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Got issued one in flight school in 2003, Uncle Sam didn’t take it back and I still have it.
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I still have the one I bought as a kid at the Sunny’s Surplus store new in the USGI carton. Used that for years camping and playing outside at night. It’s on a shelf in my office now.
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We had them. I preferred the French one. Same light but smaller and used AA batteries.
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Go where there is no path and leave a trail.
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Originally Posted By Firefinder37: Mandatory on our battle rattle in the early 80's...they sucked. https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/107248/1397173_10201190016148743_76212896897175-3199974.JPG View Quote I hated those boots. They used to make us strip off the protective coating so the toes and heels could be spit-shined. |
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Run for the hills pick up your feet and lets go
Head for the hills pick up steel on your way And when you find a piece of them in your sight Fire at will don't you waste no time |
Get both is the answer.
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Friend of mine, we'll all of us, had one of those angled units for working on aircraft. His quit working on him so he beat on it, shook it, and generally screwed with it for several minutes. Finally with a yell of frustration and ager he hurled it over the side of the boat. Oddly enough the flashlight came on as it was flying through the air. Watch saw the light in the water and called a man overboard withh all that such a thing entails.
Problem was, issue number and work center were stenciled on the light. He got into a bit of trouble over that one. The point is, those flashlights sucked and they never should have been a standard issue item. |
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I have two later ones. One converted to led, the other not.
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I find your faith disturbing
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I still have all mine from 2004-08. Plus two from my father (late 1960s, the two to the left of the black one) and the black one from my great uncle.
The gray one is the Navy version. I have a couple with LED conversion bulbs. They're still dim. ETA: Just noticed I have 3 out of the 4 in the photo that OP posted. Attached File |
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A winner never quits, and a quitter never wins. Get comfortable being uncomfortable.
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Flashlights from 1917 to 2000
Wiki article Click To View Spoiler The MX-991/U Flashlight (aka GI Flashlight, Army flashlight, or Moonbeam[1]) from the TL-122 military flashlight series of 1937-1944 and is a development of the MX-99/U flashlight issued in 1963. In use since the Vietnam War, the MX-991/U has been made by various contractors over the years, including GT Price, Bright Star,[2] and Fulton Industries.[3] MX-991/U flashlights currently issued to the United States Army and United States Marines are produced by Fulton Industries.
Design and development Just prior to World War II, a standard 90-degree battery-operated flashlight was adopted for the U.S. Army with the designation TL-122.[4] The TL-122 was itself a slightly altered version of the angle-head, brass-bodied Eveready Model No. 2694 Industrial flashlight and the No. 2697 Boy Scout flashlight, first introduced in 1927. The TL-122 used the same case as the Eveready No. 2697 with the “TL-122” designation stamped into the head instead of the BSA emblem. The flashlight body was painted Army olive drab and the lens, switch and battery caps were finished in black, but the TL-122 used the same #14 screw-base bulb as the BSA flashlight. The TL-122 in its various forms was manufactured by various U.S., Italian, and British contractors for the US, British, Italian (post-WWII), and French armies. Four versions of the TL-122 were eventually developed, all utilizing exposed slider-type light switches (no switch guard):[4] During the 1950s, French armed forces (Forces Armées Françaises) issued its own version of the TL-122(D) supplied by a French contractor. TL-122. Original model with #14 screw-base bulb based on the Eveready Model No. 2697. Manufacturer's name (Eveready, Niagara) stamped on base of housing. TL-122-A. Introduced in 1939. Like the TL-122, the TL-122(A) used a housing made out of stamped brass (later changed to plastic after brass became a strategic material in the United States during WWII). Manufacture's name (Eveready, Niagara, USALite) stamped into base of housing. Olive drab painted housing with blackened metal screw caps over the lens and the base. Featuring improved waterproofing and a brighter PR-9 flange base bulb, the TL-122A entered service in 1939, and was designed to fit armored vehicle flashlight brackets.[3] TL-122-B. First plastic (Bakelite) flashlight, issued September 1943, OD color. Manufacturer's name (Bright Star, Eveready, USALite, GITS, Micro-Lite) stamped on base of housing. TL-122-C. Improved plastic, moisture-proof design featuring a sealed lens, battery cap and switch for near waterproof capability. Issued April 1944. Manufacturer's name (Bright Star, GITS, USA LITE) stamped on base of housing. TL-122-D. Extended base containing lens filters in blue/red/clear plus spare bulb. Issued late in 1944.[3] Manufacturer's name (Niagara, Ray-O-Vac, USALite, G.E.C.) stamped on base of housing. The TL-122-D used a copper battery spring. Approved as to design in 1960,[5] the MX-99/U was assigned the NSN stock number NSN 6230-00-264-8261 in January 1961. Service deployment commenced in quantity in 1963. First manufactured by GT Price, the MX99/U is a further development of the 1944 TL-122(D).