PM9 and Flashlights!

[MichSteve]

Hi all, I was wondering if any off you have a flashlight EDC? Here is mine a EagleTac P20C2 Mark II, over 300 lumens with strobe, great light.

[Bawanna]

Thats a whole lot of lumens! The strobe is an awesome feature also. I carry a 6Z? Surefire, have for a long time.
I put a X300 light on my G21 nightstand gun. I plan to get a light rail from Dawson one day for my Hi Cap Para and maybe even my Cbob.
Light is a good thing.

[jocko]

heh bawanna, do those light stake special high dollar batteries??? how about battery life. never owned one, always thuught about one, what would you recommend.

[Bawanna]

heh bawanna, do those light stake special high dollar batteries??? how about battery life. never owned one, always thuught about one, what would you recommend.

I'm a devout Surefire fan. Most and I think Michsteves (great looking light) take 3v lithium batteries. They vary of course but seem to last a long time.
The little nitrolen, kind of tupperware versions are less money and work well. I have an early aluminum one that I paid alot for in the early days but its still running. I carry a spares case they sell that holds 6 batteries and a spare bulb. They also have the new style (crap minds not working) where the bulb last forever basically.

I bought a little Surefire, I think it was called an executive something. Got a good deal at a gun show, wife chewed me out for spending so much on a flashlight an then put it in her purse and I haven't seen it since.

I buy batteries thru a local LE dealer, they used to be a buck a piece, now they are 2 bucks a piece but sometimes in stores you seem em for 5 or 6 bucks. Pays to shop and if you gotta pay more than 2 let me know and I'll see what I can so.

[BobR]

I carry a surefire E2D LED Defender.

[JodyH]

Surefire Aviator for me.
Surefire batteries are a great deal, $21 for 12 (http://www.surefire.com/12-Pack-Batteries) high quality 123A batteries.

[earle8888]

2cell Surfire 4 me. one in the cup holder in car the other on night stand. Like Bawana I have the case, looks like military, with spare battery's and reflector/bulb unit, 120 lumins. Batteries have a shelve life of about a life time or so. With 120Lm they are listed as lasting 20 min. continuously. Used judiciously with the momentary contact switch they seem to last a long time. They now offer a LED luminary retro unit I think that uses less battery and more practical for a normal flashlight.

[Bawanna]

2cell Surfire 4 me. one in the cup holder in car the other on night stand. Like Bawana I have the case, looks like military, with spare battery's and reflector/bulb unit, 120 lumins. Batteries have a shelve life of about a life time or so. With 120Lm they are listed as lasting 20 min. continuously. Used judiciously with the momentary contact switch they seem to last a long time. They now offer a LED luminary retro unit I think that uses less battery and more practical for a normal flashlight.

I been wanting to get that LED retro but as I recall it was about 60 bucks just for the bulb. Still want it though. More durable and last basically forever.

[Bawanna]

I just got a Cabellas catalog and they have the Surefire G2 Nitrolen on sale for 40 bucks. Pretty nice little flashlight.

Not as small as the E2D or those but a good light.

[earle8888]

Thats the model, Surefire G2 Nitrolen, that I have, lighter and more quiet than the metalic.

[MichSteve]

There is a lot of info on LED Flashlights on this link: http://www.candlepowerforums.com

I buy Batteries CR123 size for $1-$1.50 each: http://goinggear.com

[Mr. S]

Kahr PM9 DLC and Nitecore Extreme R2 200 lumens with a single CR123a battery! (220 lumens with Li-ion battery).
Very sweet light, small and very bright with strobe etc...

[Jeremiah/Az]

I have the Surefire 6P. Of course, I had to shine it in my eyes to make sure it would blind a BG. Could not see a thing for 5 minutes! The battery pack says a shelf life of 10 years.

