True Stories

I'm a studio photographer who really appreciates the quality of light that your E1L Outdoorsman puts out - bright, beautiful, and smooth. I had to give a lecture on my specialty, "painting with light," so I decided to do a still life photo of oranges, in front of an audience of 60 people, and I lit it solely with my E1L. The results were great, and the audience was amazed at how well that little flashlight lit the subject.

Harold R.
West Chester, PA

I've carried my SureFire C2 Centurion® every day for over six years now while working as a flight paramedic. It's always by my side, usually in a pocket of my flight suit. I've used it to check for ice on the wings of our plane, for emergency lighting while providing care to a patient inside a smashed vehicle, to guide aircraft in to pick us up from remote scenes, and it has proven invaluable in the back of dark planes, helping to get IVs--sometimes by trans-illuminating the whole hand--into the hands of sick children. The lithium batteries work great--even in the so extreme cold of our northern winters.

I see no need to ever buy another brand of flashlight. My SureFire has to be the best there is.

Simon M.
Thunder Bay, Ontario

From an artistic standpoint, I use my A2 Aviator® while I'm photographing the city late at night. I use long exposures to get some great shots of the city. With my A2 hanging from my neck on the lanyard, I keep the red LED's constantly on. They don't blow away my night-adapted vision, and I can see what I need to see to get my shots. And the 50 lumens are always, thankfully, on standby.

My experiences may not be tactical, but they're very practical—in helping me to get my photography projects done. Thanks, SureFire.

Peter M.
Burbank, CA

Several years ago I cut a tendon in my left hand, which limits my hand's movement and mobility. When looking for a weapon-mounted light I checked out a Streamlight at a local gun shop. It was very difficult for me to activate the switch for momentary use and keep a good grip on the demo handgun at the same time. So I ordered a Surefire X200® with a remote switch to alleviate this problem.

I am extremely happy with the quality of this light, but even better is the fact that, for momentary use, I only need to push on the remote switch instead of moving the switch on the light up or down. This allows me to use my X200 with no problems. Thank you for a wonderful product!

Troy R.
Copley, OH

I am a C-130 Loadmaster, and I was recently deployed to Iraq. On my second flight in Iraq, I was exiting my aircraft when the base we were at came under attack. I dove for cover, landing on my 6P® Original's bezel. The next day, I noticed that the glass window was broken. I fired off an email to SurFire, asking to purchase a new window. All they did was ask for my mailing address, and two weeks later I received a brand-new bezel in the mail.

My 6P has been used every day in rain, dust, and the harsh Middle-Eastern wind without any problems. Thanks for the awesome support, SureFire.

Technical Sergeant Philip S.
Benton, AZ

For most of my life I have been fascinated by flashlights—especially SureFires. I carry my E2D regularly and have had great pleasure showing it off to friends and family. After a good demonstration, people are usually quite impressed; however, sometimes I have to deal with people who simply don't understand the inherent beauty and utility of a finely crafted illumination tool—the eye rolling and the "What's the big deal?" commentary from these unfortunate, uninformed folks.

I did, however, prevail when my wife and I had to pass through a security checkpoint at a recent high-profile event. As I approached the table where security personnel were asking people to remove personal items for inspection, I grew concerned that my E2D might raise suspicions and get temporarily confiscated. My wife, who thinks my flashlight interest is silly, had just passed through the checkpoint and was looking on. The armed guard picked up my E2D and, instead of looking at it with concern, said, "Is this a Surefire? Wow, what model is this? These are the greatest! I've got one at home!"

As I passed through the checkpoint, my wife's half-cocked smile made it clear she knew I was going to milk this experience for all it was worth...which I did, relaying the story to all of my friends at the event. It was so satisfying, seeing my wife have to concur repeatedly that I'd indeed had a moment of absolute "flashlight cool." Oh sweet, quite unexpected, validation!

