Tuesday, 9 October 2012

Surefire Torches

Most military operators will know and love SureFire and a lot of trickle down from the steady stream of ex military into the police means most police officers will know them to.  SureFire have long had a reputation for   quality, reliability and durability which have made them the main stay for those looking for a torch where their life depends on the light coming on when you click the switch.  As such you will find SureFire torches on weapon mounts around the world from Isrealie special forces teams to British Infantry.

SureFire torches are not quite so prolific in the police as they are in the military (apart from Firearms Teams) as most police officers do not have quite such a life and death need for light at the click of a button.  The major turn off for police with the SureFire brand is the price, retailing online at £90-£110 in general for the G2 and 6P models, where as cheaper Chinese made products from Led Lenser or Fenix retail for around fifty pounds for their standard models that offer comparable lumens and run time to the Surefire versions.

SureFire attribute their high prices to their custom developed LEDs where other factories use "off the shelf" LEDs and customised their reflector cones and lenses to optimise light production.  Whether this justifies the price tag or not.... I would be inclined to say not.

One thing that specialist users will appreciate is that SureFire have retained certain filament bulb models where other companies have now moved almost exclusively to LED models.  Now whilst LED torches offer higher lumen output and better battery life they have one major drawback (if you need it) they can not be used with IR filters!  So they are no good if you are trying to use IR night vision image intensifiers.  Now this is quite a specialist role that requires such a niche feature but it is one Surefire understands more than a "commercial" or "retail" producer would.

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