Bring it in, take a knee. I’m going to tell ya a tale of my first SureFire pistol light (at the time, the company was called Laser Products) and how it compares to SureFire’s latest release, the XC3-B.
Why? So you have context for how big a leap in capabilities it is.
The XC3B is under three inches long and weighs less than three ounces. It pushes 1,000 lumens at 13,000 candela, throwing light 170 meters, all on a single rechargeable battery.
Compare that to my old Laser Products pistol light. It used two batteries to push a whopping 60 lumens (that’s right, six-zero!) all the way across the room. If I recall correctly, it was about the length of a WW1 bayonet and roughly as heavy.
Okay, so that comparison was decades in the making, so howazabout this? Compare the XC3-B to something you’re probably more familiar with: the X300U. The former is less than 2/3 the size and mass of the latter, uses half the batteries, and delivers roughly the same output.
You don’t have to be a flashlight nerd to understand the significance. To say they’ve come a long, loooong way is to damn them with faint praise.
Did I mention how cool my old M9 light looked?
SPECS
Like its predecessors, the XC3-B is engineered to take a beating and remain functional. That means the usual aerospace aluminum body, anodization, and seals to protect from the elements.
Here are the specs:
- Colors: Black
- Output: 1,000 lumens/550 lumens (SFRCR123 vs 123A battery)
- Peak Beam Intensity: 13,000 candela/7,200 candela
- Distance of Throw: 228 meters/170 meters
- Switching: Ambi toggle switches
- Battery: 1 x SFRCR123 rechargeable lithium-ion or standard 123A
- Bezel Diameter: .945 in.
- Length: 2.6 in.
- Weight: 2.65 (with battery aboard)
- Construction: Aluminum
- Finish: Hard Anodized
- Liquid Ingress Protection: IPX7
- MSRP: $369
Features
I’ve pretty much already given you the rundown on those, but there are a couple of other things to be aware of. It uses what they call a hybrid beam — a design that throws an intense, focused hot spot for target ID and also delivers plenty of spill (which is a good thing) for situational awareness.
These numbers aren’t just marketing copy, either — they’re tested and reported under the ANSI/PLATO FL-1 standard, which governs how manufacturers measure and disclose specs like these.
Oh, and battery front-loads, which I really like.
Zooming Out
Allow me to clarify something. This is neither a performance report nor a review. I’ve never put my hands on one. I have used its immediate XC3 predecessor, though, along with an improbable array of their other products — that’s where my faith in SureFire’s design and construction stems from, and why this news announcement might read a little more enthusiastic than most.
Given that track record, I expect this one to deliver the same way. The only pushback I foresee will be the inevitable complaints about pricing — but that’s to be expected.
For more industry news, head over to the Cadre Dispatch.