[JLeephoto]

I'm a little less fanatical about flashlights than guns, but love them both, and have been in a couple defense situations where the flashlight would have been the preferred tool. I'm a big fan of Surefire lights but that's also big $$$. They revolutionized defensive lights but there's some modern names that make excellent kit for much less, like Fenix (http://www.fenixlight.com/product.asp?classid=2), Nitecore & 4Sevens (http://www.4sevens.com/index.php?cPath=297). Lights with lithium 123 batteries are great power for their weight. But, AA lights like the Fenix LD10 & LD20 and even some AAA lights like the 4Sevens Prion's are still much brighter than the huge old D cell maglights at a fraction of the size/weight with batteries available everywhere. I keep a Surefire (2) 123 cell Ultra2 on the night stand, and I bought a stack of batteries years ago in bulk. For daily use though I use the AA & AAA LED lights. Maratac also has some real bang for the buck "twisty" lights and currently have the smallest, lightest and brightest single AAA on the market: http://www.countycomm.com/aaastainless.html at 80 lumens. No push button tail light but still very handy at under $30.
My whole point is that these modern flashlights are advancing as fast as any other electronic and are tougher, brighter, smaller & cheaper than just a few years ago.

[MikeyKahr]

+1 Thanks for the great and informative post, JLeephoto. I love my Fenix LD20 and would heartily recommend it to anyone looking for a great flashlight to pair up with their Kahr. I used mine for a night shooting class and it was the brightest light on the line and among the smallest, and yes having it use 2 AAs is very helpful. Amazon.com has some great prices for anyone interested.


I'm a little less fanatical about flashlights than guns, but love them both, and have been in a couple defense situations where the flashlight would have been the preferred tool. I'm a big fan of Surefire lights but that's also big $$$. They revolutionized defensive lights but there's some modern names that make excellent kit for much less, like Fenix (http://www.fenixlight.com/product.asp?classid=2), Nitecore & 4Sevens (http://www.4sevens.com/index.php?cPath=297). Lights with lithium 123 batteries are great power for their weight. But, AA lights like the Fenix LD10 & LD20 and even some AAA lights like the 4Sevens Prion's are still much brighter than the huge old D cell maglights at a fraction of the size/weight with batteries available everywhere. I keep a Surefire (2) 123 cell Ultra2 on the night stand, and I bought a stack of batteries years ago in bulk. For daily use though I use the AA & AAA LED lights. Maratac also has some real bang for the buck "twisty" lights and currently have the smallest, lightest and brightest single AAA on the market: http://www.countycomm.com/aaastainless.html at 80 lumens. No push button tail light but still very handy at under $30.
My whole point is that these modern flashlights are advancing as fast as any other electronic and are tougher, brighter, smaller & cheaper than just a few years ago.

[medezyner]

+1 Thanks for the great and informative post, JLeephoto. I love my Fenix LD20 and would heartily recommend it to anyone looking for a great flashlight to pair up with their Kahr. I used mine for a night shooting class and it was the brightest light on the line and among the smallest, and yes having it use 2 AAs is very helpful. Amazon.com has some great prices for anyone interested.

I bought a Fenix 3 years ago from 4sevens and will probably buy another. Great value and 4sevens has plenty to choose from. Is it me, or are some of the lights out there getting too complicated? Turn the bezel, push the button 3 times, do the secret hand shake and it will go into the turbo overdrive mode! Come on, give me a simple tail switch that pours on enough lumens to wrinkle paint and I'm a happy camper.

[MattTheKnife]

I carry a Surefire Backup day in and day out. I own other Surefires, but I am always sure to have that.

[MikeyKahr]

It's just you medezyner. Ha, just kidding. Yes, the new breed of flashlights can be a bit complicated, but once you figure them out I like the extra bells and whistles. And yes, I know what you mean about wanting "a simple tail switch that pours on enough lumens to wrinkle paint" - glad my Fenix LD20 does that easy enough. I think one thing that would be helpful would be for the instructions to be written in English instead of Chinglish.


Is it me, or are some of the lights out there getting too complicated? Turn the bezel, push the button 3 times, do the secret hand shake and it will go into the turbo overdrive mode! Come on, give me a simple tail switch that pours on enough lumens to wrinkle paint and I'm a happy camper.

