Surefire - Fenix Review/comparison

[OwenM]

No doubt. I'll never understand the blind followers of a brand. It's ridiculous. SF has tons of failures, though they are usually model specific. They screwed up the U2, they've had problems with various tailcaps, and most recently the L1. Don't talk to me about not accepting failure when they have chronic switch problems...switches that the light won't work without.
BTW, almost all of my current users are SFs, or made up of mostly SF parts, but I live in the real world.

 

[Cougar Allen]

Well, he didn't say they don't have a failure rate over 1% ... he only said that isn't acceptable....

 

[MORIMOTOM]

how true how true. over at CPF, the failure rate on clickie tailcaps on the Surefire are running at 24%.


also....the LAPD uses Pelican lights and 95% of GI's returning from the sandbox never used Surefire lights.

the myth that Surefires are military or LEO are just that. Marketing!:barf:

gotta disagree here. every police department swat unit i am aware of uses surefire weapon mounted lights.

lapd switched to the pelican for several reasons. pelican produced that light specific to lapd requirements. most importantly it is plastic and the size limits its use as an impact weapon. not a bad light, but dont think for a second that the officers would have voluntarily switched. most carried the big streamlight, many carried small surefire or similar lights.

 

[Sid Post]

also....the LAPD uses Pelican lights and 95% of GI's returning from the sandbox never used Surefire lights.

gotta disagree here. every police department swat unit i am aware of uses surefire weapon mounted lights.

lapd switched to the pelican for several reasons. pelican produced that light specific to lapd requirements. most importantly it is plastic and the size limits its use as an impact weapon. not a bad light, but dont think for a second that the officers would have voluntarily switched. most carried the big streamlight, many carried small surefire or similar lights.

LAPD's choice in flashlight was driven by litigation wasn't it? I still remember watching TV footage a few years ago where a couple of cops where beating a Hispanic man and woman on the side of the road for what was portrayed on TV as questionable reasons by a couple of bad police officers who were hot heads (aren't out of context video clips fun ... ).

 

[mlot51]

Don't talk to me about not accepting failure when they have chronic switch problems...switches that the light won't work without.

My understanding was that the light still functions in "momentary on" when a clicky fails. I could be mistaken though.Anyone know for sure?

How 'bout a runtime comaprison of the two. Thats the most important to me.

 

[SIFU1A]

i have about a dozen surefire lites and havent ever had a problem with any of them. not one.

fenix is a good lite too but imho it doesnt make anything acceptable for use as a tac lite.

great utility lite though.

 

[MORIMOTOM]

LAPD's choice in flashlight was driven by litigation wasn't it? I still remember watching TV footage a few years ago where a couple of cops where beating a Hispanic man and woman on the side of the road for what was portrayed on TV as questionable reasons by a couple of bad police officers who were hot heads (aren't out of context video clips fun ... ).

sort of. it was the result of a recent use of force, within the last two years.

there was no violation of policy, as i recall, however there was pressure from various political directions regarding the use of the large streamlights as impact weapons. stupid, because every officer is required to carry an impact weapon at all times, and there existed suplemental training on the use of the large lights as impact weapons.

amazing what a video portraying only a portion of an incident can accomplish.

also consider lapd is still under the guidelines of the "consent decree", which was imposed upon the department after the "rampart scandal" (i have read the entire investigation transcript).

the video showed one officer using his flashlight as an impact weapon to gain compliance from a combative suspect. and it is important to understand the "use of force continuum". striking a suspect to the head is NOT a violation of policy, with a weapon or with hands. it IS considered deadly force if an impact weapon is used, and the strike to the head is intentional. if the officer was attempting to strike the arm, and the suspect moves, and the head is ultimately, and unintentionally struck, it IS NOT deadly force.

the windfall resulted in the banning of all metal flashlights, and the departments purchase and issuance of several thousand plastic pelicans.

