https://www.streamlight.com/pr.../index/protac-hl-usb

Time for a new flashlight for the duty belt. I like the size, output, and USB charging option for this model.
Looking for something similar made in the states.

I have found ASP but they say Made in the USA and China on the box.
Guessing the light body is made in the states and the LED and chip in China.

Am I not going to find a purely US made light?

I wanted to suggest Maglite's Mag-Tac LED, but so far I can't find confirmation that it's US-made.

Give the Malkoff devices M61HOT a look. It’s roughly the size of a Surefire 6P, has a great UI and uses 18650 rechargeables. The quality and durability is second to none and the customer service is well second to none. .

Give Gene and Cathy a line and they will happily answer any questions.

Keep in mind even the most American made lights will still have SOME foreign sourced parts. I don’t think there are any 100% guaranteed U.S. made lights with 100% parts.

quote:

https://www.surefire.com/produ...on/built-in-the-usa/

SINCE OUR FOUNDING, SUREFIRE HAS BEEN COMMITTED TO BEING A U.S. MANUFACTURER.

And throughout most of our history, our products have been proudly marked “Made in the U.S.A.” Today, many SureFire products, including our best-in-class sound suppressors, hearing-protection earplugs, rifle magazines, 123A lithium batteries, and pens are still marked that way. This means that these products are designed by American engineers, right here in the U.S. – in California – and all of the materials, components, and labor involved are also sourced from the U.S. This includes machining U.S.-sourced aluminum stock into illumination-tool bodies and components at our own Santa Ana turning center as well as assembling, testing, and shipping our products from our facilities in Fountain Valley, California. Our sound suppressors, rifle magazines, and pens are 100% Made in the U.S.A.

Of course you'll pay for these, but the quality is there and they are U.S. products.

Really if you want a DUTY GRADE light that is American made you are looking at Surefire, Elzetta or Malkoff as your big 3.

I can’t think of any that give you a USB port externally to charge the battery. I run SureFire 18650s with USB ports built into the battery however.

I know of no U.S. made light that meets the size and output specs of the HL with its own internal charging. Your best options are the afore mentioned M61HOT, the Surefire FURY or the Elzetta Bones all running on an 18650 with its own integral usb charging.

My preference is with the M61 because I like a high/low option only and I like that I can configure the light to always be high or always be low by the twist of the head.

quote:

Originally posted by cslinger:
Really if you want a DUTY GRADE light that is American made you are looking at Surefire, Elzetta or Malkoff as your big 3.

I can’t think of any that give you a USB port externally to charge the battery. I run SureFire 18650s with USB ports built into the battery however.

Not worried about it being external. I just don’t want to have a proprietary charger. I just want to be able to grab any old USB cable to give it juice.

The Surefire Fury DFT looks like it could fit the bill. I like the body to be the same size but the Fury does not seem to get too big in the head from the pictures.

Still need to browse the Elzetta and Malkoff sites.

I don’t own a FURY but I can grab you a picture of a Malkoff and an Elzetta (not the rechargeable bones but same body/head basically) compared to some other lights. Just give me a short bit.

Ok here is a quick and dirty size comparison. I can throw in an Olight or other Surefire if you like but this should give you an idea of what you are looking at.

Keep in mind this is for size comparison only, not all of these take rechargeables.

Left to right.
Streamlight 1L-1AA (Can use rechargeable AA's, 123s or even AAAs in a pinch) only 300ish lumens.

Surefire EDCL1T (Technically not able to use rechargeables) around 500 lumens

Malkoff M61HOT high/Low (18650 rechargeables, spec'd at around 750 lumens on high but Malkoff seems sandbag their numbers. They always seem brighter

Elzetta Bravo (Not rechargeable compatible. 600ish lumens)

Mini Maglite.......like every other mini maglite you've seen.

Keep in mind the Elzetta and Malkoff offerings have a true runtime both have some really flat regulation.






Hope it helps.
Chris

Can anyone suggest a pocket light like in the OP (clip and rechargeable, USB optional) that is SIMPLE to use? On and off is all I need.

quote:

Originally posted by Sigmund:
Can anyone suggest a pocket light like in the OP (clip and rechargeable, USB optional) that is SIMPLE to use? On and off is all I need.

I’m a big fan of Surefire lights and also added some of the terrific quality Malkoff LED drop ins to bring new life to some older incandescent Surefires.

As to your question Sigmund, take a look at the Streamlight Wedge. I’ve been really happy with it as a non-tactical, bright, and simple pocket light with USB-C charging and a pocket clip. The flat profile makes it fit the pocket well. Could be a little shorter though.

Most led emitter are from China they have 90 percent of the market, place that I work have some high dollar flight control panel always on hold because of the led light shortage. Ask management why we still using the fucking Chinese shit reply no one else is making it.

A variety of Surefire options will fit the bill. They will be quite a bit more expensive but their quality is undeniable. I am also a BIG fan of the Modlite handhelds, which are more expensive still, but very, very good.