[3] The new flashlight used a plastic housing incorporating a second lens ring with an extended base containing lens filters in blue, red, and clear, plus a spare bulb.[4] Like the TL-122, the MX-99/U utilizes two D-cell batteries (military BA-30), a standard PR type incandescent bulb, a belt/equipment clip, a tailcap lanyard ring, a multi-mode on/off/momentary (signaling) switch, and a tailcap with a storage compartment housing a spare bulb and multiple colored plastic lenses for signaling purposes.[3] Changes to the MX-99/U flashlight over the TL-122(D) include an improved, high-impact plastic housing, a plated steel battery spring, improved gasketing (the "U" designation stands for "Underwater"),[4] and a lens reflector deeply into the lens shroud (to reduce light spillover). During the Vietnam era, an improved model was introduced, the MX-991/U. This flashlight used the nomenclature "FLASHLIGHT: Electric, Portable and Hand Lighting Equipment, 2-cell, w/ lamp and lens filter, w/o batteries, Type I Class A (21108) MX991-U" retaining the identical NSN 6230-00-264-8261. There are some differences in markings among the various contractors for the MX-991/U. Most Fulton and GT Price-produced units bear the stamp "U.S." above the model number, while this marking is sometimes absent on flashlights produced by USALite and Bright Star.[4] In 1973, a change was made to the design using a switchguard to prevent accidental engagement of the on-off switch, and this modification was incorporated on MX-991/U flashlights produced since 1975.[6] Features The housing and screw-on components of the current MX-991/U flashlight are constructed from heat and corrosion resistant polypropylene and ABS plastic. The multi-mode switch on the military-specification MX-991/U is riveted to the plastic battery housing and is constructed of black-oxide brass. The switch features three settings: Off, Signal, and On. When the switch is set to Signal, the user is able to press and hold a button located just above the switch for momentary operation of the PR6 bulb. This allows users to signal using Morse code. When the switch is moved up to the On position, the flashlight remains on without any further user interaction. During heavy usage in the rainy season in Southeast Asia it was found that the flashlight's on-off switch could be moved into the 'on' position (thus draining the batteries) through contact with the soldier's personal equipment. Since 1973, MX-991/U flashlights have incorporated a switch guard to prevent accidental operation of the flashlight.[3][6] The tailcap consists of two compartments. The first houses the stainless steel spring that retains the 2 'D' cell batteries inside the flashlight body. Under the spring, a small plastic component houses a spare PR6 incandescent flashlight bulb. The second part of the tailcap consists of a small compartment that houses five plastic accessory lenses. The nosecap of the flashlight has an additional retainer ring that may be unscrewed, allowing a custom lens to be fitted. The flashlight contains five lenses in the tailcap, consisting of two red lenses, a blue lens, a white lens, and a diffuser lens (earlier models utilized three red lenses and omitted the blue and green lenses). This feature enables soldiers to send color-coded signals or to preserve night vision. As the flashlight's focus is non-adjustable, the accessory diffuser lens is intended to spread the light in a wide pattern instead of the standard spot beam. Fulton currently manufactures the flashlight in varying color combinations, often to designate a special use or model. Most of these variants are available to the civilian market through Fulton or retail sources: Olive Drab (military, US Army or US Marines) ACU Digital Camouflage (US Army) Yellow tailcap and nosecap with a black body (Industrial, explosion-proof) White tailcap and nosecap with a teal body (Telecommunications) Grey (military, US Air Force, US Navy, US Coast Guard) Black (law enforcement use, military subcontract) Khaki/tan (military, US Army, US Navy, or US Marines) Woodland Camo (military, US Army, US Navy, or US Marines) Copies The MX-991/U has been widely copied over the years by various companies and nations including China (PRC), France, Great Britain, Italy, and Taiwan. A postwar version of the TL-122-B (with the temporary use button under the switch) and TL-122-D flashlight (without switch guard) was produced in quantity for the French Army (marked Fr for "FRANCE" with 2 small crossed flags featuring the letter T for Transmission) and remained in service until approximately 1990. Both used a switch attached with screws instead of the original's riveted design. Flashlights bearing the name TL-122 (but incorporating the modern deep-set lens and switchguard absent from the WWII original) have been produced in large numbers by manufacturers for the civilian market in recent years, along with no-name Asian-manufactured copies that utilize 'AA', 'C', and 'D' cells. Many of these copies use Phillips-head screws instead of rivets to attach the light switch to the battery housing. While similar flashlights are often sold online, at military PX stores or surplus dealers, Fulton Industries is the only current U.S. military contractor for the MX-991/U and all GI-issue flashlights are currently marked "Fulton" and "MX-991/U". Modifications Original MX-991/U flashlights can also accept custom LED lamp of the proper voltage, which greatly extend the battery life and provide brighter light than the standard PR krypton incandescent bulb. Other improvements include battery adaptors to accept modern lithium-ion batteries such as the 18650 battery, custom glass lenses and new reflector designs to improve light throw. |
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A winner never quits, and a quitter never wins. Get comfortable being uncomfortable.