Jeffrey Y
Sherman Oaks, California

This is the story of a little yellow flashlight (G2® Nitrolon®) that lost its way. It begins with two little boys, ages 10 and 13, who used their daddy's light to help do some work under the crawl space of their house. They do a great job, but when they come out from under the house, the yellow light does not come out with them. A search is mounted, but the little yellow light is not found. Everyone fears it is gone for good.

Fast forward eight years. The boys, now 18 and 21, once again go under the house, this time in search of a lost dog. When they come out from under the house, not only do they have the little lost dog, they have the little yellow light that hasn't been seen in nearly a decade, too! After a quick bath and some new batteries, the lost little light works like new. And the owner of the lost yellow light is so grateful that SureFire made such an outstanding tool, he sends in his story to let the world know.

Charles E.
Atlanta, Texas

Surefire's A2 Aviator® is simply the best handheld light I've ever used. I live on a ranch in western Wyoming, and this product has proven its worth in many different situations.

In the summer and fall, I use the A2 while venturing out into the fields before daybreak to open the head gate on our irrigation system. The soft LED light is perfect for following the trail, and I love the fact I can use the high-output incandescent beam to investigate noises or shapes in the darkness (I found lots of rattlesnakes, deer, and coyotes this way).

The unit's versatility is especially beneficial. My dad and I used the A2 while field dressing my whitetail deer in October. On a recent road trip to New Mexico, my wife used the A2 to locate items in the vehicle while I drove. Its blue LED light didn't affect my night vision the way a brighter, whiter light would have.

Now I take my A2 pretty much everywhere I go. It's great while camping, hunting, or even just messing around in the yard at night. In the winter, when the daylight hours are shorter, I like having the A2 with me when I take hikes. I feel like it adds a certain measure of security, and it's fun to check out all the creatures that are out there.

Mike H.
Wyoming

Yeah, your lights are great , but let’s hear about the other products.

All I can say is.....wow! Your M73 Picatinny Rail Forend is the best out there. I did my shopping and compared all of the available hand guards out there. I cannot say enough about your "M" model. By far this is the best engineered device I've ever seen!

When it arrived and I saw how the M73 mounted on the weapon, I was beside myself. I have never been so pleased with an "Attachment" than I am with your M73 Forend. The engineering of it has surpassed all out there. I am in no way showing favorites....This is just the truth. Yours attaches in such a way that it doesn't move one centimeter at all. The M73 is rock solid, lets the muzzle breathe, and with the lower front end (at the 'six' position) being a half inch longer, my bi-pod takes up less real estate on my weapon.

I have bragged about your "M" series to all my "Black Rifle" buddies out there! Keep up the great work SureFire!

Your very satisfied customer,

Mike C.
State College, PA

Being a college student and rather tight with money, I was somewhat hesitant to spend $36 on a flashlight company's cheapest model, but after years of using inferior Maglites and Wal-Mart specials, I was quite ready to try something new. So I took the plunge. Well, after receiving my G2 Nitrolon® in the mail I was astonished, to say the least. Its workmanship and beam quality had such an impact on me that the next day I ordered over $400 worth of your higher-end models for myself and family members. Now that is what I call a good first impression!

Thank you SureFire for making the finest illumination tools on the market.

Shawn N.
Carnesville, GA

Just wanted to let you guys know how much I love my Surefire lights. I started off with the A2 thinking I was insane for spending over $200 for a flashlight, but boy was I wrong! Within moments of turning on my A2, I realized it was money well spent, and a week later I bought a U2 Ultra, which never leaves my side.

I work nights hauling liquid nitrogen and oxygen and depending on the task at hand I need different amounts of light. When I'm reading a LCD meter, too much power washes out the readings, so I set the U2's adjustable setting to low. When I'm inspecting my truck or scoping out a dark delivery area, I have the U2 set on high. ]

I've dropped my U2 several times and it shows no signs of wear at all. My company gave us "police style" flashlights made by another major manufacturer a few weeks back, and I just had to laugh at the build quality and the performance (or lack of it). Needless to say, that light is still sitting in my locker collecting dust while my U2 is my light of choice. My U2 is also the only light that, when people see me using it, they walk up to me and ask me what kind of light I am using. I let them try it out and direct them to this site so they can get their own.

