Noteworthy Legos

[NH Shooter]

As you all know, I'm constantly assembling flashlights with parts from various manufacturers - aka Legos. It's a form of therapy for my INTP personality. :-)

All of the "Lego builds" yield interesting results, and a few become noteworthy because they are truly outstanding as EDC lights for use with or without a pistol. These noteworthy lights I keep assembled, but often they are made of parts no longer available so they are not easily replicated. Today I want to share with you an outstanding light made of new components still available as of this writing.

A few notes before we get into the details;

• For a SD light, I am a fan of momentary-only operation. Based on my experience with low light training, "clicky" switches sometimes click when you don't want them to - like when you need the light to shut off immediately.
• I am also a fan of single-mode lights, that always come on at maximum output.
• I want a light with good ergonomics. For a light that will be used with a traditional "ice pick" grip, I want a light with a body long enough that I can comfortably get all fingers on the body with a little room to spare.
• The switch must operate smoothly and consistently, with no flicker.
• Finally, the entire light must be bombproof with no delicate parts to break or fail.

With that list of personal requirements out of the way, here is my latest build, which I am over-the-top pleased with;




The light is essentially a Malkoff with the exception of the tailcap. Here are the Malkoff pieces needed;

• MD3 body - https://malkoffdevices.com/collectio...ody-and-switch . The Malkoff tailcap won't be used so it might be worth a call to Gene or Cathy to see if you can purchase just the body.
• M91T head - https://malkoffdevices.com/collectio...ducts/m91t-md3 - with or without the high/low switch. This is truly an outstanding head for this application, and will take a beating.
• MD body extender kit - https://malkoffdevices.com/collectio...y-extender-kit - I find the included grip ring really helps to keep the light from slipping with wet hands, extends the tailcap just enough for superbly-tactile operation of the switch.

Now for the tailcap, which has been a recent discovery of mine.

Before Surefire offered the Z41 "twisty" they had a Z31 model. While the Z41 works OK, I always found I had to hold pressure on the button to prevent the light from flickering when used on 18mm bodies. The Z41 also has a retained aluminum plunger, so you can back the tailcap off and the light will not turn on at all, or tighten the cap all the way for constant on.

The long-gone Surefire Z31 was a far better tailcap. Though it could not be backed off to prevent unintentional operation (the plunger is not captured), the design of the plunger provided MUCH smoother and consistent operation. The rubber boot is larger than the Z41 (larger hole in the tailcap) and the button sits more flush to the top of the tailcap. It's a shame SF discontinued it, but I was lucky enough to acquire one in like-new condition;



The Z31 was upgraded with a larger copper plunger made by Lumens Factory - https://www.ebay.com/itm/334020755279 . Not only is the plunger made of copper, but it is also slightly larger in diameter to make full contact with 18mm bodies Like the Malkoff for flicker-free operation.

While the Z31 is long gone, you can buy the Lumens Factory rendition of the Z31, complete with the copper plunger - https://www.ebay.com/itm/324789384068 . The quality of these parts is excellent.

In operation, this tailcap is the best I've used with an ice pick hold. Its operation is smooth and precise. With the Malkoff grip ring installed and the tailcap tightened down, the amount of plunger travel to turn on the light is perfect. With the grip ring installed the tailcap can NOT be tightened down far enough for constant-on operation (it can be without the grip ring), but as stated above I have no need for that function in a light for this application. I can't stress enough how pleased I am with the operation of this tailcap with the light set up this way!

For power, I'm using a pair of unprotected Panasonic18500 cells with a single 5mm spacer. This provides just the right length in the body to provide what I feel is the perfect "throw" for the Z41 plunger. Run time is about 80 minutes of full power run time, but as unprotected cells they can be over-discharged if you're not careful. Protected cells are too long for this build even without the spacer, otherwise I would use them.

So if you're looking for an outstanding light for self-defense application, I can highly recommend this build. Feel free to post questions below or reach out to me on PM.

[pastaslinger]

I like the end product but not the price... I would be hard pressed to not just get an SF EDCL2-T or some 18650 handheld since I have so many 18650 cells.

