The Martialist: The Magazine For Those Who Fight Unfairly

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SureFire 6P, Z2, G2Z

A Review by Phil Elmore

Not long after I wrote some initial
product evaluations and
conceptual material on tactical
lights, I started getting complaints. How, readers of The Martialist
asked, could I forget
SureFire, the company whose name is practically synonymous with tactical
lighting?

How, indeed? The fact is, I should not have neglected
SureFire, for it is easily the best-known provider of such lights. Its
staff has produced real innovation in the tactical lighting field and its
lights are of top quality. SureFire products are in use with military
and law enforcement personnel around the world, who depend on SureFire lights
to help them preserve their lives (and the lives of those whom they protect
and serve).

SureFire works with gun-industry
luminaries to produce a tactical-light
combat magazine touting the value of its merchandise.

SureFire submitted a total of three lights to The
Martialist: A 6P, the light that started it all for the company; a
Z2 CombatLight, described as “purpose-built for combat;” and a G2Z Nitrolon
CombatLight. The G2Z holds the title of official flashlight of the
National Rifle Association
the organization that has done the most, despite constant demonization in the
left-leaning media, to defend your right to keep and bear arms as an American
citizen.

From top to bottom: The G2Z, Z2, and
6P from SureFire.

All these lights are 5.1 inches long with bezel diameters of
1.25 inches and body diameters of 1 inch. All three have burn times,
from two lithium SF123A batteries each, of 60 minutes total. The G2Z is
made of “Nitrolon,” a synthetic material, so it weighs 3.9 ounces compared to
5 ounces for the Z2 and 6P. The G2Z’s heavier siblings are made from
aircraft-grade aluminum.

All three lights produce 65 lumens of illumination.
What does that mean? SureFire’s product literature states that the 6P
“will light up a street sign at over 50 yards.” My own take on the three
lights is slightly less quantifiable: I consider them all freaking
bright.

All three lights are really, really
bright.

In total darkness, a flash of 65 lumens is enough to be
physically painful, at least to my eyes. Associate Editor Lawrence
Keeney has described, in The Martialist‘s subscriber-only content, at
least two incidents in which a shot of light from his G2Z caused momentary
disorientation or discomfort in human targets. No, a 1.25-inch
flashlight beam won’t drop your enemies where they stand with flash burns on
their cheeks and tears streaming from their eyes, but it’s still no fun to be
on the receiving end of one.

Beams from the three SureFires are
indistinguishable and powerful.

Before receiving my SureFire I owned a variety of tactical
lights, including an Inova X5 and a Streamlight Scorpion (of which I’m quite
find). The CombatLights quickly supplanted either of these as my
favorites, however. The SureFires just feel solid and work well,
inspiring confidence while lighting up dark corners.

The 6P, the design of which predates the CombatLights, is a
superb tool. The aircraft-grade aluminum body feels substantial without
being too heavy. The knurling is precisely cut and provides nice
traction, while the tailcap switch is firm and works consistently and
reliably.

The
G2Z has a smooth plastic body, but the Nitrolon makes for a pleasant tactile
surface even without knurling. Rubber rings behind the flare in the body
(which facilitates the SureFire/Rogers
shooting technique) provide traction when the light is held across the palm.
The G2Z also comes with a wrist lanyard and a removable lanyard hook that
rattles in place on the body.

The Z2’s features mirror that of the G2Z except for its
aluminum body. The smooth aluminum provides less traction than the
Nitrolon body of the G2Z, but the rubber body rings and knurled tailcap help
mitigate this. The heavier weight of the Z2 will be reassuring to some,
while the reduced weight of the G2Z will appeal to those who like to travel
light.

Twisting the tailcaps of the SureFires produces always-on
and always-off lighting, while the switches are used for momentary
illumination. If I have a complaint it is that I’d like to be able to
switch the lights to always-on with one hand only, though this is a vary minor
quibble. Notches in the bodies and tailcaps help the user align both for
standard operating mode.

If the best flashlight you’ve ever purchased has been a Mini
Maglite from a discount store, the idea of paying 40 to 80 USD (or more) for a
single light will come as something of a shock to you. SureFire’s aren’t
cheap, no but their increased illumination and first-rate construction are
well worth it. Recently the company angered online customers by
restricting their distributorships to only those Internet dealers who also
have brick-and-mortar stores. This eliminates the cut-rate Internet-only
bargains that made SureFires more accessible to some but it also means the
company will be able to provide the innovation for which it is known. As
a small businessman, I understand the margins with which SureFire must deal.
Of course, that doesn’t mean my wallet stings any less when I purchase a
top-quality light.

There are knockoff Xenon-bulb tactical lights on the market
that go for half the price of a SureFire. Are they “just as good?”
I own a couple of these and I can tell you with confidence that they are not.
To be certain, however, I put one of these no-name Chinese imports to the test
next to the SureFire 6P.

The knockoff Xenon-bulb light (left)
compares poorly to the 6P.

The knockoff is the same length as the 6P, though its
tailcap switch is wider and sits lower. The switch has a cheap, springy
feel not shared by the 6P’s button. Both activate reliably. Square,
in-line “knurling” on the knockoff’s body does little to improve traction.
The body of the knockoff also has a cheap, insubstantial feel compared to the
6P’s aluminum body. While my three SureFires have reference indents on
the body and tailcap for “always-off” mode, the knockoff cannot be twisted to
“always off” without almost removing the tailcap entirely.

The real test, however, is in lumens. Even the most
unscientific test clearly shows the inferiority of the knockoff. Thought
it uses the same batteries, it produces significantly less illumination a
deficit that becomes more apparent as the distances involved become greater.

Knockoff (right) produces less
illumination from identical batteries.

The reasons for owning a tactical light are many and varied.
Reasons for owning a SureFire brand light, however, come down to power and
quality. The company is dedicated to making lights for self-defense and
survival purposes the very goals most important to prepared martialists.

Buy a SureFire and be sure.

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