(un)Surefire

[Rotte]

I took a few flashlights with me to Afghanistan: a Petzl head lamp, a few Inova led lights, a Fox led pencil light, and a Surefire 6P. I chose the expensive 6P because it had a reputation for reliability and it's aluminum body seemed nearly indestructible.

Well you have guessed by now that the Surefire failed, and did so in epic fashion. For those of you who haven't used one of these lights, there is a push button in the tail that can be used to flash the light as long as it is held down. Additionally, one can screw the tail down tight to keep the light on without holding it. I added a red lens--many FOBs and COPs require colored lights and without a lens the light is shockingly bright (by design).

So at some point the light began--in the middle of nowhere--to malfunction. First the light would not go on when the button was pressed, and then it would not go off when released. And, worst of all, the damn light would go on randomly at times. Not a handy feature in a combat zone. Once I noticed the light just going on randomly, I tossed it in the gear box for the rest of the deployment.

Yes, I did know how to adjust it to work properly--not my first light.

The other lights worked just fine, and I can't recommend a headlight enough--hands free convenience, red or blue lenses available.

When I got back stateside I wrote to Surefire and described the problem. They had me send the light in and then replaced it. I never heard what the problem was. I had taken it apart and couldn't find evidence of it's being dirty, there were no clearly broken parts. It remains a mystery, and while I appreciate getting a replacement light, my confidence in the 6P is seriously shaken. Good customer service; but while I'm using the new one while walking the dogs, it won't go on any future deployments.

 

[rycen]

Was is a click in tail cap? Incandescent bulb or led?

 

[MrOverkill]

I believe the tailcap design is the same as the tailcap on my G2L. I had a similar problem where the spring that is used to actuate the light broke off of the tailcap and started rattling around between the battery and body, completing the circuit and operating the light. If the spring was separated from the tailcap, that was most likely your problem. I found that turning the spring 180* around, such that the pointy end was pointing towards the emitter fixed the problem.

Just my .02. My knife hasn't been through anything nearly as challenging as deployment, or nearly anything as important. Thank you for your service.

 

[Rotte]

Was is a click in tail cap? Incandescent bulb or led?

Incandescent bulb. No click in the tail cap. One could push the button in and....nothing. Then when released, the light might go on. Go figure. The only way to be sure the light would stay off was to remove the batteries.

 

[Rotte]

... If the spring was separated from the tailcap, that was most likely your problem. I found that turning the spring 180* around, such that the pointy end was pointing towards the emitter fixed ....

I had the same thought and tried fiddling with the spring as well. (I wondered if I had put the spring in incorrectly at some point.) I couldn't get it to work properly.

 

[OwenM]

Accidental activation or the light staying on with the tailcap locked out is physically impossible.
There's a threaded disc that separates the components of the tailcap that, if cross-threaded, can cause the other problems you describe, along with making switch harder to press.
Simple problem with a simple fix, but very frustrating, since there's no obvious cause and it happens out of the blue when the piece shifts slightly inside the tailcap, causing the switch to only make contact with the body at one small point instead of all the way around. Had the same thing happen with one of my Z3s. SF replaced the tailcap after a phone call, but I fixed the old one after finally figuring it out. You're the only other person I've heard of having a problem like this(assuming it was the same problem) with a Z41 lockout tailcap, and they're usually trouble free. I guess we're just lucky

 

[Fonly]

funny, I have had similar issues with mode selection with my E2DL, its only happened a few times, but it is a pain in the ass at times. It got bad while on a search so I ended up using a maglight.

Never had an issue with the TK-10, aside from it being stolen....

 

[6shooter]

My G2X pro is a little funny as well. Slight taps will switch the mode of the light. I mean slight, like, holding the light in my mouth to use my hands, bumping my teeth will often cause it to switch modes. Pretty annoying when working close on something and blasting it with 200 lumens of light. I contacted Surefire, they sent me a new tailcap assembly(good customer service though), and while not quite as bad, it still does the same thing. Not a huge deal, but annoying nonetheless, especially from a company with a reputation like Surefire, my Olight doesn't have any issues.

 

[sutured]

I've had a dozen or more Surefire lights over the years...everything from dedicated weapon lights to handhelds to headlamps. I've had a few problems, but all in all they've been incredibly reliable.

Bottom line is that anything mechanical and/or electrical can malfunction, and if you really need it, bring two. There's a reason SCUBA divers always dive with two regulators. The new LED lights are fantastic, but now you're integrating a compute chip into the works...one more thing to malfunction.

Surefire used to be the only company making the sort of illumination tools they make, and the ingenuity and high-quality manufacturing justified the price. They were really the only game in town if you wanted a small, bright, tough light. SOME of what they make is still years beyond their competition. I haven't shopped for them for a while, but the first two or three generations of Surefire handgun lights were so far ahead of the offerings of Streamlight that buying a Streamlight weaponlight was simply a waste of money.

That said, I bought the X200 weapon light when it first came out, and they were using bent metal bars to make battery contact instead of coiled springs. About every 3,000 rounds one of the bars would break and the switch would quit working. The first time it happened they sent me a new switch. The second time it happened I explained that it was obviously an engineering mistake and would break again, and would they please send me two new switches so I could have a spare, and they did. When they started making the new lights with a coil spring instead of a bar I wrote to them and they sent me a switch with the coil spring, which has worked ever since.

One of my Saint headlights just quit working. I sent it back and they replaced it, but never explained what the issue was. Again, if you REALLY need something, take two.

My only real beef with the company is that they redesigned the Saint headlamp. The new design does not seem as well machined as the old one, and the accessory battery pack for the old one will not plug into the new model. Because one of my Saint's got stolen and the other one was broken and replaced by them, I requested they replace the battery pack as well, since it no longer works. They refused. I sort of see their point, but it's a disappointment.

That said, if I lost my Saint headlamp I'd immediately purchase another one. It's the best headlamp I've ever used and well worth the money. I can honestly say the same for all of the Surefire lights I've owned, though today I don't think they're the only game in town.