No one can deny that with the technical advancements of flashlights over the past decade, a slew of new companies has hatched. And along with them, dozens of new flashlights, accompanied by a hearty serving of new ‘bells & whistles’.
About thirty years ago, an American company was born that began producing laser sights. The Los Angeles Police Department was one of its first big customers, who bought shotgun sights for use during the 1984 summer Olympics. This company initially launched in 1969, but as its product line grew, so did they. Then with their successful expansion, a name change followed. These were the beginnings of Surefire.
Their development of the laser, which progressed to handgun mounted lights, became synonymous with law enforcement agencies, as well as SWAT teams and military personnel. So much so that their CombatLight has become standard with the FBI. Many of their handheld lights are a popular choice for police, military, fire, and EMS personnel as well. Eventually, flashlight enthusiasts everywhere also began embracing the Surefire brand. Surefire flashlights have also had success when mounted on handguns, rifles, sub-machine guns and shotguns.
The sturdy construction of a Surefire flashlight is such that many other brands have followed suit. Surefire lights are either machined from aerospace grade aluminum, or from a proprietary polymer known as Nitrolon. On would expect aluminum to be able to withstand the elements, but even Surefire’s Nitrolon is non-conductive, corrosion free and impact resistant. The aluminum finish on many of their lights is standard Military Grade, Type III hard anodization. This finish produces a virtually indestructible body. Another piece of standard equipment, is a tempered Pyrex lens with anti reflective coatings. Virtually all of Surefire’s weapon-mounted lights, as well as a few hand held models, feature a shock-isolated lamp assembly. This means the light can withstand the repeated recoil of a 12-gauge shotgun.
Most of today’s LED flashlights feature a myriad of technological breakthroughs. The CREE LED has become a household standard. A Surefire flashlight, like other popular brands, also features a digitally regulated current. This assures excellent color rendition of the beam. Other standard features include; a high output LED… multiple levels of brightness… a lock-out tailcap… and a pre-focused reflector.
As discussed in other posts on lightsngear.com, Surefire flashlights are primarily powered by Lithium-ion batteries. Only a lithium cell can provide the necessary power to allow lights such as these to attain their greatness. A CR123 lithium battery is a Surefire flashlight’s best friend.
I have Surefire lights in my own collection, and can attest to their rugged durability. As stated earlier, there are many fine flashlight manufacturers these days. Some of them are based overseas…which doesn’t diminish their ability to market a very competitive product. On the other hand, most of the Surefire models are made in America. To some consumers, this is an important advantage and perhaps one to consider when making a flashlight purchase.
SUREFIRE flashlights are available by clicking here!
