Pimp my light

Surefire 6P

I believe it was back in 1991 when I took my danger bonus to buy me a tactical flashlight. The large maglite was very famous,  but still bulky, heavy and the tactical options were rather limited. So I got me a Surefire 6P. 65 Lumen for one hour! That was like a light-sabre in these years. But I was stupid enough to put it in my rucksack without screwing the tail cap out far enough. Somehow the light was activated and as I discovered my fault, the lens was melted and the lamp was dead. So I got me a new reflector assembly and asked for a new lens. There for I had to send in the light. It took almost a year till I got it back. Not with a new lens but with a complete new lamp-head. I took more care and it was holding up quiet well, till I dropped it. I dropped it and the lamp was dead again. Ok, so I bought another reflector assembly, this time the P61 with 120Lumen. But after a while, without using it so much, this one was dead too. This made me so mad, that I trough the 6P in the deepest corner of my locker and never looked at it again for years.

Then one day, I was looking for stuff to get rid off at e-bay, I found my old used and abused 6P. Since I love lights and since I have already put that much money in it, I could not really sell it. So I decided to wake her up again and I bought me a P60L LED/Reflector Assembly, with 80 Lumen for 12 hours. I heard that it will work quiet well and that it is shock resistant. Then I also grabbed a set of Surefire combat rings to add some more tactical options to it.

Changing the Reflectors was easy, old out, new in, ready. And it is bright. So I did my light test. I have separated the light performance test into 4 parts. But keep in mind that I am a Gunner and not a physician.  At first I test the blinding power at 10m /30ft.  Second is the brightness and area covered at 10m / 30ft. and the third tests the brightness and area covered at 30m / 95ft. At the end I will refill the light with a fresh set of quality batteries and keep it running till the batteries die.

The glare is great, even at daylight one don´t like to look right into it as close range. It´s a very white light coming out of the P60L.  At 30ft. your opponent will be not amused about the brightness and everything on him can be easily identified. He/she will also be dazzled at 95ft but one can fight against it. Everything on the person and in the close surrounding can be easily identified. At the endurance-test the 6P kept up for 12h and 28 minutes with the P60L reflector. After about 6 hours you could see the power starting to run out. And after 8 hours it was just a very little dim light.

To see what the lights can take I do two types of shock tests. First I drop it 3 times from 180cm / 6ft. height on a concrete floor and after a full function test I drop it once from 15m / 50ft. on soft soil. Followed by a full function check, of course. With the P60 Bulp-Reflector I would have been scared cause of the experience I made. But fortunately the LED-Reflector held up. No problems with it on the shock-test.

The SF-Combat-Rings are a set of three different, 1”, hard-rubber-rings. There is the “Combat Ring”, the “Combat Hook” and the “Combat Loop”. The “Combat Ring” will morph the 6P into something like the SF- 6Z Combat-Lights. With that ring added holding the light in the Roger´s technique or the Hargreaves Lite-Touch-Technique is much easier. I don´t do that, but for those who like it, it will work. The “Combat Hook” will also support your hand. But to be honest, I have no use for it since it gives me no advantage. But I like the “Combat Loop”. With the loop on it, it gives me a couple of nice options. I can use the technique I like, that is something in between the FBI and Neck-index. Also the Harries will work. But the loop will let you do reloads, clear malfunctions off all types or you can climb a ladder or so.

I hope my review “Pimp-my-Light” of the Surefire 6P was useful for you.

Cheers,

Gunner