4Sevens Maelstrom G5 Prototype Review

The tactical light is perhaps one of the most significant innovations in personal utility and self-defense in the last two decades. As lights become brighter and smaller, and as electronic technology makes them capable of a dizzying array of features, there truly is a tactical light on the market for everyone. One of the companies that has repeatedly, consistently impressed me with its dedication to fulfilling that goal, to producing a light for every person and to fill every need, is 4Sevens.

I carry a small AA Tactical model by 4Sevens every day in my pocket. The light has served me reliably and well. It’s an able utility light and could be used in conjunction with a weapon. It is, however, a little too small for use as a weapon in its own right. As technology continues to move forward, my little AA light is also not nearly as bright as the newest torches produced by this manufacturer. I was beginning to wonder if I should upsize to one of 4Sevens’ other models when I found myself in possession of a prototype of their Maelstrom G5.

“Is that,” a friend of mine asked me when he saw the torch, “I giant crenelated self-defense light?” Indeed it is. The Maelstrom G5 is a large weapon light with a crenelated bezel, a pocket clip, a grip ring, and a tailcap switch. It offers multiple settings, but allows the operator to select these without overcomplicating the actual operation of the torch as a light. This is, to me, the most significant feature of the G5. A close second, however, is the fact that the light is brighter than any pocket torch I’ve carried to date.

First, let’s get the technical specifications out of the way. The Maelstromg G5 is an LED light producing a bright white beam from a CREE XP-G emitter and a deep, smooth reflector. The 4Sevens website claims the light has a useful range of over 100 meters, and the six-inch long, one-inch diameter body makes the Maelstrom perfedt for use as a mounted weapon light. The head of the light is 1.5 inches in diameter, and the whole thing weighs just over five ounces. Production models also ship with a holster.

The tailcap switch is of the “clicky” variety, meaning it can be pressed lightly for silent momentary operation, or pressed harder until it clicks for constant-on function. The knurled aluminum body, combined with the grip ring (which prevents the light from rolling when it is placed on a smooth surface), affords excellent traction. The pocket clip works great too, although, to be honest, this is a very large light that will not be comfortable in anything but a completely empty pocket. The crenelated bezel can be removed; a less aggressive smooth bezel is available in production G5s. 4Sevens’ website says the batteries are “shock-mounted” to prevent them from rattling or being damaged with movement.

The light can be powered by two CR123A cells or a single 18650. It has a total of eight operating modes, cleverly divided into two sets of four. Here’s how it works: From the box, turning the head of the light so that it is fully tightened yields the settings High, Medium, Low, and Moonlight, as you back the head off a quarter turn to produce each mode. If you then tighten and loosen the head of the light very quickly four times, you’ll switch to the other set of four modes. These are the maximum brightness, strobe, S.O.S., and beacon modes. From lowest to highest, the official lumens output for these modes is .2 for moonlight (total burn time, 7.5 days), 4 for low (total burn time, 2 days), 28 for medium (total burn time, 22 hours), 200 for high (total burn time, 3.1 hours), and an astonishing 350 lumens for maximum brightness (total burn time, only 1.3 hours). The strobe, S.O.S., and becon modes have total burn times of 2.7 hours, 8.5 hours, and 30 days, respectively.

So what do all these specifications really mean? The Maelstrom G5 is, simply put, an excellent tactical and self-defense light. It’s a big, aggressive fistful of aluminum that not only produces blinding white light, but is heavy enough and sharp enough to do serious damage to an assailant. The pocket clip keeps it right where you want it, provided you’re okay with a tailcap-up orientation. The great traction provided by the design means you’ll be able to keep your grip even when the light is wet… or bloody. The power it emits means that, while you can’t count on the blinding effect of a handheld light in a self-defense scenario, you’ve got a very, very good chance of at least temporarily causing the other guy to blink and flinch.

The way the light modes are selected means that the only choice you’ve got to make under stress is whether to push the tailcap lightly or all the way in. (This is, in fact, the only quibble some weapon-light users will have; some believe that under stress the “clicky” switch is not desirable compared to a momentary-only pressure switch, as under stress you could switch the light to constant-on without wanting to do so.) You can choose your mode, set the head of the light where you want it, and then just push the tailcap when you’re ready to light up something (or someone). Except for the click of the tailcap, operation of the light is completely silent.

As for the modes and the varying brightness levels, it is extremely desirable to have a low-light option in such a very bright tactical light, for beyond a certain brightness, you might as well have no light as have a hundreds-of-lumens photon cannon in your pocket. At maximum brightness you sure wouldn’t be using this light in a movie theater to check your watch (although you could use it to check the watches of everyone in the place). The moonlight setting, however, is ideal for this. Beyond “really bright,” my eyes can’t tell the difference between the high brightness and the maximum brightness settings (except in comparison). I can say, though, that this is the first flashlight I’ve used to date that actually produces a coherent beam that you can see in low light. It’s like a handheld spotlight and it truly impresses me.

The Malestrom G5 combines tactical and self-defense features in a package that also affords more than just basic utility. The G5 gives you options, but it offers them to you in ways you can actually use them with ease and convenience. This, to me, is a bigger step forward than is its truly amazing light output.