OVEREADY and TorchLAB are well known for churning out incredibly powerful yet compact LED lighting products. The latest result of their efforts is the new Moddoolar Triple V5 Wasp Head, a little powerhouse of a flashlight rated to produce nearly 3500 lumens using three Cree XP-L emitters..Continue reading
The Moddoolar Triad is a custom designed tailcap for use with 1″ flashlight bodies such as those from SureFire and Moddoolar. Named in part for the three distinctive lobes at the end of the tailcap, the Triad is CNC machined from solid aluminum and has a hard-anodized finish applied in either a natural (gray) or matte black finish.Continue reading
Now that 2014 is behind us the advent of the New Year provides an opportunity to reflect upon the year that was. Over the past 12 months I’ve been fortunate to get my grubby paws on a lot of great products from some of the biggest names in the business, as well as a few that aren’t as well known. This includes more than just flashlights, and in fact some of my favorite products have been the accessories and modifications that make my existing flashlights more useful.
Through it all there have been some products that stood out from the rest so I will start with a dozen noteworthy items that were reviewed here during 2014. Some were brand new products, introduced during the past year, while others were simply new to me personally.
The SureFire Z41 tailcap has been around for quite a while. For more than 25 years this classic design has remained largely unchanged, even as handheld lighting has evolved immensely. Inside its aluminum or Nitrolon shell, the Z41 houses a ruggedly simple switch mechanism that has proven itself to be durable, reliable, and ideally suited for tactical use. With a simple user interface that allows momentary operation with a press of the tailcap, the Z41 ensures the flashlight is easy to activate when needed and, equally important, turns off when the switch is released. Constant operation is achieved by simply twisting (tightening) the tailcap.
Although the Z41, along with its many derivatives, works well for its intended purpose, it’s not perfect for every application. Some would prefer the convenience of a click-type tail switch while others may wish for a lower-profile or more efficient alternative. Whatever the case, the popularity of SureFire flashlights has led to the creation of several aftermarket solutions allowing the Z41 switch mechanism to be replaced using only simple hand tools.
The SureFire R1 Lawman is, without a doubt, one of the finest rechargeable duty lights ever brought to market. With high performance and a well thought out dual switch user interface, the Lawman certainly has a lot to offer but, as great as it is, some owners don’t care for the tail mounted twist style switch.
Fortunately for these owners, the TorchLAB R1 Lawman McClicky Kit provides an aftermarket solution to this problem by replacing the stock switch mechanism with a click-type switch. Built around the well regarded McClicky switch mechanism, the self-installation kit comes with all the parts needed to make the change in minutes.
The TorchLAB R1 Lawman McClicky Kit is available from OVEREADY for less than $30. A sample kit was provided for use during this review.Continue reading
The TorchLab Triple series of LED drop-ins is a family of ultra high-output light engines that provide a drastic performance upgrade for SureFire flashlights based on the common P60 lamp assembly format. Produced and sold exclusively by OVEREADY, the TorchLab Triple is available in various configurations with different user interfaces, output levels, and beam characteristics.
Three different user interfaces are available:
OVEREADY offers what is likely the largest variety anywhere of parts and pieces for customizing a stock SureFire or building a 100% custom flashlight. Based upon the SureFire C/P/Z-series lights, these parts are fully modular and interchangeable with stock SureFire parts, allowing users to configure their light exactly the way they want it.
For purposes of this review OVEREADY provided a complete custom host (without LED drop-in) in a “Shorty” configuration set up for use with common P60 style LED drop-ins powered by a single battery. The Shorty earns its name due to its mere 3.2″ length which is over ½” shorter than the similarly styled SureFire 3P. Continue reading