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18650 batteries are largely used in small high performance flashlights. "Ultrafire" is an attempt to sponge off the reputation of Surefire in that market.

I'm OK with ultrafire... surefire on the other hand... :-)

The Surefire M1 could be a real treat for someone like that:
http://www.surefire.com/M1-Infrared-Illuminator

As a collector of NFA weapons myself, I can say that the article is incorrect about private citizens in the US not being able to purchase a 40mm grenade launcher. The 40mm grenade launcher is classified as a Destructive Device (DD) by the BATFE, and is regulated by the National Firearms Act of 1934, commonly referred to as NFA. All NFA weapons are tracked with mandated registration with the BATFE. Weapons regulated by the NFA are Title 2 weapons (Title 1 weapons are "normal" firearms you see in most gun stores) include Destructive Devices, Suppressors (aka Silencers), machineguns made prior to May 1986, Short Barreled Rifles (SBR), Short Barreled Shotguns (SBS), and lastly the Any Other Weapon (AOW) category. These items can be purchased and transferred to you from any FFL who has paid an annual Special Occupation Tax (SOT) on file with the BATFE. Not all states allow you to purchase or posses these items, but most do. That being said, Federal law is clear that you can own these items if you pass the background check done by BATFE, which generally takes a few months due to the volume of applications they process. State law however, can limit or prohibit your possession, as well as use of the items. When you purchase any of the items above, you pay a one time $200 transfer tax to the BATFE per serial numbered item. The only exception are the AOW's which have a $5 transfer tax.

To own any of the above items, it simply must be legal to posses in your state with the proper federal registration. You purchase the item, then the dealer or individual you purchased it from helps you to complete what is called a Form 4, finger print cards, and a certificate of compliance. Put all that in an envelope, then mail it off with a check for the appropriate NFA transfer tax. If you have a clean criminal record the item will be transferred to you in a few months, and you can take possession of it when an approved Form 4 is returned.

The purchase price for a M230 40mm grenade launcher starts around $1300 and goes up from there, depending on who makes it and the configuration or collectability. Suppressors are much cheaper for the most part, and transferable (to the public) machineguns are the most expensive of all, starting at $3500 and going up as high as 500k depending on what it is, for the supply is fixed and cannot be replenished due to the ban in 1986.

You can learn more about the National Firearms Act here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Firearms_Act

Places which make or sell various NFA items:
http://www.subguns.com/classifieds/?db=nfafirearms&category=All+Items+in+this+Category&query=category&search_and_display_db_button=on&results_format=headlines&website=&language=&session_key=
http://www.sturmgewehr.com/webBBS/nfa4sale.cgi
http://www.swrmfg.com/
http://www.libertycans.net/
http://www.gem-tech.com/store/pc/home.asp
http://www.advanced-armament.com/
http://www.thompsonmachine.net/
http://www.silencerco.com/
http://www.suppressedarmament.com/
http://www.surefire.com/Suppressors

Walmart has carried CR123A batteries for well over 10 years. You should also easily be able to find them at Target, Radio Shack, Best Buy, etc. Heck all the grocery stores around here (Houston) carry them as well.

From what I've seen the CR123a actually seems to be a pretty standard battery for use in flashlights. I think all of the Surefire flashlights use them: http://www.surefire.com/ Tactical gun lights by Streamlight use them as well: http://www.streamlight.com/product/class.aspx?cid=10

First, about LED lighting: what are the environmental costs of producing it? Remember, semiconductors are usually produced in expensive fabs, which are known for needing a lot of fresh water to run. Of course, they do have the advantage of much longer life than other light sources, so this may not be a big problem.

LED lighting seems to me to be a matter of spending more upfront to gain a long-term benefit, both economically, and -- as you point out -- environmentally. LEDs manufacture causes a certain amount of environmental damage, but they last so much longer than either incandescent or fluorescent bulbs that it seems to be worth it, since we essentially never have to replace the bulbs (with exception for very strange environmental conditions to find in the home).

I was convinced enough that I replaced the incandescent bulb in my Surefire G2 with an LED, to increase my 1-hour battery runtime by a factor of 10. I haven't bothered replacing any of my home lights though, because of the cost.

Secondly, nuclear power is NOT a panacea.

I know, and I think that we should diversify our energy sources, but it's much better than coal, and a good stopgap solution until we're able to harness fusion. :)

Case in point: Surefire. Those cheap 3-9 LED flashlights you get at the flea market are cute, but this is ONE LED that puts out 60-120 lumens. I have a G2 LED and it is brighter than my 3 D-cell Maglite.

The ability to withstand an explosion.

I played with a SureFire M3 in the store (it is an incandescent), and when I shone it onto my hand (which was about 18" from the head), I could literally feel my hand heating up. Even that unit probably only weighs half a pound, but given SureFire's engineering I would feel confident that I could use it as a hammer without it being broken (heh).