[JLeephoto]

I know what you mean Medezyner, just like guns, you have different tools for different uses. I was looking for something for my wife recently and I knew she wouldn't be into cycling through a bunch of settings. Just wanted her to be able to light up the area around her car in a dark parking lot.
I noticed a lot of guys want the first level of their lights to be on the lowest, where I want my defense light to be blinding when activated at 0 dark 30 is some potential BGs face. I got started on the lighting kick when I had an occasion where non-lethal force was called for to stop a felony and all I had was a gun. A good flashlight would have been an advantage in that situation.
So, I had to sort through a bunch of lights to find some that have the option of setting on high beam from the jump.
To cut to the chase so others might avoid having to wade through it all: 4Seven's "Quark Tactical" (http://www.4sevens.com/index.php?cPath=297_306) series will allow you to set it up the way you want so you've got quick access to blinding power and the Fenix LD & PD series will get you the same. And of course, if money's no object, there are some near perfect Surefire's available. I'm a big fan having done some work for them and seen firsthand the support they give to our troops.

[Tat2dman]

Yup,Sufefire G2 Nitrolon...

[robmcd]

I have a large collection of lights, but find that I most often carry a Fenix PD30. This one is an R4 with 285 lumens. I just ordered the new PD31 R5 Special Edition that is rated 304 lumens. Great product in a small package. The strobe feature is outstanding.

These are my companions when I'm traveling light.

http://i271.photobucket.com/albums/jj131/robmcdphotos/GunLightKnife.jpg

http://i271.photobucket.com/albums/jj131/robmcdphotos/FenixPD30.jpg

[JLeephoto]

RobMCD, That's exactly what I'm talking about. That Fenix PD30 is supposedly 3X as bright as my Surefire U2 Ultra (http://www.surefire.com/U2-Ultra)at less than 1/2 the price! I don't know if "Surefire Lumens" and Fenix lumens are comparable, and I bet true Flashaholics would appreciate certain quality differences, but I'm constantly amazed at how much light you can get for the money these days. Comparing my LD10 to my Surefire lights, it's hard for this lay person to tell any difference in build quality. Lot's of good options out there.

[robmcd]

The new Fenix PD31 (http://www.fenixtactical.com/fenix-pd31.html) R5 is rated 304 ANSI lumens. The thing I like about these lights is their relatively small size, high reliability, awesome strobe frequency, long throw and reasonable price. The PD31 will be a limited production, which is why I bought one as soon as they were in inventory. I've bought from Fenix Tactical before, and they are good to do business with. Shipping was only $ 1.95 by parcel post.

[medezyner]

RobMCD, nice group of tools. That CRKT wild weasel is a nice blade. Picked up a CRKT kit carlson last year, love it. Has the assist open, real fast. The Fenix T1 is in need of an upgrade, but I cant complain. Its a tank, but it could use a few thousand more lumen.:eek:

[robmcd]

RobMCD, nice group of tools. That CRKT wild weasel is a nice blade. Picked up a CRKT kit carlson last year, love it. Has the assist open, real fast. The Fenix T1 is in need of an upgrade, but I cant complain. Its a tank, but it could use a few thousand more lumen.:eek:

Thanks. The Wild Weasel is a great knife for the money. There are still a few out there. I bought two when I found them on the internet.

[jlottmc]

I carry a mini-maglite. I use it more for work than a tactical light though. I always have a couple of sets of batteries near too though. I also just got a UTG LED weapon mounted light for my now three guns with a rail. Next trip to CTD, I may get a top and bottom set for the shotgun, and mount a light on it. I want a red dot for it too, but I digress. Oh I forgot the wife has a short rail on her pistol, and the light gets the rear mount screw on it, and hangs the rest off.

[Bawanna]

The new Fenix PD31 (http://www.fenixtactical.com/fenix-pd31.html) R5 is rated 304 ANSI lumens. The thing I like about these lights is their relatively small size, high reliability, awesome strobe frequency, long throw and reasonable price. The PD31 will be a limited production, which is why I bought one as soon as they were in inventory. I've bought from Fenix Tactical before, and they are good to do business with. Shipping was only $ 1.95 by parcel post.