Thanks Surefire for making my job much safer, easier, and brighter!

Les L.
Bethlehem, PA

In September of 2000, I had the unfortunate tragedy of losing my first wife to cancer after a two-year struggle. She was only 47 at the time, and we had a 13-year-old son together. I am a law enforcement officer, and at the time I was still in a squad, working three shifts. Needless to say, it was difficult to find ways to assure my son that he was safe when I left the house.

One thing I did to help reassure him was give him my SureFire C2 Centurion to keep on his bedside nightstand the nights I was at work throughout the night. I explained to him that these were the best tools for law-enforcement officers in dark places and in low-light conditions. I also explained the tactical advantages of an intense white light when searching for things that go bump in the night.

Well, he's had that light for six yeas now, and now he's 19. Wherever he goes, so does his C2. I can't get it back now, and I don't plan to ask for it; I've moved on to another SureFire light for duty. Certainly a flashlight could never replace his mom, but I know that it provided a sense of self protection and perhaps even a sense of control during a period when life seemed so out of control for him. The C2 will likely remain with him the rest of his life, and to this day I still find it at his bedside every night.

For me, Surefire will always remain more than an illumination tool. It's more like a family thing. Thanks for providing me with just the right tool at just the right moment.

Lt. Ernie H.
Westminster, MD

I was hunting big game in Africa, back in the 1990's, and we were after a leopard but having no luck, so we enlisted the help of a local landowner, who assured us he could put us on to some big cats. At the beginning of the hunt, I'd given my guide a SureFire 9P® Original, two spare bulbs, and a dozen SureFire batteries as a gift. Good gear and extras are the best gifts, especially in this part of the world where such things are needed and very hard to find.

After staking out a leopard's den in the middle of the night for several hours, with no luck, we decided to call it a night and head back to our land rover. The landowner wanted to show us his brand-new flashlight, an aluminum-bodied, five-D-cell brand that starts with an "M," ends with a "G," and has a vowel in the middle. He'd bought it in South Africa and had paid a lot for it, as the import duties are very high there. Proudly, he turned it on to show us how bright it was and how far the beam shined. My guide, equally proud of his new SureFire, which was a fraction of the size of the landowner's torch, turned on the 9P. His SureFire was so much brighter and had such a solid beam that the landowner turned his off in disgust. Then, to add insult to injury, my guide said, "The best gifts come in small packages—even when it comes to flashlights." Words can't describe the disgusted, embarrassed look on the landowner's face. I thought he was going to throw that light into the bush right then and there.

Joel S.
Sacramento, CA

I have a few SureFires, but the one I keep coming back to is the SureFire L4, which has a great, wide-angle beam—and it comes in a slim, small package that makes it easy to carry virtually anywhere. My friend once fired up my L4 and was absolutely amazed at how bright it was. Well, my friend recently went to a Southeast Asian country where there isn't much in the way of streetlights and there are a lot of power outages, so I gave him an L4 as a present, along with six sets of SureFire lithium batteries. He said it was really useful, and the light had such a great runtime that he ended up only using one set of batteries the whole two-week trip.

Way to go, SureFire. I know he'll use that light for a lifetime, and I feel great knowing that he now has one of the best illumination tools available. Keep up the good work.

Maurice C.
Alameda, CA

I restore vintage audio equipment, particularly old tube amplifiers. Because these old components need constant tending to, I'm always pulling one down off the rack or out of its working environment. My flashlight is as important to me as any other tool in my kit in doing this work. Previously I had to be uber-concerned about dropping my old metal flashlight. One slip and that light could've crashed through a tube and possibly shorted a connection running 400-600 VDC across it; scary, expensive, and possibly deadly. Plus, when my hands were busy, I could never hold that old light in my mouth for a close look at my connection terminals without chipping a tooth.

