MagLite MAG-TAC 2-Cell CR123 LED Tactical Flashlight – High Lumen, Water-Resistant, QuickClick Modes Crowned Bezel – Urban Gray

The Mag-Tac is a powerful and tough flashlight in a small package. I carried one of these in a pouch as a USAF vehicle mechanic for years. This light survived a deployment with constant sandstorms and monsoons, I luckily packed enough 123 batteries off the jump because the BX did not stock them. I love the controls; one tap is momentary, two taps is constant and three is strobe. These settings prevent the light from coming on if you bump or roll on it. The flashlight is quite lightweight and will not fatigue you or get caught on stuff as you use it. This 123 battery version comes in a variety of colors such as green, black, tan and grey. The plastic clip can be broken if you really try, it’s not likely though. The clip uses a small Torx wrench to install, not a tough process. I actually ripped up a few of the Mag-Lite brand sheathes for this light, just too many rocks and sand. Get the Spec Ops Brand light sheath, much better durability and the light fits great. I wove a paracord tail onto my Mag-Tac so I can draw out of the sheath quicker, and grab it if my oily hands slip. The tail cap switch is an excellent design, more lights should use them. This switch allows one to hold the light in a quick to point manner, which is great for scanning underneath a car or peeking into a dark tent. I haven’t met anyone else that has a Mag-Tac, truly a slept on flashlight.

