoholic Brilliance. I am but a MagLite Solitaire to your Maxa-Beam presence!

ANYWAYS, here's a link directly to the manufacturer's website; you're lucky, this is a vastly reworked site - it used to look MUCH cheesier. Here's the old sister site for your reference.

FYI, CDNN has (had?) them for sale for less than full retail...

Beam quality is different from that of a P60 lamp; the spot is essentially a circular disk and isn't as "soft" looking like a SureFire's. I'm sure this is because the reflector isn't faceted like the latter.

FWIW, Larry Leach saw that the lamp/reflector assemblies are marked "Made In Mexico" like SureFires and deduced that they're made by Carley. Pretty cool if true...

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Bucky · Sep 20, 2000

Ok, now you have me intrigued. Smaller, lighter and brighter than a 6P and the 2 123A's last 80 minutes. Where has all the pub been for this light? Tell us more about the light pattern in comparison to the Surefires and Scorpion. Is the rubber piece on yours something that you put on yourself.

I tried the link you provided for puchasing but I having trouble finding it, I will keep trying but are there any other places to buy it.

Thanks, Bucky

John Hollister · Sep 20, 2000

Jees, ya' ignore a string for a couple of days and it shoots off in another direction.

TACMIII is a local shop for me.

Matter of fact, I'm buddies with two of the three original "M"s and on occasion TACM borrows some of my guns, ect to test run their lights.

While I am a "dyed in the wool" Surefire fan, TACM makes a great light.

Also wanted to add that their mount to add a light to an AR kicks ass.

John

[This message has been edited by John Hollister (edited 09-20-2000).]

Brock · Sep 21, 2000

LOL Yeedude. Ok, so now I think I am going to have to get one of these lights. So what is the differnce between the dive light and the regular model III, other than it is waterproof? Is the dive light missing anything the model III has in any way?

Brock - http://www.uwgb.edu/nevermab/flash.htm