Recently I picked up one of your G2® Nitrolon® lights. This little guy has seriously changed my life. The non-conductive polymer body eliminates my fear of electrocution and toasting my transformers. And the light is lightweight enough to hold in my mouth for a decent amount of time—and no more worries about chipping my teeth. It's not often that a new tool has that kind of "wow" factor, but the G2 has it in spades.

Keith J.
Brooklyn, NY

As a security officer and an EMT, I need a good light that will hold up to the rigors of daily life. I recently picked up a 6P® LED from a local gun shop, and, when I went to pay for it, the owner's wife asked why SureFire lights were so popular and cost more than other brands. I simply replied, "Because they're the best damn lights out there—period." The owner's response was, "I couldn't have said it any better."

Thanks for making awesome products that constantly beg for attention and turn heads wherever I go.

Bruce B.
Atascadero, CA

I work as an EMT in an Emergency Dept. in northern Vermont. Besides my trauma shears, a cheap pen, and an extra pair of gloves, the only piece of equipment I carry on my person day to day is my trusty E1L Outdoorsman. I use the low beam to check pupillary response and have used the high beam to investigate a multitude of foreign body obstructions in any number of openings and orifices. The ER Docs are often surprised by the intensity of "that little light" when I hand them my Surefire instead of one of our 2 D-Cell plastic lights.

Thanks for making a dependable product that performs flawlessly, every time.

Matt L.
Burlington, VT

During the winter, my daughter's car slid off the road after an ice storm and hit a tree. She was okay, but called me to come to her aid. I arrived the same time as the local PD, and the officer went to get his baton-type flashlight from his car. He tried to turn it on, but it didn't work, so I reached into my coat pocket, pulled out my SureFire L2, handed to the officer and said, "Try this; it always works."

The officer was totally impressed. I also took my light to show the guys at the fire department where I work, and they were amazed—my L2 was brighter than the big box lights carried on the Engine. Good news travels fast, and our captain quickly purchased several SureFire lights. He's even introduced them to his Boy Scout troop.

I will never be without a SureFire again.

Lt. Ken W.
Lancaster, PA

My in-laws were visiting for Thanksgiving and were telling us a story about how their power went out in their new home during a BIG storm. With Christmas just around the corner, I made a mental note to get them a SureFire G2® LED.

Last week, while visiting, my mother-in-law dropped something that went under the couch. Excited to try out her new flashlight, which she had with her, she fired it up and looked under the couch, where she excitedly found the item she was looking for—and a whole lot more. Her excitement quickly turned to shock as she gazed at all the dust under the couch. A "clean freak," she immediately proceeded to dust, sweep, and vacuum, her G2 LED in hand, making sure she picked up every last speck of dust.

Not only did that G2 LED save the day, it got our house cleaned more thoroughly than it's been in years. Thanks, SureFire.

David G.
New York, NY

I recently went on a silver mine exploration in Calico, California, with some buddies. The mines are pitch-black inside, and you need a good flashlight with a good battery. My friends all carry MagLites with three D-cells, as I did—until I bought my 6P Defender®. While exploring the mines, my friends were amazed at how much brighter my 6PD was compared to both of their 3-D-cell lights together. They turned off their lights, and we went with just my little 6PD, and we saw things much clearer and better, making for a much better exploring experience.

My 6PD made believers out of my buddies—now they carry their own SureFire lights.

Richard I.
Moreno Valley, CA

I purchased my SureFire L5 LumaMax® for weld/aerospace visual inspection. After using the big two-D-cell lights for years, and straining my eyes, fighting shadows, and lugging this huge thing around, I decided to seek out something better. Well, the SureFire L5 that I purchased is INCREDIBLE. WOW, I can inspect all day with no eyestrain, and the light picks out the smallest of defects with such ease!

Thank you, SureFire, for such a wonderful product. By the way, I'm going to purchase three more L5s for the rest of my crew.

Arin H.
Burlington, KY