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Yep, nostalgic but absolute junk! You had to keep hitting it to get it to work lol
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Alea iacta est
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I think I have three of them? They all work fine and I never had issues with them. The light they put out sucked and battery life was meh. We usually had a second flashlight like a small LED type to supplement them. Being part of the uniform, you had to have them with you in the field.
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I got issued one in ‘99 in boot camp. When it was dark we had them clipped to our suspenders and turned on, and the instant any of our DIs decided that there was enough natural light, he’d snatch the flashlight off of the nearest recruit and throw it onto the pavement, which I guess was the signal for the rest of us to put them away.
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Dildos don't even make me raise an eyebrow anymore... you've got to have something a whole lot weirder than that in your rectum if you want to impress me. - TheGrayMan
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Originally Posted By Snallygaster: In the 80’s, we were issued the one on the right. Big, weak, and the bulbs burned out always at the wrong time. We all bought mini mags which had just come out, duct taped an Alice clip on them, and hung them on our lbe. View Quote Same same in the early 2000s, except it was early gen Surefire lights along with the single AA Maglite. We’d take the 90deg light red lens and cut it to fit the Mini Maglite bezel, held in place and beam reduced via 100mph tape. |
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Good thread! Damn ARFCOM... "I do not need any D-cell angle heads" repeated many times...
The half dozen or so AA useless mini mag lights I have will suffice. I have several of the Streamlight Pro Tac 90 dual fuel which are a great light. Also have the sidewinder and boot which are decent. |
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Originally Posted By ar-jedi:
SO MUCH WIN IN ONE POST IT COULD CRASH ARFCOM !!! |
Originally Posted By thederrick106: Good thread! Damn ARFCOM... "I do not need any D-cell angle heads" repeated many times... The half dozen or so AA useless mini mag lights I have will suffice. I have several of the Streamlight Pro Tac 90 dual fuel which are a great light. Also have the sidewinder and boot which are decent. View Quote I have a bunch because I snatched up the unwanted ones from my fellow Marines. I bought the sand colored one at the PX because it was different. I remember the price being super low, like $10-12. |
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A winner never quits, and a quitter never wins. Get comfortable being uncomfortable.
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I had one of those in the early eighties. It came from a pretty decent Army/Navy surplus store IIRC somewhere in Kansas.
IIRC the switch in the thing was always flaky and you had to fiddle with it to get full brightness out of the bulb. "Full brightness" wasn't all that spectacular either. |
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I still have the one I had on active duty starting May 1977. It still has the red filter with a 1/8" hole in the center. The hole was so you could read maps at night.
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Soldier for Life
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A 18650 li cell with some cardboard and an aluminum plug can convert one of these to be lighter and longer life
Add a led conversion to it and it can go a longtime on one battery |
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The real bitch was changing the lens color plate in the dead of night under a poncho so you could read a map
Unfuckingreal |
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Nitecore and others make an L flashlight LED type used as a head light with removable strap.