The Mag Tac represents Maglite's long awaited entry into the CR123A battery powered flashlight market. The Plain Bezel Mag-Tac uses Mag's “QuickClik” electronic switch to provide 3 modes: one click for momentary, 2 for constant on, (both at 310 lumens) and 3 quick clicks for a 45 lumen low mode (the Crowned bezel version has 12 Hz strobe instead of plain bezel's low mode on the third click). Your cadence does need to be quick, about as fast as you can say “click click click”. This does take a little getting used to access the third mode but after a few minutes practice it's easy. For a tactical light the ability to use momentary without inadvertently switching into some other mode is critical and the Mag-Tac's system is about as fool proof as it gets with a multi-mode light. It would have been nice if Mag designed this light to be user programmable with a momentary only option for tactical users who prefer that. ELECTRONIC SWITCH: The electronic switch is soft and easy to use, much like a mouse click or a shutter on a digital camera. It is recessed slightly to help prevent it turning on when being transported and to allow tail standing. There are no rings or other projections surrounding the switch to obstruct your thumb from getting on the switch in a hurry. The switch can be locked out by loosening the tail cap ¼ turn, this will also stop any parasitic drain common to electronic switches. Since CR123A batteries are not prone to leaks, it should be OK to leave them in the light when being stored with the tail cap loosened/locked out. HIGH POWER: The Mag-Tac uses a cool white tinted Cree XP-G LED for a maximum of 310 lumens and an ANSI beam distance of 182 M. While there are considerably brighter lights, for me, 310 lumens is almost too much for a tactical light of this size. The throw is very good for a light with a 1 inch reflector diameter. As with all lights, as a rule of thumb I consider the practical range of the beam to be the ANSI distance in feet instead of meters (in other words 182 FEET for the Mag-Tac for a practical beam distance instead of 182 METERS). FIST-GRABBABLE: Mag aptly describes the Mag-Tac as “fist-grabbable” with a straight 1 inch diameter body with a pineapple/grenade grip texturing, the Mag-Tac is very comfortable and secure in the hand in a ice pick grip. For me, the plastic clip adds to the comfort and security. The Mag-Tac is not well suited to the “cigar” grip in my opinion (due mostly to it's flat/slightly recessed tail switch – for the cigar grip you want an extended switch button that you can activate by pressing it against your thumb muscle/palm), but the clip does allow the light to be held in the cigar grip while activating the switch with the pad of your thumb. BEAM FOCUS: The Mag-Tac's head can be loosened to adjust the focus. This is much more fine tuning than a “spot to flood” adjustment, though you can remove the head completely for pure flood if you like. The screw threads on my Mag-Tac are not tight enough to hold the adjustment very well during normal use and carry so I keep it screwed down tight which is very close to the optimum focus anyway. Tighter fitting threads like on the old C and D cell mags would fix this. The beam pattern is smooth and clean with a well defined center hot spot. POCKET CLIP: The Mag-Tac comes with a plastic pocket clip along with a little hex wrench to tighten it's cam lock to the body of the light. The clip works well for carrying the Mag-Tac clipped to a pocket or belt. I don't know how easily the clip is to break since I normally carry the Mag-Tac in a nylon belt sheath (sold separately). I do know that I am fairly hard on clips and eventually break or bend metal clips and I am sure I would eventually break the Mag-Tac's plastic clip carrying it clipped to my pocket. One thing good about using plastic for the clip is that it's not as likely to scratch the paint on your car of the finish of your furniture as a metal clip might. The clip has functions beyond carrying the Mag-Tac in a pocket. One is that it serves as an anti roll device another as a lanyard attachment that will accept 550 (para) cord. The clip also helps keep the Mag-Tac from twisting in your hand. FIT/FINISH AND CONSTRUCTION: Maglite is well known for their fine aluminum machine work and (aside from the aforementioned threads on the head which should have been more precise) the Mag-Tac is no exception. The finish is a matte hard/type III anodizing which is thicker and more durable than Mag's usual type II anodizing. The reflector and lens are both plastic, which has never been a problem for me except that the lens can get scratched, which for a tactical light is preferable to a glass lens that can break, I suppose. IMPACT RESISTANCE: The Mag-Tac is currently (2015) rated to be 2 M drop resistant (formerly rated for 1 M). I do not believe it is rated as “weapons mountable” to cope with heavy recoil, which is unfortunate (if this is the case), since the Mag-Tac's 1 inch diameter would facilitate mounting on a weapon rail using a standard 1” mount. VALUE: I think the USA made Mag-Tac compares quite well with competing designs such as Surefire's 6PX (also made in USA, comparable build quality, higher priced) and Chinese made lights in the Mag-Tac's price category. RUN TIME: Mag claims 4 hrs of ANSI (down to 10% of peak output) runtime on high and 17 hrs on low. This seems about right for the high mode (never ran the low mode long enough to put the run time to the test). Note that the Mag-Tac (like many tactical lights) has a gradual step down to about 70% after a few minutes on high. This helps keep the LED cool and extend the run time (which would probably be about half of the Mag-Tac's 4 hrs without the step down). You can go back to full power at anytime by cycling the switch off/on, but the step down to 70% brightness is hardly noticeable. BATTERIES: CR123A batteries were first used in cameras and since the 90's by Surefire and others in flashlights. They are NOT rechargeable but they are very powerful with a self life measured in decades. And unlike alkalines, they normally do not leak or go dead in cold weather (in fact they are very resistant to both high and low temperatures making them ideal for use in a light stored in a vehicle). For these reasons, the CR123A battery is popular with Police, Military and other “tactical” users, despite their higher cost than alkaline batteries (although alkilines are not so cheap when they leak and destroy an expensive device!). CR123A batteries are not all that pricey if you order them on line. If you need to buy some locally Lowes sells Surefire brand batteries at a reasonable price. Due to reliability problems (including explosions), sticking with CR123A's made in the USA is strongly recommended. Brands such as Duracell, Energizer, Panasonic or Surefire are all good (and perform pretty much the same) as long as they are made in the USA. For safety never mix brands or new batteries with old/used ones. The Mag-Tac is designed to run on CR123A and will not work with most lithium ion rechargeable batteries such as the 18650's. Currently, the best rechargeable option for the Mag-Tac is the K2 Energy lithium-phosphate LFP123A's. These are the same size as the CR123A and nominally the same voltage. The catch is the LFP's give about half the run time/capacity as the non-rechageable CR123A's and require a special charger. WARRANTY: Limited Lifetime in USA/Western Hemisphere, 10 years elsewhere. Unfortunately, Mag now charges a $10 shipping and handling fee for repair or replacement under warranty. BOTTOM LINE: The Mag-Tac is excellent American made tactical light and a very good value.

This is a well built flashlight. It is extremely bright and I love the double click turn on feature so it does not accidentally get turned on.