 

[Sapper76]

how true how true. over at CPF, the failure rate on clickie tailcaps on the Surefire are running at 24%.


also....the LAPD uses Pelican lights and 95% of GI's returning from the sandbox never used Surefire lights.

the myth that Surefires are military or LEO are just that. Marketing!:barf:

I'd disagree with that surefires are issued as weapon lights in a heck of a lot of units overseas. That and surefires are sold in every PX there is. But 75% of statistics are made up on the spot

 

[SIFU1A]

anyone who watches the evening news can see for themselves that one helluva lotta guys have SF lites on there rifles.

they sell so many to the military that certain models are difficult/impossible to come by right now.

where didja get the "95%" figure, i woujld have to doubt that for sure.

for weapon lites SF is #1 imho, pelican is "ok" but its not as good as SF imho,

 

[bill_G]

i believe the OP is talking about Flashlights....not the very small sub-category called Weapons lights. i'm sure Surefire is the leader in weapons lights. but that would be for a different thread. surefire clicky thread below.

http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=164322


Bill

 

[MORIMOTOM]

i believe the OP is talking about Flashlights....not the very small sub-category called Weapons lights. i'm sure Surefire is the leader in weapons lights. but that would be for a different thread. surefire clicky thread below.

http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=164322


Bill

actually, i started this thread, and not once did i mention clickie tailcap failures, what law enforcement or military are using, or anything you bring up. but you see fit to mention it anyway, and make a disparaging remark about a company.

and you mentioned that the use of surefires in law enforcement or military is purely marketing. not true. i know many line officers that carry a surefire light.

and the "sub category" is not as small as you think. many many officers now carry a weapon light on their pistols, and many departments use weapon mounted shotgun lights for patrol issue.

the statement you made in your previous post is inaccurate.

 

[MORIMOTOM]

how true how true. over at CPF, the failure rate on clickie tailcaps on the Surefire are running at 24%.

so, you're saying the surefire lights i carry should fail 24% of the time? pure nonsense. i have had one clickie tailcap failure, and i have had the tailcap for four years.

also....the LAPD uses Pelican lights and 95% of GI's returning from the sandbox never used Surefire lights.

you base this number on what exactly? lapd just started issuing the lights within the last 6 months. prior to that, they never issued a flashlight.

the myth that Surefires are military or LEO are just that. Marketing!:barf:

more pure nonsense.

 

[bill_G]

i apologize. i was too harsh in my comments. people should buy what they are comfortable with.

that's why there are so many vendors of lights.

Bill

 

[MORIMOTOM]

i apologize. i was too harsh in my comments. people should buy what they are comfortable with.

that's why there are so many vendors of lights.

Bill

sorry if i seem to be a bit sensitive on this subject, but i am very familiar with lapd and their policies, and have trusted surefire, with my life, for many years.

 

[FireInvestigator]

I also have had alot of go time with LAPD/LASO and I can tell you that Morimotoms comments are spot on. If I remember correctly, Huntington Beach,Irvine,Newport Beach and Fountain Valley PD's (as was Seal Teams 1,3,5 and Special Boats NAVSPECWARCOM)were either given or issued Surefire/Laser Products (Lights) early on.

 

[MORIMOTOM]

I also have had alot of go time with LAPD/LASO and I can tell you that Morimotoms comments are spot on. If I remember correctly, Huntington Beach,Irvine,Newport Beach and Fountain Valley PD's (as was Seal Teams 1,3,5 and Special Boats NAVSPECWARCOM)were either given or issued Surefire/Laser Products (Lights) early on.

i love those beach cities!! i know a couple guys with redondo pd.

 

[FireInvestigator]

Yeah, Venice sucks big, but OC beaches rock. Playa del Ray,Redondo,hermosa beach and even Torrance by the Pier is cool. Crap, I'm homesick. Didnt one of those PD's go under and is now under the big green machine? I know Compton is now sheriff... Was it Seal Beach? no..thats Orange Co.... Crap,forgot.

 

[MORIMOTOM]

Yeah, Venice sucks big, but OC beaches rock. Playa del Ray,Redondo,hermosa beach and even Torrance by the Pier is cool. Crap, I'm homesick. Didnt one of those PD's go under and is now under the big green machine? I know Compton is now sheriff... Was it Seal Beach? no..thats Orange Co.... Crap,forgot.

i cant think of any beach city currently patroled by lasd, except malibu.