Surefire
G3 LED - Holster Kit
Actually the Surefire G3 is nothing more than a nitrolon polymer body version of the “old” 9P model. But with 5.50oz total its 1.4oz lighter then the 9P with its aluminum body. The G3-LED is just like the incandescent G3 6.50” long, the lamp-head is made out of aluminum and equipped with an anti-roll-device. The light output is quoted with 80 Lumen and the maximum runtime is stated 9.4 hours. The G3-LED will need 3 CR123A lithium batteries.
The polymer body of the G3 is very though. The surface is very slip proof and it will barely adopt the environmental temperature. The grip is firm even without gloves. The LED-Chip will be activated by pushing the tailcap switch for momentary-on. For constant-on, the tailcap need to be twisted clockwise. By turning the tailcap counterclockwise the switch will be locked out. So an accidental discharge of the light can be prevented. I wish my old 6P had this as I ruined it almost 10 years ago.
For me the most interesting is, that the G3 comes in a “Holster-Kit”. This Kit includes the G3-LED light, the polymer holster, a total of 9 CR123A batteries, an instruction manual and a nice storage box. Most interesting for me is the holster. I love lights but I hate prowling for a holster. You can carry the G3 bezel-down only in this holster. It is good for right and left hand carry and the carry angle can be adjusted from 0-90 degrees. Also the belt-loop-size is adjustable for 1.50“ (38mm), 1.75“ (45mm), 2.00“ (50mm) and 2.50“ (57mm) belts.
The retention power of the holster is not adjustable. But the light sits so tight in the holster that it is no problem to accomplish the basic tasks like running, jumping, climbing or alike without losing the G3. If the operator prefers the harries-technique I would recommend a angled carry. But for the FBI and Neck-index guy´s I would go for a straight vertical carry. Mounting it for a left hand user, but carry it on the right (as a right hander of course), batteries facing to the rear. Why that? Course if you carry the light angled in front of your body, grip the light and pull it straight up, you may get stuck. Plus, this way it’s easier to reholster the light. That is, by the way, a big plus anyway. If you have to go “hands-on” and you start to twiddle with the old floppy nylon holster, you are may be in trouble.
There is also a magazine on the holster, holding 3 CR123A batteries. In my opinion it’s a pretty practical solution. Most of the time, when my batteries die, I am in a situation where I need light now. I know that the trend is going to a 2nd or even 3rd light. But sometimes there is no extra space for extra lights. And carrying batteries in my pants pocket is not an option in my opinion. This way you has always a set of spare batteries on hand, no matter what. And I don´t worry, that I could lose the batteries out of the magazine. Cause you need to be a little violent structured to get the wanted energy.
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 set of new quality batteries and keep it running till the batteries die. The G3-LED has a clear spot free of shadows. The light output is stated as 80 Lumen. In my own opinion it’s enough for most daily tasks, but I have to say that my old 6P with the P60L 80 Lumen LED-Reflector seems to be a little brighter with a little more dazzle effect. But may be its just me. The runtime is quoted with 9.4 hours. After 4 hours you could see that the power is going down a little. After 7h constant-on the light was very weak. And after almost exactly 10h the light stopped running. After 30 minutes runtime the lamp-head got pretty warm but one could still hold it without feeling pain. But the lens stayed cold all the time. As the power went down a bit after 4h, the head cooled down also.
Sand Test: To test the small moving parts on a flashlight I do a sand test. I take a bucket full of very fine sand, drop the light in it and shake it for about 30 seconds. I repeat this procedure 5 times. After the sand test I do a full function check on the flashlight. The G3 was pretty unimpressed by the sand test. Only the threads of head and tail started to gnash a little. But that was gone after a short cleaning.
Heat Test: The next thing I do to the light is a heat test. I sit the light into an oven, set the heat regulator to 60C. / 140F., and let it stay there for one hour. After the heat test I do a full function check on the flashlight. Since the body of the G3 is made out of nitrolon the environmental temperature had no effect to the lights body. It was warm but not hot. The Head was a little hot but all that had no effect on the function of the flashlight.
Water Test: After the heat test I start with the water test and drop the light into a bucket of water. To get a better contrast for the pictures I added some peppermint-tea to water. So the funny color you see on some of the pictures is nothing to worry about. The flashlight stays in there for 2 hours and finally another 10 minutes with switched on light. The G3 enjoyed the bath. Nothing more to say.
Cold Test: The light will go right into the freezer when it´s still wet from the water test. I let it stay in a bag of ice cubes at -20C. / -5F. for 2 full days. After being recovered from the ice I do a full function check on the flashlight. It seems as the G3 feels like home in the cold too. Nothing more to tell.
Shock Test: To see what the light 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 operational test. So after that test I have to say, that the light is not just acting tough, it is though. No problems after the shock test.
This almost sounds boring. All tests went well, no special functions on the light, no super duper high light output. Just a regular, tough duty light, that can take a lot of use and abuse. It delivers a fair amount of light output, is relatively economical and comes with a holster that makes a fast draw and reholster easy, even under stress. I like it.
I hope that my review on the Surefire G3 LED – Holster kit was useful for you.
Cheers,
Gunner