No Nostalgia, but an L lamp is handy. |
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Originally Posted By TriggerM: Never has the military angle head. But I remember the crappy low output flashlights I has in the 70s. I thought. I had the real deal when I got maglights. Today's 18650 flashlights are light years ahead. I wonder what we'll have in 20 more years. View Quote Fond memories of my buddies and I sharing few D Cell maglights on our camping and night fishing trips ..and glad to have them. Even the current $4 Chinese led lights are better in every way...haha |
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I was fixated by these in the scouts in mid ‘90’s. They were the epitome of cool and high tech.
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Originally Posted By towerofpower94: Same same in the early 2000s, except it was early gen Surefire lights along with the single AA Maglite. We'd take the 90deg light red lens and cut it to fit the Mini Maglite bezel, held in place and beam reduced via 100mph tape. View Quote I loaned it to a few of my buddies so they could pass night land-nav. It definitely helped and was just so dramatically better than the (then) current light. In regular units, the angle head flashlight was standard gear clipped to your LBE for years around that time. The issue light had a blue filter too, which I never used and wondered why it was even there. But at Fort Benning, we lived by red light during the night (but even then only when needed). Light discipline! |
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They gave us those at school. Everyone ditched them for more compact options as we had to carry a light at all times while on the ship.
They were kind of cool though and I'm mad at myself for tossing mine. |
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Originally Posted By HikerB: <snip) The issue light had a blue filter too, which I never used and wondered why it was even there. But at Fort Benning, we lived by red light during the night (but even then only when needed). Light discipline! View Quote The one we were issued came with a red, blue, white/opaque and a clear diffuser lens. There was also a spare bulb in a holder in the base. |
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USN Retired: APR 1988 - MAY 2008
"My center is giving way, my right is falling back, situation excellent, I attack." —Ferdinand Foch |
Originally Posted By Seabee_Mech: The blue lens was so you could get two flashlights and run around with a red and blue lenses pretending to be a cop car The one we were issued came with a red, blue, white/opaque and a clear diffuser lens. There was also a spare bulb in a holder in the base. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Originally Posted By Seabee_Mech: Originally Posted By HikerB: <snip) The issue light had a blue filter too, which I never used and wondered why it was even there. But at Fort Benning, we lived by red light during the night (but even then only when needed). Light discipline! The one we were issued came with a red, blue, white/opaque and a clear diffuser lens. There was also a spare bulb in a holder in the base. We used the blue filter on suicide watch duty in boot camp. The "suicidal" dudes had their rack set up at the head of the squad bay and they had to have a blue light shined on them all night to make sure they didn't try anything goofy. Damn pussies making everyone in the platoon pull extra watches. |
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A winner never quits, and a quitter never wins. Get comfortable being uncomfortable.
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Originally Posted By Snallygaster: In the 80’s, we were issued the one on the right. Big, weak, and the bulbs burned out always at the wrong time. We all bought mini mags which had just come out, duct taped an Alice clip on them, and hung them on our lbe. View Quote All this I still have an issues one. I'm a bit of a flash light geek, I remember when the first Surefire 6P came out with the 65 lumen incandescent bulb. We thought it was a game changer. I electrical taped one to the Handguard of my M16A2 for doing room clearance. The Old angle head was enough to let you move and ground guide vehicles at night and to navigate around the assembly area and out to the LPOP. Once the MiniMag light was being sold in the PX, we stopped carrying the Issue light. but we still had them in our BII for the vehicles. BA30's (D cell battery) sucked. |
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Just Drop... Buckethead!
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Still have issued one from the late 80's.
So dim, you had to strike a match to see it burn. |
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I was fixated by these in the scouts in mid ‘90’s. They were the epitome of cool and high tech.
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anyone ever heard of a habu light from the vietnam era? my dad was air force, and mentioned that they were issued small flashlights and told not to walk around base without using them to spot snakes at night.
been trying to find one for a nostalgia gift, but haven't been able to. |
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I was issued a "moonbeam" in '65 - junk.
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You're not the board darling you think you are.
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“A vote is like a rifle; its usefulness depends upon the character of the user.”