Well this did it for me, if you get a call robmcd from a ticked off female, that would be my wife. My Surefire is gonna have one of these PD31 R5's as a running mate. They show them still in stock. I like the different brightness settings option and of course the melt paint 304 lumens if needed.
Price is darn good seems like to me too.
Wife will be ticked but she took my Surefire Executive I bought at a gun show and never gave it back, she'll get over it, (or not).

[jeep45238]

4Sevens Quark Mini AA^2
That's the light that I use for every day uses - 2-180 lumens.

Surefire G2 LED
That's what I keep in my left pocket for use with the handgun. 80 lumens.

Hoping to afford a light for the M&P with a tape switch ran under the trigger guard, and onto the front strap, to eliminate having to carry around the Surefire.


I'll be mounting 4Sevens Quark AA^2 Turbos on the AR15's.

[MikeyKahr]

You'll love the Fenix, Bagotta45. My LD20 has been a wonderful purchase and is a constant companion, and the PD31 is first on my next-flashlight-to-buy list (TK45 will be for when I need to light up a whole city block). When you pick up the PD31, if they have a two-for-one deal, I'm your man (said heterosexually). And I need to know, when Mrs. Bawanna45 yells, does she do so in a Swedish accent? Or maybe Swedish-Canadian, eh? You might as well give her something to yell at you about, poor lady sometimes doesn't have enough material to work with - you have my full permission to pick up the PD31 and the TK45 as well.


Well this did it for me, if you get a call robmcd from a ticked off female, that would be my wife. My Surefire is gonna have one of these PD31 R5's as a running mate. They show them still in stock. I like the different brightness settings option and of course the melt paint 304 lumens if needed.
Price is darn good seems like to me too.
Wife will be ticked but she took my Surefire Executive I bought at a gun show and never gave it back, she'll get over it, (or not).

[robmcd]

Well this did it for me, if you get a call robmcd from a ticked off female, that would be my wife. My Surefire is gonna have one of these PD31 R5's as a running mate. They show them still in stock. I like the different brightness settings option and of course the melt paint 304 lumens if needed.
Price is darn good seems like to me too.
Wife will be ticked but she took my Surefire Executive I bought at a gun show and never gave it back, she'll get over it, (or not).

My wife "borrowed" my Surefire P6-LED and S&W 642 to walk the dog last year. I was left with no choice but to replace them with a new Fenix and a PM9. I can't be held responsible.

[Bawanna]

My wife "borrowed" my Surefire P6-LED and S&W 642 to walk the dog last year. I was left with no choice but to replace them with a new Fenix and a PM9. I can't be held responsible.

Don't tell me you can't be held responsible, tell her. I'm not getting in the middle of this one.

She actually clams up when she's really mad. Don't day nothing. Sometimes the silent treatment can be more punishing than cuss words in swedish with a canadian accent, especially when you have no idea what or which thing you did wrong which is about 97% of the time. The other 3 I'm fully aware of my misbehaviour.

[Bawanna]

Sshhhh!!!! I ordered a PD31R limited edition today. I had to order it from Jeeps guys, 4 Sevens, Fenix Tactical was a few bucks cheaper but didn't want to accept my credit card or pay pal, not sure whats up with that, if it weren't for plastic I'd be very very poor. I was sure all the profanity I was spouting would alert the wife so I just tried the other place.
It also insisted on 5$ insurance which I tried numerous times to do away with but it just wouldn't take it back so I said heck with it.

Almost as exciting as a new gun, hope I can figure out how to make it turn on.

[apheod]

9 times out of 10 i use a 4sevens r5 quark mini aa^2 for daily carry. i also have an s2 preon ii titanium, but it doesnt get carried alot, the preon clips dont stay in my jean pockets and the titanium is so slick it slides out when i sit, so i carry it with the neck lanyard that came with the quark. the mini aa never goes anywhere while clipped, and is really small for the amount of light, but i dont care for the twist only interface.

currently on the nightstand is a q5 soft white fenix ld20, which is a great light except for one thing = no momentary on. its going into my trucks glovebox when my olight m20s gets here later this week for a "bump in the night" house clearing tactical job. its got momentary on with a tail cap button, a combat ring, and a side button for switching through modes or for instant strobe while the light is off.

from what i've read and seen on youtube, it seems like the perfect nightstand/police light.