I own a LOT of flashlights. I've had the most failures from Surefire products (they've always fixed the problem without complaint, but that doesn't do you any good when your light won't turn on when you need it) and one of them looks like it's starting to experience LED failure as we speak. I've had proportionally the highest ratio of failures from Olight products (2 of 3 lights failed, the third is perfect).

So far, Streamlight and Fenix have been the best for me. I haven't had any failures at all with either of them, and I still reach for them more than lights from other brands. I have an old Fenix P3D that sat out exposed in the elements for about 10 years. The anodizing has faded, but that light still works as well as it did the day it was new. I actually just brought it in to serve as a nightstand light. I still use my original TK35UE as a walk the dog around the yard light.

I have a bunch of random cheaper Chinese lights that are great, but I wouldn't trust them for primary duty use. Some aren't very durable, some are too complex.

quote:

Originally posted by mdblanton:

take a look at the Streamlight Wedge.

I looked. Seems to be good, for a simple light.

Question: Is it U.S. made? I was under the impression that Streamlight is made in China, but I could be wrong.

IIRC some of Streamlights stuff is made in China some domestically. Go to their site, go to the light in question and look for the quick link documents for it. One is like “fact sheet” or something and I think that one usually has the ansi runtime graph and where made etc.

I just checked. It is “Fact Sheet” and the Wedge is made in China.

I don’t care for sealed batteries but Surefire’s Stiletto might fit your bill.

HDS lights (Tucson) are also rock solid. On par with Malkoff. I have 3 or 4 of each. You can beat the crap out of either and it will keep working. HDS has the more customizable UI. Both Gene (Malkoff) and Henry (HDS) are stand-up guys. I have zero hesitation in giving either guy a recommendation or more of my money.

Dan

edit: typos

The majority of my handheld and weapon lights are Streamlight. I haven't had any problems with any of them. I wasn't aware that they were (possibly) made in China, I just assumed that because they were good they must be domestic. I do have a couple of Surefire handhelds (including my favorite E2D Defender that was lost months ago but miraculously resurfaced last week) and one weapon light, and they've been perfect too.

I really dislike the new ones that have so many different modes and brightness settings that you need to keep the owner's manual in your wallet.

I did have one mini Maglite (just like the one in cslinger's pictures above) that I had to toss out a little while back. The cap on it seized up so bad that even with two pairs of pliers I couldn't get it off. It looked fine from the outside, no dents in the threads or anything. I don't know if it rusted internally or what. IIRC those take AA batteries, so it's possible I had a Duracell leaking problem in there and that's what messed it up. I've got a couple of the older 3 and 4 D-cell Maglights that I've had forever and they still work fine.

quote:

Originally posted by V-Tail:

quote:

https://www.surefire.com/produ...on/built-in-the-usa/

SINCE OUR FOUNDING, SUREFIRE HAS BEEN COMMITTED TO BEING A U.S. MANUFACTURER.

And throughout most of our history, our products have been proudly marked “Made in the U.S.A.” Today, many SureFire products, including our best-in-class sound suppressors, hearing-protection earplugs, rifle magazines, 123A lithium batteries, and pens are still marked that way. This means that these products are designed by American engineers, right here in the U.S. – in California – and all of the materials, components, and labor involved are also sourced from the U.S. This includes machining U.S.-sourced aluminum stock into illumination-tool bodies and components at our own Santa Ana turning center as well as assembling, testing, and shipping our products from our facilities in Fountain Valley, California. Our sound suppressors, rifle magazines, and pens are 100% Made in the U.S.A.

Of course you'll pay for these, but the quality is there and they are U.S. products.

I think this means that the lights are NOT 100% USA made.

It says that "many" of their products are marked made in the USA.

It states that their flashlight aluminum bodies and some "components" are turned in Santa Ana, and that assembly and testing are done in Fountain Valley, but it does not talk about microprocessors and emitters. Microprocessors and led emitters are not "turned" on a lathe, so they wouldn't be made in their Santa Ana turning facility. The next line then indicates that suppressors, magazines, and pens are 100% USA made. But not lights.

It is carefully worded marketing to obscure the fact that surefire lights are not 100% USA made. It talks about how things used to be made in the USA, then talks about how many things still are, and in between talks about how the lights are assembled, tested and shipped, and how the aluminum and some components are made locally--but omits lights from the list of 100% USA made.

quote:

Originally posted by Perception:
I own a LOT of flashlights. I've had the most failures from Surefire products (they've always fixed the problem without complaint, but that doesn't do you any good when your light won't turn on when you need it) and one of them looks like it's starting to experience LED failure as we speak. I've had proportionally the highest ratio of failures from Olight products

I've used nothing but SureFire lights for around 25 years or so, owned a ton of them and still do as every time they'd make one with twice the output, I'd buy it and I kept the old ones.

Never had a single problem with any of them in that time, and I use flashlights a lot.