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Thread: Surefire 6P Legos

  1. #1
    Supporting Business NH Shooter's Avatar
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    Surefire 6P Legos

    Thanks to @Sidheshooter I'm spending yet more $$ on flashlights... ;-/

    He posted this link to a smokin' hot deal on the Surefire 6P, the light that started it all (Lego lights, that is). For $34.00 including shipping I couldn't resist, and anyone who wants to build a quality light to their liking should grab one too.

    Since the 6P comes standard with the Z41 twisty tailcap (button momentary only, twist for constant-on), I decided to build a budget fightin' light using this drop-in module. It's rated at 560 lumens and due to the emitter used and the polished reflector, should produce a tightly-focused beam with plentiful candela. Though there is no candela rating on this drop-in, my WAG is that it should produce 12,000 to 15,000 candela - I'll get a better feel for this when I compare it to my other lights with known ratings.

    For $73.99 (all free shipping), this could be a fight light bargain if the drop-in delivers the way I think it will. I'll report back with photos and a full evaluation.

    Last edited by NH Shooter; 12-01-2019 at 02:35 PM.

  2. #2
    These are my favorite lights as is, never tried LED but Malkoff makes some nice looking options with warmer than standard tints. I don't like the hyper blue of most LED's...

  3. #3
    Supporting Business NH Shooter's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Thy.Will.Be.Done View Post
    These are my favorite lights as is, never tried LED but Malkoff makes some nice looking options with warmer than standard tints. I don't like the hyper blue of most LED's...
    Malkoff makes top-quality 6P drop-ins that can be used with 100% confidence. Additionally, the beam patterns are superb (little-to-no artifacts in the beam, such as rings). I have a collection of these drop-ins and they are all excellent.

    Another point worth mentioning is that all Malkoff drop-ins can be run with CR123A batteries with zero issues. There are other companies offering 6P drop-ins with much higher output, but most are risky to use with CR123A batteries due to high current draw. Additionally, I have some doubts in terms of reliability and durability, but without any first-hand experience with these modules its only intuitive speculation. The EDC Plus modules do not appear to be over-driven and at least as far as the photos and description goes, seem to be constructed reasonably well. If durability and reliability are the top priorities though, the Malkoff units remain at the top of the heap.

    Beyond color temperature, there is something called the Color Rendering Index (CRI). The higher the CRI number, the more accurately colors will be rendered, which is important in applications such as medical examination, crime scene investigation, etc. Some hidden gems - Malkoff high CRI drop-ins. These are built by Gene as an exclusive to Illumn.com featuring the Nichia 219B emitter with a CRI rating of 95. I have one of these and though they are lower in output, colors are rendered much more accurately.

    The old Surefire 6P will accept any of these modules, making it perhaps the most Lego-able host available.

  4. #4
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    I had a 6P about 15-20 years ago and liked it but it somehow disappeared. My EDC flashlight is one of those Streamlight USB-rechargeable ones which fits easily in my pocket, so I don't need another light. But for 34 bucks I ordered another 6P because, well, reasons. I'm not sure I'll upgrade it, but we'll see.

  5. #5
    Supporting Business NH Shooter's Avatar
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    The Surefire 6P Original and EDC Plus drop-in module arrived today. I immediately installed the module in the flashlight, loaded it with a freshly-charged 16650 2500mAh protected cell and made some initial indoor comparisons to the M61T (which resides on my 1187) and my MD3-M91T .

    Compared to the M61T (480 lumens/12,000 lux) the EDC module produces a much brighter but somewhat smaller hot spot. Due to the reflector design, the EDC module produces a perfectly circular hot spot compared to the more irregular squarish shape of the M61T hot spot due to the use of a TIR lens.

    Compared to the M91T, I would estimate by visual reference that the EDC Plus hot spot is at least as bright as the M91T, but smaller. The higher lumen capacity of the M91T is evident and it obviously puts out a greater quantity of light, but in the center of the beam they appear equally bright.

    Though EDC Plus module's hot spot is smaller, it is certainly seems large enough for defensive use (about 24 inches in diameter at 20 feet) and is blinding bright, I would estimate in the 20,000 candela range. The spill is not nearly as wide as either the M61T or M91T, in fact it's noticeably smaller than a Malkoff M61 reflector module, but appears about the same in brightness. The deep polished reflector does a really good job of focusing the 560 lumens that are produced on a single Li-ion cell.

    I'll be outdoors with it tonight to do a better evaluation and will post some photos this weekend.

  6. #6
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    @NH Shooter - I just got my 6P original in and while I still like the construction, it's not as blindingly bright as it was 20 years ago. If you could, would you include comparison photos with the Malkoff drop-in "lower" module? I know it's not an apples-to-apples comparison, but I'd like to see the difference. Thanks!

  7. #7
    Supporting Business NH Shooter's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by revchuck38 View Post
    @NH Shooter - I just got my 6P original in and while I still like the construction, it's not as blindingly bright as it was 20 years ago. If you could, would you include comparison photos with the Malkoff drop-in "lower" module? I know it's not an apples-to-apples comparison, but I'd like to see the difference. Thanks!
    I will try to grab some beam shots this weekend.