[.45fan]

I carry a Surefire 6P LED everyday.

[MikeyKahr]

Almost as exciting as a new gun, hope I can figure out how to make it turn on.

I'm available if needed for testing and research. Feel free to send over that PD31R for an extended test session (I say six months tops) and I'll definitely let you know how to turn those 304 lumens on.

[kahrseye]

Sshhhh!!!! I ordered a PD31R limited edition today. I had to order it from Jeeps guys, 4 Sevens, Fenix Tactical was a few bucks cheaper but didn't want to accept my credit card or pay pal, not sure whats up with that, if it weren't for plastic I'd be very very poor. I was sure all the profanity I was spouting would alert the wife so I just tried the other place.
It also insisted on 5$ insurance which I tried numerous times to do away with but it just wouldn't take it back so I said heck with it.

Almost as exciting as a new gun, hope I can figure out how to make it turn on.

I ordered one too. They said it will be shipped today so I'm hoping you didn't get the last one. Anyway when I get it, I'll post pics and give you a range report. :phone: Or maybe I'll just tell you to look at yours if you want to see what it looks like. Oh by the way I ordered the rainbow finish.:biggrin1:

[Bawanna]

Aw man! I didn't see the rainbow finish. I always miss all the cool stuff.

[Bawanna]

Well my Fenix PD31 just hit my desk. It took forever. They were closed all last week due to icy roads and stuff. I think prior to that they must not of actually had them. He told me they came in the week before and they were scrambling to fill back orders.

Anyhow it's a neat quality light. I love the different brightness modes although I'm still figuring out how to get there from here. The Strobe is a neat thing and really will distract an opponent as well as make them flash back to Travolta and Disco balls, I know it had that effect on me.

About the only possible downfall to it is I can't push on and off without actually clicking it on. Like my surefire. You can momentary on and off real easy with no click. If you drop it or whatever the light wouldn't be on and possibly pointing at you much to the bg's advantage.

Overall I'm very impressed with it.
I suspect kahrseye already got his or will get it very quick as he ordered about the same time. Curious to hear his thoughts about it as well.

[jocko]

I remember when i bought a limited edition HD 2003 100thanniversary Road king screamn eagle with the gold and black flames etc. When I was at sturgis that year, I must have seen 100 of them. So much for limited edition. I always figured limited edition meant, "all they can sell" until they change models..

Now One can say without a doubt that Bawanna and ol jocko are limited editions, and absolutley nobody wants um so only one of each was made and that was one to many..

[Bawanna]

Ain't that the truth. They can't even break the mold, there was no mold, they did'nt want to take the chance we'd multiply.

I often substitute limited edition for the word Tactical.

Alot of cops especially Swat guys and such live for the word tactical. I'm often asked if theres a tactical version of whatever it is from flashlights to magazines to huggies.

I can't remember what the product was but a few years ago I contacted the sales people to find out if they had a tactical model for this one tactically driven officer. They told me they did. I asked what made it tactical. They said the printed tactical on the side. I asked what made it different and they said that was the only difference, just for guys like I was calling for.

I'm printing this from my tactical keyboard. I took a sticker off a drop leg holster package and put it on my keyboard. The Swat guy will probably steal it tonight as he works nights. Oh I'm safe till monday, he's at SHOT looking for limited edition tactical stuff.

[jocko]

I have some TACTICAL depends and they are gray and spotty on the back side and they told me the more I wear them the more tactical they will get and damn they are dead right.

I can't find any tags on those depends that say tactical. I did find a slip in the carton that said "ol farts".

I wrote depends and told them these tactical shorts should be limiited to people who carry concealed and they wrote back and said , "well we certainly hope you are keeping it in your pants". I never wrote back.

