Looking for suggestions for a good duty flashlight. The orientation paperwork for the Police job I’m taking is suggesting a Streamlight Stinger. Just wondering if there’s something better I could use. Any suggestions are welcomed but prefer current LEO’s or former LEO’s. Thanks!
Streamlights are OK; be sure to get an LED model, tho. Most of my department uses Streamlight; the older lights (incandescent) sometimes had bulb problems or battery problems. The new ones seem good; LED, compact, runs on lithium batteries.
I still have my UltraStinger in my car. Frankly, it doesn’t get used much compared to my Surefires. I carry a Surefire Z2 light on my belt. I put in a Malkoff LED head. You might not need all 200 some lumens, and in fact for interior work it can be counterproductive, but at least get the LED version. I also carry an E1B Backup, and an X200 on my gun.
As a side note, for duty lights I prefer non-rechargeable, because I can just carry spare 123’s in my bag. Spare rechargeable batteries, in my experience, don’t hold their charge long enough.
Best of luck to you!
I would buy a G2 w/ a recharge kit, and install a Malkoff or TNVC lamp.
A Pelican 7060 is also a good choice.
I’d only go Streamlight if neither of those were an option. If you get the Stinger, get the PolyStinger DS LED.
You might see ads for the new 5.11 lights. Ignore them.
I have been an officer for over 25 years. Most of my time has been spent on night shift. I just bought a SureFire LX2 Lumamax. It is LED has a high and low settings and great run time on lithium batteries. I gave up on re-chargables several years ago because of battery issues. The Lithium CR123s are cheap enough now that it is a non issue for costs and I can carry spares with me. My back up light is NovaTac 120T. LED and same batteries as my primary. Never rely on just one flashlight.
Things have come along way since I started. My LX2 is brighter than my original Maglight rechargable and 1/4 the weight and size.
Lynn
LOTS of options, but it really comes down to what features and UI you want, how much you want to spend, how you want to handle charging, etc…
If you just want the simplest then go with a LED Streamlight or Pelican 7060 that use a charging cradle and you never have to open up.
If you are willing to remove batteries for charging which also allows you to keep multiple batteries handy, then there are host of other choices as well.
You can also get multiple light outputs, strobing, or various switch and size options. However, the light then gets a bit more complicated and you have to spend a bit more training time to learn how to properly use it.
Lynn, lithium-ion rechargeables have come a long way lately and may be worth looking into. Unfortunately the SF LX2 is not optimized for rechargeables but you can get approx the same runtime at 80% of output with a rechargeable battery. With the positive caveat that you can start each shift with a fully charged battery and keep some primaries as backups.
http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=236383
Other LED lights optimized for rechargeable batteries get amazing runtimes, you can carry extras that don’t run down over time like old rechargeables, and they can still use primaries as backups as well!
Dennis.
I use a Streamlight SL-20, which is a rather large light but has excellent power and is LED and Halogen. I’ve had excellent service from this light considering the abuse it has taken over the years. This light remains in a charging cradle in my vehicle. When I’m working nights it’s my primary light. I also carry a Surefire Z2 LED on my belt that gets used quite a bit as well. I would recommend whatever light you choose, it money allows get a backup JIC your main light goes down, gets lost, etc.
They sure have… I’m still using the same rechargeable MagLite I bought new in 1983. 
I recently switched to a Streamlight Strion LED. It is very small and it is rechargeable, yet it is also very bright. It has three levels of light, and I like the rear on/off click switch a great deal. The price is reasonable, too.
I’ve been using a Surefire Z2 for 8 years to very good effect. Several years I did upgrade to a LED assembly but that’s been it. I, like others, prefer my duty light to be battey powered and leave rechargeable lights to admin tasks like searching a car.
I’m a fan of the Surefire/Malkoff combination as well. Gene has some LED’s on sale for $20 off, lessens the sting a bit.
I have this exact LED in a Surefire 6P body, with a Z49 tailcap. It makes a great carry light, and is currently mounted on an LMT training carbine. The room-filling flood is great for indoor work.
Best of luck to you in your new career, and stay safe.
Olight M30.
Anything Surefire will serve you well. They are expensive but you get a 20% LE discount if you order via phone. Their CS is top notch as well. I started out using Streamlight then switched to Surefire and haven’t looked back. Streamlights are ok I just prefer something else. I’m currently running a Surefire 6PL with Malkoff M61. I also carry a SF E2DL and a X300 on my pistol. I like small compact lights and carry several at a time…big lights are a pain in the ass.
I carry the original Stinger on my gun belt, it still works great, I would like to find an LED upgrade for it because the new LED Stinger is too large/long for duty belt carry in my opinion. Then I utilize the new Pelican 8060 (super bright and no probs. w/ being rechargeable) as my large/primary light for calls, veh. stops etc. We are issued Streamlight TLR-1’s for our weapons and then I carry a SureFire G2Z LED to supplement the weapon light for building searches.
I use a streamlight stinger DS LED. I have been using mine for a year now and still holds a charge for a whole weeks duty work. It is bright enough to pierce through tinted windows and can be dimmed down for in car use such as reading or writting. Although its only been a year since I got it, I have put it through a lot and has held up very well. Strongly recommend this light.
I ordered a Surefire G3L from Grant and a TNVC drop in lamp. I hope it ain’t too bright when I do Traffic stops ahaha. Thanks for the suggestions guys! I think I might also buy a Streamlight too for a backup.
I have either a Streamlight SL-20 or a Streamlight Stinger LED mounted in my car(depends on which one I drive that day). I have a Surefire 6z w/ LED upgrade on my belt that has been there since 1996. My pistol has a TLR-1.
Streamlight Ultra Stinger and a Surefire 6P with LED bulb.
I keep my Ultra Stinger in my squad bag and anytime I exit my car I grab it and slide it in a flashlight loop on my belt. The 6P is always on my belt. I really like the Ultra Stinger for traffic stops. It has a long enough body that I can tuck it under my reaction side armpit during a traffic stop and handle DL’s and citations with my left hand while keeping my right hand free. I’ve tried smaller rechargeable flashlights but I can’t tuck them under my armpit as easily. The Ultra Stinger can also be effectively used as an impact weapon if needed.
The Ultra Stinger is pretty lacking as an impact weapon. The combination of being too light, too short, shaft diameter, and swing speed just don’t speak with the authority of the D-cells or batons.
If you hit people when you hold the bezel, you may find that it comes off in your hands. If you hit them with the bezel, the bezel may pop off.
Whatever you hit may dent the body. Removal of the battery may be impossible, and replacement necessary.
If you hit anything, you will almost certainly break the bulb. Have a spare.
Short: Plan for each application of the Ultra Stinger to be about a ~$75.00 value.
My departments policy is against using flashlights as impact weapons for some reason so big and heavy metal flashlights serve no purpose for me. I’ll tell you what though, I have seen “friends of mine” use their aluminum stinger DS as impact weapons and lets say it works just fine:D.
My comments were on the UltraStinger, not the DS models. The shorter Stingers, while still not batons, don’t suffer as much as the Ultras.
Does your policy allow you the use of improvised/expedient weapons? I.e., “Nothing in this policy shall preclude officers from utilizing weapons of opportunity when those otherwise identified herein are damaged, inaccessible, or are otherwise unavailable.”