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School me on rechargeable batteries for weapon lights & IR illuminators

They are different voltages. A fully charged 16350 will be 4.2v. some 16650 you can charge up to 4.35v. 18650 and 21700 are also mostly up to 4.2v coming off the charger. The number is just a measurement of dimensions on the battery. I think cr123a are only 3 volts. Some devices can't handle the difference between 4.2 and 3.

If you have a light that runs 2 cr123 you can run 1 16350 but you might noticed a slight drop in output. 2xcr123 is 6 v, 1 x 16650 is 4.2v. I don't really see it on my surefire g2x lights. Also, you really shouldnt discharge a lithium ion battery below 2.5v or so or you'll kill it with repitition. Full capacity is at 4.2v. I think protected lithium cells typically don't let the battery be discharged below 2.8v-3.0v. so with lights meant for cr123a you might want to run a protected cell if you neglect your batteries. You don't have to though. Just charge em up periodically.
 
my opinion has always been
when you need it,the batteries are always dead.
i always keep a few sets handy. in the bug out bag i keep energizer 10 year batteries.
as far as 123's walmart sells the surefires for less than 5 bucks a pair. i grab a few whenever i see them there.
 
I wonder if the Surefire rechargeable are any better than the others?
As far as an 18650 is concerned, not in my experience. I have surefire, streamlight, and keep power ( modlight) brands and the only one that ever gone bad has been the surefire. I got a dud right out of the box, swapped for another dud, swapped for good one then had another fail somewhere along the line. I have streamlight batteries 3+ years old that work fine.
 
And ways keep atleast 1 spare for every 1 in use. It can become a hassle trying to keep them organized, but you'll never be without a hot one.
 
I wonder if the Surefire rechargeable are any better than the others?
Depends what you are going for. Highest capacity won't have the highest load handling. I use Samsung 30Q'S in my lights that pull 15+ amps. There's a lot of good cells. Make sure you don't buy fakes. Mountain electronics sells authentic good batteries for a good price.
 
Be aware that not all 18650s are the same. Some are a bit longer than others and certain brands or models of lights will only work with the longer ones. One of the biggest reasons I quit using my streamlight flashlight. The nitecore light I replaced it with will run both standard and long 18650s as well as cr123s.
 
Be aware that not all 18650s are the same. Some are a bit longer than others and certain brands or models of lights will only work with the longer ones. One of the biggest reasons I quit using my streamlight flashlight. The nitecore light I replaced it with will run both standard and long 18650s as well as cr123s.
They should be real close. Your variemces you'll have are with flat top or button top, and protected 18650s are longer due to the added circuitry.
 
I have had great experiences with them. All my stuff is on rechargeable units, with spares. A someone mentioned, I do tend to keep packs of the 10 yr non rechargeable and swap those every 5 years.
 
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