Surefire 6P upgrades in 2021

[That Guy]

I have this old Surefire light that I upgraded with a Malkoff Device (which, by the by, is the absolutely coolest sounding name anyone has ever come up with for a light bulb! immediate +10 steampunk points ) mounted on my AR. Unfortunately, either my eyes have become worse, the nights darker, or technology has just progressed to the point where a maybe 500 lumen light doesn't really seem adequate on that particular firearm. If possible, I would prefer to keep the light and just re-upgrade the head, since that ought to be cheaper than buying a new WML (~$300 for either a Surefire or a Streamlight, possibly a bit less if I buy from abroad but the shipping, taxes and custom fees can really eat up the savings). But what reliable options exist for this, now in 2021? I'd prefer something on-par with new lights, so 1000+ lumens and preferably at least 11000+ candela. The more the merrier of course, as long as I can have a nice spill for situational awaress and use two CR123 batteries. (I'm not opposed to rechargeables, but I do insist on being able to switch to 123's on demand.)

What upgrade paths exist for legacy Surefire lights in 2021 outside US borders? Anything new since Malkoff created his Device?

[awp_101]

Following for info because I’ve got 2 6P’s to upgrade and was about to hit the Malkoff easy button.

[That Guy]

Following for info because I’ve got 2 6P’s to upgrade and was about to hit the Malkoff easy button.

Lumen Factory has some drop-in modules in the 800 to 1000 lumen range. I've seen that brand mentioned before, but I have no idea how valid their lumen claims are, what the candela / beam pattern is like, or how robust they are. They appear to be located in Hong Kong.

[P226SAOFan]

Lumen Factory has some drop-in modules in the 800 to 1000 lumen range. I've seen that brand mentioned before, but I have no idea how valid their lumen claims are, what the candela / beam pattern is like, or how robust they are. They appear to be located in Hong Kong.

Lumens factory makes really nice stuff, at least in the handheld flashlight world. For a weapon light I have no idea. I think your biggest problem going to something other than malkoff is durability, I dont know of any other P60s that are potted like the malkoffs are. I would stick with what you have but that just my 2 cents. But this one here has been pretty good in a handheld I have:

https://illuminationgear.com/shop/ol...60-1l/v/CSLPM1

If you pick the osram option it is a pretty decent competitor to a Modlite plhv2. Identical beam pattern and probably 80% of the power and throw to my eyes. If I dont hold them side by side I don't really notice the difference. Works with 2x123s or a single li-ion. So far so good in a handheld surefire host.

[Exiledviking]

I'd email Malkoff and see what they suggest. The M61HOT head comes to mind but currently it's only listed on their website as a complete flashlight.
I have one and it is BRIGHT.

https://malkoffdevices.com/products/...nt=21235086723

[msstate56]

I've got two Lumens Factory E series heads on SF scout bodies. They are rated at 600 lumens and I would say that is accurate. The beam pattern is a very good WL has is gives decent throw and enough spill for building clearing. They do ship from Hong Kong, but they have been responsive to emails.

[Pepper]

They do ship from Hong Kong, but they have been responsive to emails.

Mark, the owner of Lumens Factory is a frequent contributor on the CandlePower forum. A lot of his products are available on eBay too. I have ordered items both direct and from eBay with no problems.

[NH Shooter]

You're pretty much at the upper limit of what can be done with a 6P while maintaining WML reliability. The M61HOT head does not fit on the 6P body, so you would have to buy the complete light for $155.00. But at 740 lumens / 20,000 candela it makes for a very competent light for WML use. I use the 3-cell M91T version with a MD3 body on my 1187 and it has proven 100% reliable;




Once you go north of $150 you have many more options, such as a good selection of Malkoff E-series heads that could be used with Arisaka bodies and mounts. The main question you will need to consider is the WML to be used for close range work or do you want to reach out further at the expense of spill in the beam pattern?

If you really want to light 'em up and have the best of both worlds (spill and reach) you could always mount one of these when needed. A bit much to keep on the rifle all the time, but with all the QD mounts available for 1-inch body lights, it pretty much kicks ass as a WML and can be belt-carried when not mounted;

[Archer1440]

I’m personally pretty much done with handhelds and WML’s that won’t take an 18650. The advantages far outweigh the downsides, and the technology is outpacing the limitations of CR123A’s.

The caveat is that 18650’s are the Wild West. Tons of crap out there, as well as potentially dangerous counterfeits. Be very selective when buying these items.

[RevolverRob]

Cool carrier, who made it?

I’m personally pretty much done with handhelds and WML’s that won’t take an 18650. The advantages far outweigh the downsides, and the technology is outpacing the limitations of CR123A’s.

The caveat is that 18650’s are the Wild West. Tons of crap out there, as well as potentially dangerous counterfeits. Be very selective when buying these items.

One can have 6P bodies bored out for 18650s. I concur this is the way to go. If someone made an 18650 pistol light, that'd be awesome.

I have two 6Ps, I'm going to have them both bored out for 18650s and do these Malkoff drop-ins - https://www.illumn.com/flashlights/f...1-219b-v3.html

I've come all the way back around. For a long time I was, "Few(er) lumens is fine" then "All the lumens" now I'm back to, "Few(er) higher quality lumens with more color rendering" - High CRI is now, to me, the correct way to go. Human vision perceives a lot of color and high color CRI can help with identification of targets. I've got a few tests I'm going to run to demonstrate some differences between high and low CRI lights and target ID, it makes a difference.