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Posts Tagged ‘Surefire’

SureFire Sneak Peeks

Thursday, September 10th, 2009

We had an opportunity to see a few of the new products from SureFire at the ADS Warrior Expo and Outdoor Retailer shows. Below is just a sampling of what’s next in tactical illumination and cutlery.

M300 Mini Scout Light

At half the size of the M600 Scout Light (hence the name M300), the Mini Scout Light utilizes a single CR123 battery. It makes for a more compact and slightly lighter alternative to the full-size M600. Unfortunately, it also translates into about half of the performance of the M600. However, as more compact and specialized weapons continue to see use, such a light may well find its place.

Surefire Helmet Lights

Now in its fourth generation, the Helmet Light has integrated several changes. Most notable is the new molded shrouds for the toggles. Instead of attaching an additional part to the light, the new shrouds are an integral part of the chassis which strengthens the design and reduces production time and material. Additionally, as you can see in the photo, the new light features a threaded battery cap with an integrated lock out switch. Rumor has it that an entirely new Helmet Light is under development and while no details have been released, features are being driven by user feedback and it won’t resemble the current model.

SureFire LX1 Lumamax

The LED LX1 is compact (4.1″ long) and features two brightness levels; 10 lumens low and 80 lumens high. Press lightly on the two stage tailcap switch for low and apply more pressure for high. Twist the tail switch for constant on in either of the brightness modes or to lockout the switch to avoid light ADs. Additionally, the pocket clip is reversible. There is also an LX2 model coming out that also features a two stage tailcap but goes to 200 lumens.

Edged Weapons
SureFire is also releasing two new folding knives; the Edge and Crank. As with their previous edged weapon designs, these are made in the U.S.A.

Surefire Crank

LENGTH CLOSED 3.97″
LENGTH OPEN 6.4″
BLADE LENGTH 2.56″
WEIGHT 3.2 oz.

The blade is manufactured from polished 154 CM steel. A single hexagonal opening machined into the aluminum frame accommodates 1/2″ nuts, and a slot extension holds a coin firmly in place for use as a field-expedient screwdriver. Additionally, there is a built-in cord cutter and a bottle opener.

SureFire Edge

LENGTH CLOSED 4.7″
LENGTH OPEN 8.1″
BLADE LENGTH 3.4″
WEIGHT 5.5 oz.

The modified spear-point blade is crafted from 154 CM steel and the the 7075 aluminum frame features a liner lock. Notice the prominent hex openings along the handle and set into the blade which can be used as wrenches (7/16″, 3/8″, 5/16″, 1/2″ nuts). It also features an integral finger guard/flip-open lever and a pocket clip.

With the exception of the prototype M300 all of the products will be released soon. For additional information visit www.surefire.com.

Tags: ADS, Outdoor Retailer, Surefire
Posted in Knives, Lights, Outdoor Retailer | Comments Off on SureFire Sneak Peeks

Surefire Echo Knife

Wednesday, August 19th, 2009

Designed specifically for use by Special Warfare personnel, the fixed blade Echo features a spear point crafted from CRUCIBLE CPMÂ® 3VÂ® carbon steel coated in a rustproof film. Envisioned by Knifesmith Steve Ryan, it is a straight forward design that is low on gadgetry and high on reliability. The inch and a half of the blade closest to the handle is serrated and the entire blade features an asymmetrical grind.

The Micartaâ„¢ handle was chosen for wet conditions and its ergonomic profile covers a cutaway steel frame to reduce weight. The injection-molded sheath has an edge reinforced with rivets which also facilitate numerous attaching options. It is form fitted to the blade and keeps the knife secure. Additionally, the DMT diamond sharpener is ingeniously hidden in the Tek-lok attachment.

For more information visit Surefire online.