POSITIVES: Great tactical light. Bright, is easy to use, and has the 3 essential functions: 1) Click once for momentary on, useful for signalling (e.g. SOS) or for quickly identifying an intruder without giving away your position, 2) Click twice for full power (320 lumens!), which can see things 200 yards away or blind an attacker, 3) Click three times for a strobe light (also 320 lumens!) that can blind and disorient an attacker. It's also a perfect size and weight for a tactical light, IMHO. Big enough to use as a striking weapon for self-defense (and the crowned bezel can help with this), yet small enough to clip to a pocket or belt and not feel weighed down, or even kept in your pocket. I suggest using the included clip to secure it in place inside a a pocket, with the rear of the flashlight peeking out of the pocket so it's easy to grasp. The crowned bezel can be used as a striking weapon for self-defense, or as a glass-breaking tool (in case you're trapped inside a sinking car). A fringe benefit of the crowned bezel is that if you accidentally leave it on and place it face-down, enough light will leak out that you'll realize you left it turned on. NEGATIVES: Only 2 minor shortcomings: 1) Uses two CR123 batteries, which are more expensive and harder to find than AA or AAA batteries (so I suggest keeping a couple spare batteries). However, the advantage to CR123 batteries is that they're more powerful than AA batteries (higher voltage), which gives you a brighter light 320 lumens!) 2) The head of the Mag-Tac is 1.05" rather than 1", so it doesn't fit the same 1"-head accessories as the Maglite Mini-Mag AA, Maglite XL50, Maglite XL100, Maglite XL200, or other 1" accessories (such as traffic wands, colored lens filters, and anti-roll devices). However, the tail end is still 1", so you can put a 1" anti-roll device on the tail-end and it'll fit fine. You can also order traffic wands for the Mag-Tac from Maglite, but at $8 each it would be better if it could share the same traffic wands as all the 1"-head Maglites.

Only downside is the replacement batteries are expensive $8 for 2 batteries. It was my fault for not seeing what size batteries it takes. Spent an additional $40 for rechargeable batteries. Other than that. I love that it is light weight & very bright.

Great tactical flash light. The brightness will hurt the eyes 👀 of anyone unfortunate enough to be on the receiving end of it. The strobe excels at disorienting and causing discomfort. With the crown tip you can protect your kingdom.

I carry two flashlights: a Maglite XL50 in a holster on my belt and this in my pocket. I carry the XL50 because it's small, similar form factor, uses AAA batteries and is just plain handy for almost everything. If the XL50 could use the same pocket clip, I'd LOVE to have one on my XL50. I've suggested this to Maglite on their website, though I doubt anything will come of it. I got the Mag-Tac to have a light with a momentary touch switch. It's also very bright and more useful at night at longer distances. The Mag-Tac is a LOT brighter than the XL50, but so much so that using it for "normal" stuff every day seems like overkill (that and the batteries are quite pricey). I don't much care for the use of CR123 batteries, but the trade-off is a LOT more light in about the same size package. XL50 is rated at 139 lumens while the Mag-Tac is rated at 310 lumens. I got the plain bezel because I didn't want the scalloped head ripping through my pants pocket over time since I usually carry the light with the pocket clip. I liked that there were several colors to choose from. Over time, I may get a couple more, but I suspect other things will pop up that seem more important. Overall, I've been pretty disappointed with Maglites since they've started using LEDs. I've carried a Xenon AA maglite for many years and loved it, and the new LED twist-to-select modes are maddeningly infuriating. I think I've given away all of my LED AA Maglites they annoyed me so much. Except for the battery life, I really don't like the LED 3D Mags either. Being able to take the cap off and illuminate a whole area was a great feature and one that I have sorely missed. The XL50 and now this Mag-Tac have restored much of my happiness with Maglite, though I've still got a bad taste in my mouth from their transition to LED. I also got one of these Storacell Powerpack for CR123 for throwing in the glovebox so I've got spare batteries that aren't just rolling around. www.amazon.com/Duracell-Batteries-Storacell-Powerpax-SlimLine/dp/B00CGLZLNM

Outstanding product, solid build. I work in maritime and ship repair industry, use this daily. This my second mag tac. This first one got donated to Dave jones ( I accidentally dropped it over the side) after 5 years of abuse...

Non tra le più potenti rispetto ad altre torce tascabili, ma ha ugualmente una luminosità ed un fascio profondo e stretto. È compatta e dà una sensazione di robustezza in mano. Ottimo il rapporto qualità/prezzo, è valida in molte applicazioni, dalll'escursionismo all'autodifesa, ha una luce in grado di stordire. La più potente tra le maglite tascabili, ma se volete più lumen cercate tra le tascabili più care come Thrunite o Nitecore

Excelente lanterna.

Excellent product. Timely delivery. Reasonable pricing. The product was as expected.

Product excellent as expected from Maglite. Highly recommended.

Sehr gutes Produkt , so wie der Name Mag Lite verspricht. Super Handlich die Lampe und sehr einfache Bedienung 👍. Super schnelle Lieferung.