One thing that always irked me about MagLites is that they dim so quickly after fresh batteries are installed--ie. they lack digital power regulation. Once, I got so irritated by the "bright for 10 minutes, then dim until the batteries die" issue in my mini-mag that I installed lithium AA's (which will retain their initial voltage much longer than alkalines). The extra current those can source before dropping off killed two flashlight bulbs in under an hour. This was very inconvenient, because I was night-hiking in the backcountry and *needed* my light. So, uh, "don't try this at home" (haha).

SureFire U2:

• Price: ~$275 street
• Output: 100 (high), 2 (low) lumens
• Runtime: 2 hours (high), 175 hours (low)
• Battery type: CR123A (specialized, expensive, not found in typical stores)
• Digitally regulated power: yes

Fenix L2D:

• Price: ~$60 street (sic)
• Output: 180 / 107 / 53 / 12 lumens (different modes)
• Runtime: 2.4 / 4 / 10.5 / 55 hours (different modes)
• Battery type: AA (cheap, ubiquitous)
• Digitally regulated power: yes

Further bolstering the Fenix is the extreme runtime one can acheive using Energizer E2 (lithium) AA's (look at the L2D LOW Runtime chart): ~5000 minutes is over 80 hours of continuous runtime on one pair of batteries.

This isn't an shill--I was really quite interested in getting a well-engineered SureFire. Then I realized that for the same price I could buy 4 of these Fenix flashlights that are brighter, cheaper/easier to operate wrt batteries, and far less expensive. For my uses, the SureFire just couldn't stack up.

I might reconsider if I were buying a flashlight to mount on the fore-end of a SWAT team assault rifle, but that is not my intended use.

SureFire U2:

• Price: ~$275 street
• Output: 100 (high), 2 (low) lumens
• Runtime: 2 hours (high), 175 hours (low)
• Battery type: CR123A (specialized, expensive, not found in typical stores)
• Digitally regulated power: yes

Fenix L2D:

• Price: ~$60 street (sic)
• Output: 180 / 107 / 53 / 12 lumens (different modes)
• Runtime: 2.4 / 4 / 10.5 / 55 hours (different modes)
• Battery type: AA (cheap, ubiquitous)
• Digitally regulated power: yes

Further bolstering the Fenix is the extreme runtime one can acheive using Energizer E2 (lithium) AA's (look at the L2D LOW Runtime chart): ~5000 minutes is over 80 hours of continuous runtime on one pair of batteries.

This isn't an shill--I was really quite interested in getting a well-engineered SureFire. Then I realized that for the same price I could buy 4 of these Fenix flashlights that are brighter, cheaper/easier to operate wrt batteries, and far less expensive. For my uses, the SureFire just couldn't stack up.

I might reconsider if I were buying a flashlight to mount on the fore-end of a SWAT team assault rifle, but that is not my intended use.

Better than MagLite:
http://www.surefire.com/

One of the big things I love about Surefire is the amount of engineering that goes into their products to make them as good, and as tough, as possible.

They even point out that while other flashlights have a higher candlepower rating, that candlepower is a flawed system of measurement and they're higher on the lumen scale (looking at intensity vs frequency, candlepower is proportional to the max value, and the lumen rating is related to the area under the curve). I love any company that's that committed to actual engineering of their products.

They're not the first ones. If you take a look at SureFire's P61 bulb, they get 120 lumens for 20 minutes on a set of batteries. What't the point of these short-runtime ultra-bright lamps? They're useless for most homeowners, save perhaps the homeowner who keeps it next to their defensive firearm. They're priceless for a cop who wants to disorient someone for that split-second advantage, or perhaps for an entry team member who needs to light up the room NOW.

I have the regular bulb, so I get 1 hour of runtime on a set of batteries at 65 lumens. Is that pratical for everything? No, not at all. If I need runtime, I break out my Mag-Lite. If I want daylight in my pocket, I break out the SureFire.

The Surefire 6P Original puts out 60 lumens with the original bulb, 120 with the optional high-output bulb. Their more powerful handheld flashlights are 105/200, and the LED models put out 80 for the smaller ones, or 100 for the bigger ones.

4100 lumens in a handheld light will probably blind you if you try to use it the way you suggest. Blinding the other guy doesn't help you that much if you the light reflected from the surfaces you point it at blind you too.

Mounted on the top of your shotgun it's perfect. intruder in your home, you have a perfect view of them before you dump a couple of 12 gauge slugs in their chest.

No you don't, because the light is too bright at close range, and it will blind you both. You want something like this for that shotgun. 60 lumens, though the bulb upgrade for 120 could well be worthwhile.

While 4100 lumens is certainly a lot of light... Its certainly not 100 times brighter than the previous brightest flashlights. I have 100 lumen flashlights from surefire kicking around all over, and a quick visit to their site found this on the front page: http://www.surefire.com/maxexp/main/co_disp/displ/prrfnbr/419/sesent/00 (thats a 500 lumen flashlight) Anyway, all that to say, this is way over-hyped.

