Malkoff Devices Archives - A Leslie Wong Blog

February 15, 2026February 16, 2026

Sofirn SC31 Pro vs Surefire E1B/Malkoff MDC

Sofirn SC31 Pro with Convoy 18350 tube and Surefire E1B body with Malkoff MDC LMH head

(Note: I know the Sofirn SC31 Pro was first reviewed in 2020, so I apologize for being years behind)

In 2018, I got a good deal on eBay for a Surefire E1B-MV E1B Backup (MaxVision) Flashlight. My plan was to use the body with a Malkoff Devices MDC Li-ion LMH V2 Cool Head. I carried this for years, until, on a trip to New York last December, I forgot it in a friend’s apartment. Fortunately, he FedExed it back to me the next day, but it got me thinking about the replacement cost if I had lost it.

I looked on eBay for recently sold Surefire E1B-MV E1B flashlights. One sold in January 2026 for $150. Currently, the Malkoff MDC LMH Head is $103+shipping. That made me start thinking about an “I won’t cry if I lose it” (that’s what ChatGPT called it) replacement.

I used ChatGPT and Gemini to start searching for a cheaper replacement. I started out comparing 14500 flashlights, even though I ended up getting the Sofirn. Using AI saves a lot of time finding and comparing things.

On eBay, I found a great deal: $23 (USD) for a Sofirn SC31 that had a short tube, magnetic tail cap and 18350 battery. I found a Reddit discussion on how General_Specialist had modified an SC31 with a Convoy short tube. The more I looked at his photos with the Convoy short tube, the worse the Sofirn short tube looked to me. I bought the Convoy 18350 battery tube and pocket clip (black metal clip for S2 / S2+ / M1 / C8) from gadgetconnections.com. They got them to me in a few days.

Modified copper washer inside the Sofirn SC31 Pro head — Sofirn SC31 Pro head with modified copper washer to allow Convoy 18350 tube to make contact

When I got the Convoy short tube, the flashlight wouldn’t turn on when the end where the pocket clip attached was closest to the tail cap. I assumed it was the anodizing, so I removed some of it from the threads, but it still didn’t work. A little more research revealed that the end of the Convoy tube wasn’t making contact with the circuit board in the head.

I thought a copper washer would be ideal. The closest thing I could find (with the amount of effort I wanted to put into looking for it) was a copper gasket (washer) that’s used with an oil drain plug on a car. I found some close to the diameter of the head and figured I could Dremel it down to fit. I ended up getting an O’Reilly Dorman AutoGrade Oil Drain Plug Gasket – 097-827CD.

O’Reilly Dorman AutoGrade Oil Drain Plug Gasket - 097-827CD and modified version — O’Reilly 097-827CD copper gasket (L), copper gasket modified to fit in Sofirn SC31 Pro

Using a Dremel 407 Sanding Band (affiliate link) and holding the washer with a small vise grip (affiliate link), I tried to reduce the diameter of the washer while creating a somewhat round shape that would fit inside the SC31 Pro head. I also removed some of the material from the inside of the washer, so it wasn’t so close to the positive (spring) contact in the head.

The final mod I’ll do is to replace the LED, because of the slight green tint.

February 19, 2019March 11, 2022

Malkoff Devices E2/Scout 2-3 CR123 Head

When I started thinking about writing this post in 2013, Malkoff Devices had just expanded their product line with a few LED conversions designed for use with Surefire E-series lights and Surefire Scout Light Weaponlights.

Malkoff M61 in a VME Malkoff Valiant Concepts Head and Malkoff MDC LMH
Malkoff MDC LMH and Malkoff M61 in a VME Malkoff Valiant Concepts Head
Malkoff E2/Scout 2-3 CR123 Head on a Vital Gear FB1
Malkoff E2/Scout 2-3 CR123 Head on Surefire E2D flashlight body

Now the Malkoff E-series/Scout light range spans nine heads from superthrow, high output heads to a specialized Bodyguard V2 head (with greater than 1000 lumens for 10 seconds) and a three mode LiIon rechargeable battery powered head.

My early E2/Scout head has an input voltage of 3.4-9 volts. I run it on a Vital Gear FB1 or my Surefire E1B with a RCR123 battery. I compared it to my Malkoff M61 in a VME Malkoff Valiant Concepts Head, which is also designed for an input voltage of 3.4 to 9 volts. My M61 uses a Cree XP-G LED, compared with the current M61 which uses the XP-G2. The M61 has a slightly larger hotspot and in my sample while the E2/Scout head’s beam was slightly more neutral.

My Vital Gear FB1 has gone through several evolutions, first with a Veleno Designs E-Series tower module, then with a modded Malkoff M60 in a VME Malkoff Valiant Concepts head and finally the Malkoff E2/Scout head.

Currently, I carry a Vital Gear FB1 or Surefire E1B with the Malkoff MDC LMH. With three modes (15 lumens/80 lumens/400 lumens), the LMH is a little more versatile. It’s also slimmer than the Valiant head with the M61 and I can carry it clipped inside my front pants pocket.