    I spent some time with the light outdoors last night and remain pleased with the performance-to-cost ratio. In fact, I would in no way feel "under-gunned" using this light for serious use. It's actually perfect for self-defense use: the 6P host can take a beating, the beam pattern and intensity of the drop-in is perfect for the application. Assuming no reliability issues with the drop-in (I'm not expecting any), I can recommend this Lego-build for use as a fight light. I would take it any day, without hesitation over any Chinese import "tactical" light.

    I (and others) were fortunate to find the new 6P host for only $34.00, and in combination with the EDC Plus drop-in for $39.99, makes this perhaps the biggest bang for a fight light bargain out there. But...the vendor sold out of the 6P and without knowing whether it will be available again for that price, the calculus shifts a little. The 6P usually goes for around $50 to $60 on ebay, which would bring the cost up to around $100.00. It's still a great buy even at that price, but with the readily available discount codes for Malkoff, you can buy a MD2-M61HOT for around $120.00, which outperforms this Lego build by more than enough to justify the extra twenty bucks.

    Conclusions

    • If you already have a 6P sitting round collecting dust, this EDC Plus drop-in is an excellent option for making the old 6P extraordinarily useful as a defensive-use light
    • If you can get hold of a new (or lightly used) 6P for under $50, this remains IMO a cost-effective option
    • This Lego build checks all the fight-light boxes: (1) a high-quality host with a long track record of reliability and durability; (2) single-mode operation with a tightly-focused, blazingly bright beam and (3) a simple yet effective UI for you need all the lumens right now!

    I like it. I didn't need another fight-light, but the $74 investment for a brand new, high quality and highly effective defensive light made it a no-brainer addition to my collection.

    I will post some photos this weekend!

  8. #8
    Supporting Business NH Shooter's Avatar
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    Photos


    Photo 1 - The SF 6P fits the hand nicely. Shown with a Surefire Z59 tailcap, Solarforce lanyard ring and DIY finger lanyard.




    Photo 2 - The 6P body has aggressive knurling which makes it easy to hold on to.




    Photo 3 - This EDC Plus module features a deep, highly polished reflector which is integral with the aluminum body.




    Photo 4 - My defensive/fight-light roundup. From L - R: Malkoff Bodyguard v.2 head on an unshroudled 1-CR123 body, the 6P Lego and a Malkoff MD3-M91T with Surefire tailcap.


    Will post beam shots this evening.

  9. #9
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    Thanks, @NH Shooter (and @Sidheshooter).

    Your posts have inspired me to do a 6P lego build.

    My 6P arrived Thursday (ordered on Black Friday) so great service from Tactical Sports Gear. (I'm wondering if they sold all their inventory to PFer's).

    My EDC+ drop-in is scheduled to arrive Tuesday.

    I'm now looking for pocket clips as nothing I have fit.

    I came across https://www.solarforceflashlight-sales.com/ while researching last night. Looks like that's the same brand you are using for a lanyard ring. Any experience ordering direct from that website? Looks like it ships from Hong Kong and just leery of that site being a scam. If no experience, do you have a recommended pocket clip/site that will fit the 6P?

    TIA.
    Last edited by SiriusBlunder; 12-07-2019 at 12:04 PM.

  10. #10
    Site Supporter Totem Polar's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Thy.Will.Be.Done View Post
    These are my favorite lights as is, never tried LED but Malkoff makes some nice looking options with warmer than standard tints. I don't like the hyper blue of most LED's...
    I’m with you. I love the “warm" tint Malkoff drop-ins (eg. M61WL); just a slight touch warmer than the original incandescent, IMO.



    Quote Originally Posted by revchuck38 View Post
    @NH Shooter - I just got my 6P original in and while I still like the construction, it's not as blindingly bright as it was 20 years ago. If you could, would you include comparison photos with the Malkoff drop-in "lower" module? I know it's not an apples-to-apples comparison, but I'd like to see the difference. Thanks!
    I’m not the expert that @NH Shooter is, but I will say that I really like the M61WL (warm tint, low output).

    Great quasi-incandescent tint, 5+hrs on 2 123s, and it’s got surprising real-world horsepower. These things are rated at 200lum, but the throw and spill are both considerable; it appears noticeably brighter than my aviator (190 lum, IIRC) and it flat out lights up the world a lot cleaner, brighter, and hotter than my little sidekick USB light on high—and that light is ostensibly 300lumens on high. The reflector size, design, throw and spill all matter, and those Malkoff drop-ins are pretty squared away for efficiency when you’re actually trying to look at things in the night. JMO.

    I know that 200 lumens sounds like a light you got from the bottom of a cracker jack box, by today’s standards, but the Malkoff drop-in punches way above it’s stated weight.
    ”But in the end all of these ideas just manufacture new criminals when the problem isn't a lack of criminals.” -JRB

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