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I have one
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Just got the sunday surplus E-mail from Centerfire Systems which just so happens to have this made in France model.
https://centerfiresystems.com/french-tl122d-anglehead-flashlight-like-new/ The French TL122D Anglehead Flashlight in like-new condition is a classic and dependable military-grade flashlight. Despite its vintage style, this flashlight retains its functionality and reliability, making it suitable for collectors, enthusiasts, or for use in outdoor activities where dependable lighting is essential. French military issue Morse code button Clips to shirt pocket, also stands on base Uses 2 D batteries (not included) 8" high |
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Evil is a puppet master, and it loves nothing so much as the mindless puppets who enable it
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Originally Posted By Frank762: In the early 90s we used small "maglite" type flashlights that took 2 AA batteries. Lighter, brighter, lasted longer, and took up a fraction of the space. They sold them on base with the same colored lenses and a camo pouch/sheath. I still have my issue light though. View Quote By time I got to an 81mm Mortar Plt in the 502nd Inf, we used the 2AA Mini Mag Lites with the black leather holder 100mph taped to our LBE harness. It was so much easier to use with the red lens for checking the Elevation and Deflection bubbles on the mortar sight and, for night land nav. Overall the Mini Mag Lights were smaller, lighter and more durable than the MX-991/U. Carrying spare batteries saved pounds in your rucksack and, the same AA batteries could be used in your Sony Walkman. AA Batteries are lighter than the D Batteries, and, you could use them for some of the Army issued devices back then, too, like the PSN-11 PLGR. Removing the rubber cap to use or remove the red lens was so much quicker than unscrewing the MX-991/U lens cap. Or, with the Mini MagLite you just kept the red lens in place of the clear lens for sustained ops in Light Infantry, less chance of that rubber hex cap falling off losing your red lens or exposing your position. |
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1995 M1025A2 5SFG GMV ODA525 "Hammerhead"
1995 M1025A2 3SFG GMV ODA391 "Roughnecks" 1984 Chenowth M1040 Fast Attack Vehicle 061 " Horney Toad" |
Originally Posted By towerofpower94: Same same in the early 2000s, except it was early gen Surefire lights along with the single AA Maglite. We’d take the 90deg light red lens and cut it to fit the Mini Maglite bezel, held in place and beam reduced via 100mph tape. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Originally Posted By towerofpower94: Originally Posted By Snallygaster: In the 80’s, we were issued the one on the right. Big, weak, and the bulbs burned out always at the wrong time. We all bought mini mags which had just come out, duct taped an Alice clip on them, and hung them on our lbe. Same same in the early 2000s, except it was early gen Surefire lights along with the single AA Maglite. We’d take the 90deg light red lens and cut it to fit the Mini Maglite bezel, held in place and beam reduced via 100mph tape. You'd think uncle would pick up the Maglite red filter for you. They were available. |
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Originally Posted By Stryfe: You'd think uncle would pick up the Maglite red filter for you. They were available. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Originally Posted By Stryfe: Originally Posted By towerofpower94: Originally Posted By Snallygaster: In the 80’s, we were issued the one on the right. Big, weak, and the bulbs burned out always at the wrong time. We all bought mini mags which had just come out, duct taped an Alice clip on them, and hung them on our lbe. Same same in the early 2000s, except it was early gen Surefire lights along with the single AA Maglite. We’d take the 90deg light red lens and cut it to fit the Mini Maglite bezel, held in place and beam reduced via 100mph tape. You'd think uncle would pick up the Maglite red filter for you. They were available. I thought the same thing. Mini mag light was it back in the day... Maybe they didn't kiss uncle ass? |
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Originally Posted By ar-jedi:
SO MUCH WIN IN ONE POST IT COULD CRASH ARFCOM !!! |
Originally Posted By wesr228: I was fixated by these in the scouts in mid ‘90’s. They were the epitome of cool and high tech. View Quote I remember the same thing in the late 1980s. I can remember buying better krypton bulbs for them to replace the original tungsten bulb. 10 or 15 years later I swapped those out for the first of the 2d LED conversion bulbs from Nite-Ize or Maglite. I keep them around to remind me of how good we have it now. Lol |
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Originally Posted By tarheel7734: We had the plastic ones when I enlisted in the mid 90s. Always had them hanging off our lbe and lbv and had to use red lenses. Hell in sfas land nav we had to use Pancho to cover us for light discipline. View Quote We didn’t have flashlights in recruit training. We were taught adaptation to the dark, move quietly, and swiftly. There was only one authorize cadence call and its use was restricted only certain circumstances. This was during the wind down of the Vietnam War. The Marine Corps had shifted tactics to hunting the enemy at night. We didn’t have night vision; but practiced using mussel flash to obtain sight picture during the ambush. |
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Feminism has robbed women of the natural dignity and grace of their sex, and turned them into inferior men
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I have these in several lights.
Paladin https://niteize.com/high-power-led-upgrade |
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