Tags: Echo, Surefire
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OR Summer Market Part II

Friday, July 24th, 2009

Equipped to Survive

Doug Ritter from Equipped to Survive showed me a sample of his new micro light. It weighs ounces and can easily be clipped to key chains and zipper pulls. The light will be available soon through Adventure Medical Kits.

Mountain Khaki

Mountain Khaki began showing the new Snake River line which consists of a short, pant, and pant with zip-off leg in both men’s and women’s sizing. It is their first foray into synthetics. The UVA/UVB SPF 50+, 100% nylon garments are lightweight and designed to dry quickly. Look for them in early 2010.

Surefire

Last year we unveiled the Saint headlamp and this year we have photos of the new Minimus Saint. Oddly enough, the Minimus will reach the market before the Saint and you should begin to see them within five weeks.

The Minimus Saint can be created from a Saint with a few simple mods which include removing the battery pack and cable. The Minimus runs on a single 123A and provides 0-110 lumens at a lightweight 3.3 ounces. There is an SOS preset for the lamp and the amount of illumination is controlled by a potentiometer. For more info visit www.surefire.com.

Tags: Surefire
Posted in Clothing, Lights, Outdoor Retailer | Comments Off on OR Summer Market Part II

Tactical Trinity System by Surefire

Sunday, May 17th, 2009

Based on over 30 years of tactical light development and training Surefire has determined that Law Enforcement personnel need three complimentary illumination tools to cover the full range of situations they may find themselves in. They must be able to identify threats, disorient opponents, and illuminate targets. Surefire refers to this concept as the “Tactical Trinity”.

Surefire goes on the further define the Tactical Trinity as a primary light, a backup light, and a weapon light.

The primary light must be handy and provide a consistent 50 lumens of light which they refer to as a tactical level of light. There are a number of lights on the market that accomplish this and at a wide variety of price points. For years I carried a Surefire 6P but these days you can get the appropriate amount of illumination at an even lower price with the Nitrolon series from Surefire. What’s more, they come in Black, Tan, OD and Yellow. Surefire has also incorporated self defensive features into their lights like those seen on the E-2D Defender above.

Surefire urges the officer to select a backup light that is ultra compact yet provide the same level of light as a primary light. Some might think this is simply an excuse to get a guy to purchase an extra light but “Murphy” can rear his ugly head anywhere and there is nothing worse than needing light just when your batteries go on your primary light. Oddly enough, Surefire actually offers a light called the E1-B Backup and it is a great light. It is very compact and offers two-stage illumination. The initial click of the tailcap causes the light to provide a full 80 lumens and a second click brings it down to 5 lumens for administrative functions.

The final piece of the Tactical Trinity is a weapon light which must offer “overwhelming output”, offer practical, ergonomic switching options as well as be reliable. Depending on the primary weapon, Surefire offers everything from illumination tools purpose built specifically for weapons to to the X300 and new X400 series of pistol lights. The latest in the series, the X400 also integrates a visible laser.

While Surefire has developed this philosophy specifically for the LE community, the same tenets apply to military users but I would recommend the addition of a head lamp or helmet light. Surefire has invested in development of the latest technologies including Total Internal Refection (TIR) lenses and LED lamps. It is really worth your time to speak to a Surefire representative about their entire line of illumination tools to find the right product for your needs.

For more information be sure to check out their informative website.

Tags: Surefire
Posted in Lights, Training | Comments Off on Tactical Trinity System by Surefire

Mayflower’s Surefire Helmet Light Harness

Saturday, September 13th, 2008

So you’ve got a Surefire helmet light and you love it but you don’t always wear a helmet. Also, you’ve been thinking how much you’d like your light to do more. Mayflower Consulting thought the same thing and came up with a simple, yet elegant solution to the problem. Their harness is used in concert with the MOLLE adapter holding it firmly in place and allowing the light to tilt like a headlamp. The harness is lightweight and won’t take up much room in your kit. In fact, it can be mounted on the helmet, converting the light for use more like a traditional headlamp.

