4Sevens Quark 123 and Quark AA Tactical Models

Review by Phil
Elmore

4Seven‘s
Quark
Tactical models are compact, daily-carry, pocket-sized, knurled and
anodized T-6061 aluminum body LED flashlights that feature programmable
brightness levels and metal pocket clips. Shipped with
thoughtful
accessories (including extra O-rings, Nylon sheaths, and adjustable
lanyards), these lights are an ideal combination of size, features, and
workmanship to make them “tactical utility” illumination tools.
Varying slightly in size due to the dimensions of their power
sources, the AA and 123 models offer the user a choice between
increased power and availability of consumables.

4Sevens’ website states that the company’s goal is to provide
“the best lights for
the best value, without compromising quality.” Based on my
experience with these lights (and their utility sibling, the D10),
I would have to agree. For context, the company is also
responsible for the Fenix line of lights, with which many consumers of
tactical and utility flashlights will be familiar.

First, let’s run down the technical specifications of each
light:

Quark
AA Tactical

Power: 1 AA Alkaline Battery

Output Max/Min: 90 Lumens/0.2 Lumens

Runtime Max/Min: 1.2 Hours/10 Days

Light Modes: Moonlight/Low/Medium/High/SOS/Strobe/Beacon

Length/Diameter: 3.8 inches/0.86 inches

Quark
123 Tactical

Power: 1 CR123A Lithium Battery

Output Max/Min: 170 Lumens/0.2 Lumens

Runtime Max/Min: 0.8 Hours/15 Days

Light Modes: Moonlight/Low/Medium/High/SOS/Strobe/Beacon

Length/Diameter: 3.2 inches/0.86 inches

The difference in size and maximum power outputs is a function
of
the power sources. The more commonly available AA cell cannot
offer the same maximum brightness that the CR123A can pump out (and at
its maximum setting the CR123A is depleted faster). To be
honest,
once a light starts emitting more than 100 lumens or so, I lose track
of the difference between freaking
bright and really freaking
bright.
Because these lights are controlled by circuitry, the user
can
program them for the brightness level desired from among the available
options.

I won’t reproduce the instructions here in writing; you’ll
need to
read them with one of these lights in hand, anyway. By
turning
the head of the light loose and then tight several times, it will
blink, signaling that you’re now programming one of the two modes
(head loose or head tight). You can then cycle through
the
modes, choosing from several brightness levels, a blinking SOS signal,
a pulsing, nausea-inducing strobe, and a beacon blinker.

As someone who’s not the most mechanical fellow in the world,
I had
to play with the lights for a while before I got the hang of
programming the brightness. You have to click the tailcap to
cycle through the brightness modes at a specific pace — not to fast,
or the change won’t take effect. You also must take care,
while
changing settings, not to look into the light (like I did), or you’ll
find the light changing to a brighter mode and blinding you
temporarily.

Once you’ve read the instructions, played with the light, and
gotten
comfortable with adjusting the settings, you’ll find you have a very
powerful lighting tool in your possession. You can choose the
brightness that is best suited to your particular utility task,
emergency, or self-defense application.

These lights are bright enough, on their brightest settings,
to be
used as weapon lights, for example. By this I mean you could
hold
the light in your off hand and use the momentary-on feature (by
pressing but not clicking fully the tailcap switch) with the brightest
setting programmed. At its highest level, this is one bright
but
incredibly compact little flashlight in either configuration.
(The irony is that the smaller of the two can also be the
brighter of the two.)

On the lowest settings, such as the dim “moonlight” setting,
the
light is perfect for tasks like checking your watch in a darkened movie
theater (while not blinding everyone around you, or drawing undue
attention to yourself with a pillar of staggeringly bright white
light).
Depending on your preferences you could choose one of the
other
settings on the spectrum between the light’s lowest and highest levels
of output. Your desire to spare the battery, extending its
life
for the duration of a specific scenario, might drive your choice.
Incidentally, the light produced is nicely white, not nearly so
blue-tinted as one gets from some LED lights.

Fit and finish of the lights is superb. They exhibit
good
workmanship throughout, feel very solid, and have holes/slots in the
tail ends that allow the user to affix the provided lanyard.
The
switches feel positive, too. The fact that a solid click will
cause the light to enter “always on” mode is an issue for some tactical
users, who prefer not to be able to click the light all the way on
under stress, but I personally like the feature in a light of this
size. Another click of the switch will turn the light off if
the
user accidentally switches it all the way on, of course.

The pocket clips work just
fine and had good tension out of the box. The AA model’s is
removable and reversible, while the 123 model’s clip is permanently
affixed. One advantage of the
pocket clip is that it gets the light up out of the depths of your
pocket, sparing the finish to some degree while keeping the light in
the same place and position at all times. You could also use
the
provided Nylon sheaths, which have hook-and-loop closures, a strap for
belt carry (vertical only), and a D-ring for attachment to gear.

A rubberized finger loop is provided, which allows you to
affix the
light to your hand so it won’t let go. I
have never used such a feature on one of my flashlights myself, but
it’s exactly like affixing a loop to a pocket stick to allow the user
to use his hands for grabbing or slapping while retaining the weapon.
The fact that it is provided free of charge is a nice bonus.

Frankly, even the packaging of these lights is above average
for the
industry. Both lights shipped in very nice boxes that, it
seems
to me, should provide excellent protection in shipping and storage (if
you’re the sort of person who retains the factory packing for an item
like this).

The utility benefits of such a light are obvious.
The tactical
function of a light used with a weapon is also obvious.
Physically, these lights could be used as fist loads, too.
They’re not quite long enough for use as yawara/pocket sticks
as
I describe in the book Flashlight Fighting,
but
I have long carried a light of just this size as a daily pocket carry
item. Larger lights sometimes get in the way, or aren’t
compatible with the mode of dress required. These are
tactical
lights that can be carried all day, every day, in complete concealment
if necessary, or clipped to the pocket for convenience.

I can’t say enough good things about these lights.
They’re of
high quality, they offer features desirable in a daily carry tactical
and utility light, and their programmable brightness levels allow you
to choose the illumination that best meets your needs. While they may
have more features than some consumers want or need, they will be
ideally suited to a great many users who know exactly what they do want
in varying day-to-day, first response, emergency, and tactical
scenarios.
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