November 23, 2013March 25, 2019

Malkoff Devices MDC HA LMH Li-ion Rechargeable Head

Malkoff Devices MDC HA LMH Head on Vital Gear FB1 body

I’ve been using a Veleno Designs E-Series (3 mode, neutral white) tower module on a Vital Gear FB1 body as my EDC. When Malkoff Devices came out with a three mode, RCR123 compatible head, I thought it would be a better light for me than the Veleno setup. The Veleno’s neutral white looks green to me.

The Malkoff Devices MDC HA LMH Li-ion Rechargeable Head has a light orange peel reflector designed by Don McLeish. The beam profile is similar to the Malkoff M31 and M61 drop-ins with a large center hotspot and nice spill. The are three modes: 15 lumens, 80 lumens and 400 lumens. The MDC is noticeably brighter than the Veleno head, and has a cooler (6200K) Cree XP-G2 LED.

This setup is just 3 3/8″ (86mm) long and the largest diameter of the head is 1″ (25.4mm). It fits unobtrusively in a pocket. Compared to a Surefire E-B Backup body with the Malkoff MDC head, this combination is about 1/2″ (13mm) shorter.

May 15, 2013March 25, 2019

Modified Malkoff Devices M60 Drop-in

Modified Malkoff Devices M60 with 8xAMC7135 (2.8A) multi-mode driver

Malkoff Devices designs and manufactures high powered LED flashlight modifications for Maglites and Surefire flashlights and their own Malkoff LED flashlights. Their products are so well designed and constructed that they are coveted by professionals that depend on their flashlights and enthusiasts that appreciate their quality.

I bought my first Malkoff Devices M60 drop-in five years ago. The M60 drop-in had a Cree X-RE LED (Q5 bin) and Khatod 6 degree optic. This drop-in output 180 lumens driven at 1000 mA with a 2-3 hour runtime with two CR123 batteries. I wanted to update my M60 with a more powerful driver/LED combination.

In 2008, Cree XR-E LEDs were delivering 220 lumens at 1000 mA. In December of 2012, Cree introduced the XM-L2. Driving the XM-L2 U2 bin at 1000 mA will produce about 412 lumens. At 3000 mA, the XM-L2 will produce over 1000 lumens.

Multi-mode flashlights are more useful for me so I decided to use an 8xAMC7135 (2.8A) multi-mode driver and a Cree XM-L2 (U2 bin). The multi-mode driver has four configuration options, selectable during the build by grounding one of the four “stars” on the rear of the circuit board:

Star 1: 5/30/100/strobe/SOS
Star 2: 5/100/strobe
Star 3: 5/30/100
Star 4: 5/100

Modified Malkoff Devices M60 with McGizmo McR20J reflector

Because of the robust nature of the Malkoff drop-in, disassembly is basically destructive. The stock circuit board is potted and the LED MCPCB is securely glued.

To get the 8xAMC7135 driver board to fit in the Malkoff brass heatsink, I had to slightly reduce the 17mm diameter of the circuit board.

To solder the LED to the MCPCB, I used a lead solder paste with a SMD hot air rework solder station at 220 degrees C for 40 seconds. After applying some Artic Silver 5 CPU Thermal Compound to the bottom of MCPCB, I glued it to the heatsink with JB Weld.

After some research on reflectors, I chose the McGizmo McR20J (Joker). A glow-in-the-dark o-ring holds the reflector very securely in the heatsink.

I compared this mod to the EDCPlus/IS X60L3 Triple XP-G2 LED P60 Dropin. The Malkoff mod has a very nice hotspot while the EDCPlus Triple has a broad floody beam. I like the nice hotspot the Cree XM-L2 produces with the McGizmo McR20 Joker reflector. It also has a decent amount of spill.

Modified Malkoff Devices M60 with McGizmo McR20J reflector beam shot

For this beam shot, I converted the original color image to black and white. The drop-in was about four feet (1.21 m) from the wall. On this off-white wall, there is a slight, but noticeable green tint from the beam.

I put the drop-in in my Surefire C2. Instead of wrapping the drop-in with copper tape, I used some thin aluminum stock as a shim. I haven’t done any runtime tests but after 10 minutes on 100% power, the C2 bezel gets warm but not hot.

Parts sources:
Malkoff Devices Drop-ins for Surefire and Malkoff
Cree XM-L2 LED
8xAMC7135 driver board at Shiningbeam.com (2.8A) and Illumination Supply (3.04A)
McGizmo McR20J (Joker) Reflector

August 3, 2012March 25, 2019

VME Malkoff Valiant Concepts Head

I’ve been using a Surefire E series bezel and a Veleno Designs E-Series tower module with a Vital Gear FB-1. I wanted a brighter light, so I bought a Vital Gear E to C adapter that enables the use of a P60 style dropin. When I screwed on a Surefire Z44 bezel, it made the front end of the light a little larger than I wanted.

Valiant Concepts makes the VME Malkoff Valiant Concepts Head that fits on an E series body and enables the use of a Malkoff Devices M series dropin lamp assembly. The VME head includes a lens for dropins that don’t have one but I use it with a Malkoff M60, which has a protective lens as part of the optic. I modded my M60 with a driver that enables three modes. The diameter of the VME head is slightly smaller than a Z44 bezel – 1 1/8″ vs 1 1/4″ (28.5 mm vs 31.6 mm) – which doesn’t sound like much but it makes a difference. With the modded M60, the flashlight is a lot brighter and also throws further than the Veleno Designs module.