Recommend a good Surefire for self-defense!

[TCW]

Hi All,
I was considering getting a nice bright pocket flashlight that would also serve as a self-defense weapon (blinding 120 lumen bulb or kubaton strikes).

The E2D was on the top of my list, but then I read postings on THR of it being a liability because of the nasty looking bezels. Made it sound like you'd get in trouble with the Law if you defended yourself with it...Which isn't too far-fetched living in Kali.

Should I go with a different Surefire or go for the E2D and hope for the best?

Thanks,
TCW

 

[Brick]

Should I go with a different Surefire or go for the E2D and hope for the best?

Naw, first ya gotta leave this blessed state of firearms.

That'll loosen up your options...

 

[1911JMB]

Surefires are nice. I own a 6p and I am going to buy another one later today for a friend of mine. I carry mine with me at all times. If you ask me, they are flashlights and not any sort of useful weapon. They can blind people temporarily, but I can punch a person with every bit as much effect as I can kubaton them with a surefire.

As best as I know, in the PRK you can get a tazer. Unless I am wrong about this, my reccomendation is you get whatever surefire model fits your fancy, and a tazer.

If the issue is you can't take weapons to work or something, my advice is find a good kung fu school and go there. Just don't study karate. Karate sucks.

 

[TwoGun]

Surefire's are great devices I carry one regularly. Mine is a 6P and I have gotten yeoman service out of it.

I have to disagree with the previous poster however. Styles don't suk, instructors, schools and participants can and often do however. Find a good good school with a good instructor who emphisizes self defense rather than tournaments. Train as often as possible and with 100% committment and dedication. Find a style that suits your body type, prefect what works for you and don't worry about what doesn't work.

Good luck.

 

[Don Gwinn]

Styles can be bad if you try to force them to apply in areas they aren't meant for. If you're studying *** TaeKwonDo, your purpose should be to play the sport of Olympic TaeKwonDo.

"Kung Fu" and "Karate" are both meaningless terms. What karate stinks? Does Goju stink? Does Kajukenbo? Does Kyokushin (and if it does, how does it produce people like Mas Oyama, Jon Bluming, and Bas Rutten?)

Similarly, what is so great about "Kung Fu?" Are we talking about Five Animal? Mantis? Monkey? Wushu? Taijiquan? Baji? Xingyi? Wing Chun? They're not the same things.


I know this from hard experience. I briefly studied *** TaeKwonDo and thought I would adapt it to self-defense. But that's not what it's for, and it showed. I thought that if I picked great instructors with a great school (and they really were, and I'd recommend them to anyone who wants to learn TKD) the rest would sort itself out. It didn't. It's like going to a fine shotgun maker and asking him to tune a carry 1911. He could probably do it if he had to, but it's not fair to him. He's a master at his trade. Go find a master at what you want done and come back to him when you have use for his trade. My old TKD school is probably still producing great black belts who are winning at *** TKD all over the state, but I wouldn't know because I left before testing for a yellow belt.

 

[Soap]

I use the E2E.

 

[Ghost Walker]

I've always thought that if you want to hit somebody really hard, then, you don't want to do it with anything less than a 6 cell aluminum flashlight; and sometimes this doesn't, even, work! Why not pick up one of those super bright (and inexpensive) little lights that Wal-Mart sells. Then get yourself an Asp or Monadnock collapsible baton and learn how to smack: wrists, elbows, and knees.

(Not very stylish, but very effective)

http://www.answers.com/topic/xenon-flashlight-walmart

http://www.batondefense.com/aspbaton.html

http://www.batons.com/cfl/

(By the way things are pretty much the same everywhere you go; and, any implement you use, aggressively, in a fight will be considered a, 'weapon' in the eyes of the law. Your one sure bet for keeping out of trouble in MOST states is the use of some sort of MACE (CS or OC) as a self-defense tool.)

 

[TwoGun]

Well without getting too far off subject Don, because a practictioner incorrectly applies a style, it does not make a style bad. Certianly some styles are better suited for current day self defense is that is what you are looking for. But litterly millions in this country and in others are looking for compitition, or simply for fitness and some just like the traditional aspect of traditional martial arts. It's important to determine exactly what your goals are before choosing a school/style.

It's no different than going to a guy who specilazes in customizing 1911s and then getting him to customize your shotgun. If you wanted a custom shotgun you need to go to a guy that specializes in them, not in handguns.

But hey, I guess we're discussing flashlights here.

 

[c_yeager]

The E2D was on the top of my list, but then I read postings on THR of it being a liability because of the nasty looking bezels.

Your kidding right?

Hey, if you are justified in beating someone over the head with a blunt instrument it isnt going to make a damn bit of difference what that instrument looked like, even in California.

We are still awaiting proof that handloads in pistols make a difference and now people are spouting crap like this to newbies? Buy the E2D, it looks cool, its what you want, and its an excellent flashlight.

Im starting to feel kinda glad TFL gets blocked at work while THR sneaks through.

 

[Arc-Lite]

TCW...the E2D does not put out 120 lumens, more like 65ish. as for the "tooth" design of the head and tail cap....thats the design of the E2D...and as any tool, it's use is your choice. If you require 100+ lumens go with the 3 cells. ALL personal sides of every issue gets hashed at THR...from before the fact, (liability / Calif. laws, etc) to after the fact (kill them all and let the big guy sort it out)....some making sense, some just noise...again your choice as what to keep, and what to toss. Look at the surefire C3, a bit bigger then the E2D, but much stronger (100+ lumens for 60 min. and with a hotter lamp, 200+ lumens for 20 min.) and most suitable for sticking into a face, if needed.

 

[1911JMB]

TWOGUN,

My reasoning behind disliking karate is this. I did karate for 1.5 years. Then we started sparring. I found I had wasted all that time practicing meaningless techniques, which I was told to forget about in a real fight. I soon found a new school, which happens to teach Kung Fu. Most of the students that go to this school earned blackbelts elsewhere. This school teaches that you should practice for fighting, not a pretty looking form. This school also teaches meditation is the most important thing in any martial art, because to have control of your mind is to have utter control of your actions, something I have firmly come to believe. Of course, many people have done karate for 20 years and have become great fighters from sparring, but in my opinion, anybody who wants to start learning about good SD techniques should stay clear of any type of karate.

 

[JShirley]

Eh.

I think the killer fang bezels are silly marketing tools; whether they would be a court liability is really besides the point.

As for MA styles, determine what you think you want from a martial art, then find a good martial art and teacher.

1.5 years really ain't that much time in the arts to determine how good a style is, but it may be enough to tell if a certain instructor is right for you.

John

 

[Valkman]

I use a E2E also, I guess for "defense". It's to light up what I may shoot!

 

[turretG]

I think Surefire makes the " Beast" a $3500.00 flashlight that will just about light up a forest at night. And they are coming out with something even brighter than the 2500-3000 Lumen Beast. By the way it takes 20 cr-123a battery's.