These things have been around for ages. See http://www.surefire.com/

This flashlight uses resistance variation. The LED is on 100% of the time it is receiving power but the brightness can be varied by controlling the current allowed to flow through it and therefore the lumen output of the emitter.

This one uses PWM. The light can be made to appear dimmer to the eye by varying the amount of time it is on versus off despite the fact that when on it is always emitting the same number of lumens.

Which way is better depends on who you ask. A lot of people claim that PWM reduces the life of the phosphor in an LED by cycling it on and off so much. I have no idea and the LED manufacturers don't seem motivated to comment one way or the other.

I think the big stumbling block for LED acceptance on a larger scale are the inconsistencies in manufacturing them. For a given LED, say a 1 watt Luxeon, the color quality and the lumen output at a given voltage can vary quite a bit. Luxeon 'bins' each LED based on those 2 measurements and the cost of a 'high binned' LED, one with high output and good color, can be triple that of a 'low bin'. One of the reasons why a Surefire flashlight costs so much more than a similar hardware store equivalent even though both use a 1W Luxeon LED.

Don't read this, I mean really. Its a load of crap. Really, it isn't good. Its just writing for the sake of writing. Honestly. I mean it. Don't read this, I mean really. Its a load of crap. Really, it isn't good. Its just writing for the sake of writing. Honestly. I mean it. Don't read this, I mean really. Its a load of crap. Really, it isn't good. Its just writing for the sake of writing. Honestly. I mean it. Don't read this, I mean really. Its a load of crap. Really, it isn't good. Its just writing for the sake of writing. Honestly. I mean it. Don't read this, I mean really. Its a load of crap. Really, it isn't good. Its just writing for the sake of writing. Honestly. I mean it. Don't read this, I mean really. Its a load of crap. Really, it isn't good. Its just writing for the sake of writing. Honestly. I mean it.

Monkeyboi

A SureFire 6P. Add on 120 lumen bulb. The waterproof holder for a spare and six batteries. A tactical speed holster. Two boxes of twelve batteries. Shock proof bezel if weapon mounting is wanted.
http://www.surefire.com/

If you have the bux an aftermarket mount and squeeze switch for it so it can be put on an M16.
I need to find my supplier for this.

A good knife from http://www.sharppointythings.com/ the Battle Bitch is sweet but a simple Cold Steel smachet or tanto is nice. It's not an online store but an email will get a quote.

Any small card game, you'd be surprised how well Steve Jackson's games go over. They are small and portable and fun.
http://www.sjgames.com/

There is another site for really cheap cool card games but I've lost it.

This is no surprise... it's been this way in flashlights (hand torches, to you brits) for a while, particularly the higher-end ones and those designed for specialty applications.

As an example, some of the weapon-mounted lights being used by the military are also going to LEDs. Some of the regular incandescent bulbs just don't hold up as well to the punishing recoil of most weapons... you were forever changing bulbs. The higher end incandescent lights like the Sure-Fire lights could take the shock, but forget mounting anything like a mag-lite on a weapon.

Best thing about them: they're easy on the batteries. Batteries are heavy, and there's nothing worse than having to carry too many spares. Every ounce counts when you're carrying it on your back.

Yeah, I thought it was way too dark there. This is, what, the year 2195, and they can build a base on Mars, but they can't light it properly so you can see? I mean, did you check out the bathrooms? You'd need a flashlight just to take a piss.

And as for the stupid $1.95 flashlight that you have to run around with... I mean, what happened? Did Surefire weaponlights just get discontinued, or something? I thought those were a pretty frickin' good idea. You can blind your enemies before you shoot them, instead of putting your flashlight away and firing into the dark, like a dumb ass.

Memories... Blackout 2003 - Detroit, Michigan.

It was dark, but only when I turned my G2 Nitrolon off.

Seriously though...
I enjoyed the time away from the computer as we visited with neighbors and enjoyed the cool-ness of the basement (finished) when in the house.
Interesting to hear about how people starting panicking after only 12 hours of being without power. Looting was minimal though, which was pleasantly surprising for the area we live in.
I think if the blackout had lasted much longer it would have gotten worse... since the average person does not keep enough food/supplies in their house to survive for more then a few days.

It was really a non-event for my family and me.

Mag Lights were cool ten years ago. The various lights by Sure Fire are now the way to go. A tiny Sure Fire powered by two lithium batteries is way brighter than 4 D-Cell powered Mag Light.

Maglites are good, but I always carry a SureFire light.

It's handier than a maglite and a hell of a lot brighter.

I have purchased both the Photon II and Photon III keychain LED lights. They are quite bright for being so small, but I would not buy the "III" model again since it has all these annoying light modes, which are a pain when you just want to turn it off and on.

These are the only LED flashlights that I've used.

However, when you want a real flashlight, pony up and buy a SureFire rechargable. You will not be disappointed.

I think that most of these beat a 5 cell Maglite by quite a bit. (Not in the "big heavy club" category, but in the "blinding perps" category.)

If it were me moving in, I would have had a shotgun in the panic room with a couple of vests. Would have made for a much shorter film.

enkidu EOT