Surefire 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.

February 9, 2013September 27, 2025

Surefire Z32 Bezel

The Surefire Z32 bezel was used on the Surefire M2 flashlight and currently on the Surefire M951XM07 Millennium® Universal WeaponLight. The main design function of the bezel is to isolate the incandescent lamp assembly from weapon recoil shock. Since the shock mechanism reduces the heat dissipation ability of the bezel, I use aluminum shims or copper tape around the LED drop-ins to help dissipate the heat through the flashlight body.

The Surefire 6P, is to me, what a flashlight looks like (though I have moved on from incandescent lamp assemblies to LED drop-ins, such as this modified Malkoff M61). The stock Surefire 6P is 5.20″ (132 mm) long and the bezel diameter is 1.25″ (~32 mm). I like the current design of the Surefire Z32 bezel as opposed to the original design with the vented ribs. The Z32 bezel is about 1/4″ larger in diameter and about 3/8″ longer than the Z44 bezel that is standard on the 6P. With a Z32 bezel on a 6P body, it looks even more like a flashlight.

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.

May 24, 2012March 25, 2019

Vital Gear FB1 Flashlight

Modified Surefire E Series Defender head, Veleno Designs E-Series Tower Module, Vital Gear FB1 BK body

I bought a used Surefire KX2 head for my Surefire E2D, so I had a spare Veleno Designs E-Series tower module in search of a flashlight. I found a Vital Gear FB1, which is a single cell, Surefire E-Series compatible body with a forward clicky switch.

I’ve been carrying this flashlight built with the Veleno Designs E-Series 3 mode, neutral white, tower module; a slightly de-pronged Surefire E-Series Defender head and the Vital Gear FB1 body. The Veleno Designs module is about 140 lumens on the brightest mode and it has a good low mode. The flashlight is very light, compact and is only about 3″ long (77mm). It’s a lot brighter than a Surefire E1L Outdoorsman and about 1″ (25.4mm) shorter.