[NH Shooter]

As with any customization, the cool thing about this process is you can build something that exactly fits your needs. Here are a few considerations that can be addressed with customization;

• Mode of carry - pocket with a clip or without, belt holster, etc.
• Switching preferences - momentary only, momentary with constant on via clicky or twisty, all with quality switches that won't fail
• Ergonomics, grip preferences - syringe grip (ideal for short body lights), ice pick (ideal for longer body lights)
• Beam pattern - high lumen/low candela (flood pattern) or high candela & intense brightness (spot pattern), or something in between

There are a few off-the-shelf lights that are quite good, but quality lights from top makers such as Mod Lite and Malkoff are going to be pricey too. My main gripe with the Chinese imports remains goofy feature sets, questionable durability and styling that looks like it belongs on a Star Wars movie set.

No doubt flashlight Legos are something only for those inclined to tinker. I've been doing this long enough to figure out what combinations work well, specifically for serious self-defense use (a $10 flashlight is certainly suitable for finding the keys you dropped). If it wasn't for my tinkering genetics, based on what I now know I'd roll with something off-the-shelf from Malkoff or Mod Lite. While Surefire was once at the top of the heap, their current offerings are certainly better than the typical Chi-com import, but just as certainly a tier below those mentioned above.

I post this kind of stuff for those who are interested, always willing to share my experience. If anyone wants to reach out to me privately to pick my feeble flashlight Lego brain, I'm more than happy to oblige.

[NH Shooter]

A question about these three sent to me via PM, from left to right;

Malkoff E2XTD head - 650 lumens, 70,000 candela

Oveready E35 body

An old SF tailcap from a 6PX converted with an Overready ZeroRes insert (no longer available). The ZeroRes insert allows an 18500 cell to fit in an 18350 body.

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Malkoff VME head which allows any of their 3P, 6P or 9P drop-ins to be used on an e-series body.

Oveready E35 body

A discontinued Overready tailcap coverted with their ZeroRes insert (no longer available). The ZeroRes insert allows an 18500 cell to fit in an 18350 body.

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Malkoff MDC 1CR123 body

Malkoff VME head which allows any of their 3P, 6P or 9P drop-ins to be used on an e-series body.


Of the two horizontal light carriers shown, only one remains available - https://kytexgear.com/product/horizo...39019775390625

[NH Shooter]

An update on the light in my original post above;

I have updated the tailcap with a Lumens Factory SW01 so now this light can be replicated with currently-available pieces;











Operation of the light remains the same - the Lumens Factory tailcap is a "twisty." But unlike the Surefire Z41, the LF uses a solid copper plug instead of one made of aluminum. This design is the ultimate in simplicity, ruggedness and high-current capability. I also updated the spring that comes with the LF tailcap with a heavier 9mm X 12mm gold-plated phosphor bronze spring. This heavier spring provides extremely low electrical resistance and IMO a better feel to the operation of the switch.

The operation of this tailcap is IMO perfect for momentary use. The big switch is easy to engage and has a very tactile "plunger" feel to it. The #209 O-ring in front of the tailcap prevents the hand from sliding rearward on the flashlight body when operating in an ice pick hold. The twisty operation allows for constant-on operation if needed, and the Malkoff high/low switch allows low-output operation (about 25 lumens) when needed.

I have found the Malkoff M91T head to provide a very useful blend of 750 lumens with 19,000 candela. This light as configured runs well on three CR123 batteries or in my case, two Li-ion 18500 2000mAh unprotected cells. I would prefer using protected cells but they are too long to fit in this configuration. I recharge the cells regularly to prevent over-discharge.

I find the ergonomics of the light to be excellent, long enough to get full grip that is easy to control. OAL of this light is 6.25 inches, including the protrusion of the rubber boot on the tailcap. This light is my EDC and rides in the zippered pocket of Duluth Foreman pants so comfortably I don't even know it's there. It gets used daily when I walk the dogs, giving me "reps" on handling the light in the same way I would for a self-defense application.

No doubt there are many excellent lights available on the market today, but configuring a light exactly the way you want it is not difficult to do.