[Tat2dman]

http://www.cr123batteries.com/?gclid=CPf7mJSqzKYCFUdrKgodxU9sIg
Can`t beat .92 a piece!Use them alot,fast free shipping to!

[robmcd]

Here's a photo of my new Fenix PD31 compared with my PD30. The performance of the PD31 is impressive. I hope to get a chance to use it in a low light range session this weekend.

http://i271.photobucket.com/albums/jj131/robmcdphotos/PD30vsPD31.jpg

[Bawanna]

I really like the ability to dial the power down for things where the light is normally just too darn bright, maps, reading, working on stuff.

But the brightness and the strobe are extremely nice to have just as much. I think it's gonna be a great light.

[gagnejs8]

Do either the PD30 or PD31 have a momentary on feature using the tail button? I just got my new PM9 and looking for a nice light to accompany it.

[JLeephoto]

I'm pretty sure they DO NOT have a momentary on. But the 4 Sevens Quark 123(2) "Tactical" version does and is a very similar light. My Surefires all have momentary but I'm happier with the size, power and price of the PD20. The PD series allows you to pre-set to "Turbo" mode which means when you flip the switch you have an instant blinding light and that's good enough for me. The PD20 favorably compares to my SureFire Ultra2 at 1/3 the size or less and 1/4 the price. The PD31 would likely be great but with as much stuff as I carry in my pockets, I think the PD20 is the perfect compromise.
Here's a size comparison pic of some of my lights. http://www.movhometours.com/movmedia/extras/photos/Lights.jpg
L-R: Surefire Ultra2, Fenix LD10, Fenix PD20, Fenix LOD, Kahr PM9 Extended Magazine

[aray]

I'm late to the discussion but I'm partial to the LRI Proton Pro. Features:

* White LED comes on full bright but dims to where you want it. At full on white it is rated at 115 lumens.
* Red LED comes on dim and you can brighten it to where you want it. Plus the red LED is true red so it is excellent for retaining night vision. (Think pilots, astronomy, etc. I use it with our telescope all the time.)
* Single normal AA battery. I dislike having to shop for oddball special or button batteries. Give me something I already have in abundance around the house.
* Aluminum case not much larger than the battery itself.
* It has all the fancy blinky modes like other modern flashlights, but I don't use those features. I just want a small but bright, waterproof, dimable white / red LED flashlight. By that metric, it excels.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_4-uAbNPzFg
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001CZ9CCO and other places of course

[apheod]

i've had my o-light m20s warrior for a while now, and i can attest to its uber-tacticallity. seriously though, its pretty slick.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004EP0AW0/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp_sr_2?pf_rd_p=486539851&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B003JPS4L0&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=11VB440XWJZ6FMYJJXAY

i bought the R5 version for about 80, and they sent me the s2 version. my s2 4sevens preon has a nasty green tint that i dont like, there is the slightest hint of green at the lowest power setting on the o-light, but using the other settings, the ultra tacticalness just overpowers the green and its not noticable. its rated 20 lumens brighter than the R5 at 340 lumens, but i doubt you'd notice much difference with it strobing in your dark adjusted eyes.

i love the way it handles and sits in my hand, i've done quite a bit of shooting with it already, mostly using my hk, but the pm9 has gotten some playtime. the side button switches through modes if its turned on, or does instant strobe if the light is off. it has a very nice feeling rear button, great feedback, i've never switched it on while intending to use momentary. it also turns on to the last power setting it was on, i keep mine on full since its only use would be to clear the house at night, using momentary to search, then strobing bad guys as i shoot them.

it also has a pretty sharp bezel on the front that could be very nasty itself as a weapon, if you really had to. the back would also work well to break out a window. i LOVE this light, even if it is chinese made.

[jocko]

hell isn't most of these super duper tactical lights "foreign made"??

[dirksterg30]

My EDC flashlight is a Streamlight PT1L:

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y217/dirksterg30/CCW/PM9carrysetup2-2011.jpg

[garyb]

I use a cheap, bright, compact NEBO ($10-12). Aluminum lens cover is serrated, glow in the dark on/off button on back, and has a pocket clip. No case but works great.