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MX-212/U – The Pink US Army Flashlight

During the 1960s, the US Army fielded a sparkproof version of the MX-991/U angle head flashlight. Like its standard issue counterpart, this new MX-212/U relied on two D cell batteries and came equipped with three interchangeable filters (Red, White and Diffuser). The loud color was meant to make it easy to differentiate the light from the OD model. During my career I ran across the Black version (which had Yellow end caps) of this flashlight but never the Pink or Yellow variants.

There are currently several for auction on eBay, including the one in this photo.

8 Responses to “MX-212/U – The Pink US Army Flashlight”

  1. rigger says:

    old school like happy shopper.

  2. demure says:

    Ugh, I hated having to dig up one of these for every 3M spot check on the ship, when I always had a far better light in my pocket.

  3. Dan says:

    I saw one of these once in an old conex (circa 2001) and thought it was a spray painted joke of some kind. Wish I would have snagged it!

    Also black and yellow was pretty common in aviation toolboxes.

  4. Weaver says:

    I saw the black and yellow ones a couple of times – had no idea they were spark proof.

  5. Bradkaf308 says:

    Learn something old/new every day. Especially here! I’ve seen seen the bulk/ylw ones too but no one new.

  6. Ty says:

    That’s a moonbeam

  7. Flight-ER-Doc says:

    Funny this should come up – I found the one I was issued in UPT way back when…..with adhesive glow in the dark tape on it so I could find it in the pubs bag.

    It still works!

    But yeah, I have much better lights available now.

  8. Tom Lima says:

    I ran into one of these in the supply room one day doing inventory for our XO. It was manufactured for the Bureau of Mines by the same contractor who made them for the Army. I think they arrived in a shipment by accident. I do recall seeing some guys using these as opposed to the OD versions. I left the flashlight on the shelf!