Very well constructed, the harness is made from mil-spec elastic webbing and the light mount is crafted from a 330D multicam face backed with Coolmax. These materials sandwich a mesh foam padding which works in concert with the Coolmax to mitigate sweat.

It is the perfect accessory for your helmet light. Available in about four weeks for under $15.00.

Mayflower Consulting’s e-commerce site should be up within four weeks as well.

Tags: Helmet Light, Mayflower Consulting, Surefire
Posted in Gadgets, Lights | Comments Off on Mayflower’s Surefire Helmet Light Harness

Surefire Saint Head Lamp

Monday, August 18th, 2008

The much anticipated Saint head lamp served as the crown jewel in Surefire’s booth at the Outdoor Retailer summer market. Early models were available at SHOT 08 but were only shown behind closed doors. OR will serve as the Saint’s coming out party.

Naturally, the Saint features all the attention to detail you would normally see in a Surefire product. First off, its an LED. Surefire promises 100 lumens for 6 hours. The low setting will run at 1 lumen for a whopping 144 hours.

The lens is a coated refractive optic engineered to work specifically with this LED. This means there are no rings and you get a uniform beam. The light source is also adjustable 90 degrees up or down and features a built in SOS beacon.

Of particular interest is the battery box. Not only can you use AAs but also CR123s depending on the orientation in the battery box.

The head harness was designed for long term use. Surefire representatives said that during testing they had worn the harness in excess of five hours with no discomfort. I found the harness comfortable when I tried it on. The lamp and battery harness are well balanced. The harness features Breathe-O-Prene (R) pads designed to allow sweat to escape instead of building up. They can also be removed for washing. I have included the following graphic from Surefire’s Saint brochure. It goes into great detail about the Saint’s construction.

The Saint is designed to be waterproof for 30 minutes in up to 1 meter of water.

Surefire plans to eventually release a full line of head lamps and the Saint will be the middle of the pack.

With the exception of the first photo all other photos are courtesy of Surefire.

Tags: Surefire
Posted in Gadgets, Lights, Outdoor Retailer | 1 Comment »

OR – Day 3+

Monday, August 11th, 2008

Oakley
Oakley has a line of water shoes coming out in the fall.

Surefire
Here is another shot of the Saint.

FiveTen
FiveTen has two new tactical footwear models in the works. Inspired by the Impact 2 downhill mountain biking shoe, they feature an all leather upper, and FiveTen’s sticky stealth rubber sole. Below is a picture of the Impact. The new shoes will be entirely Black or Tan.

Adventure Medical kits
They are poised to release a new tatcical trauma kit and have penned an exclusive deal with QuickClot.

Tags: Oakley, OR, Surefire
Posted in Boots, Gadgets, Outdoor Retailer | Comments Off on OR – Day 3+

OR – Day 1

Saturday, August 9th, 2008

Huge…if you use one word to describe Outdoor Retailer it is huge. Here are a few teasers. Expect full articles soon.

Eagle Industries
Eagle has come a long way on their commercial line. The packs look very good and they are preparing to launch a softshell jacket.

Surefire
Surefire unveiled the Saint, their new headlamp. It is very slick and will accept either CR123 or AA batteries.

Darn Tough Vermont
Darn Tough has developed a full range family of socks for a military customer. They cover everything from PT to desert ops to arctic conditions.

Garmont
While the T4 addition to their line of tactical boots might still be a ways off, the new TXT (Tactical Cross Trainer), is a beefy, purpose built trail runner designed for military use.

Stanley
Stanley has released a new 8 oz flask.

Energizer
Most people don’t know that energizer manufactures their own line of flashlights. Even less well known is that they have developed a tactical flashlight. This new light is so packed with features that it is going a full write up very soon.

Tags: Darn Tough Vermont, Eagle, Garmont, Surefire
Posted in Boots, Gadgets, Outdoor Retailer | Comments Off on OR – Day 1