As society continues to slip towards a life filled with the expectation that everything we need will be provided to us by someone else, the concept of ‘every day carry’ is falling by the wayside. I was taught from an early age, like many of you, that carrying a knife with you at all times was a necessity. Not because we believed a time would come that a situation would require slicing ninjas with a Buck folder, but because easy access to tools makes you less dependent on others. Much like the EDC knife, a proper flashlight should be required kit for the modern independent man or woman. Today, the SUREFIRE Tactician E2T-MV gets a quick TFB evaluation as a daily carry light.

1. Overview

At five inches and three and a half ounces, the a Tactician is a compact light that maintains enough of a footprint to fit comfortably in one hand. Having owned a series of the Executive SUREFIRE lights, I loved a small, packable light, but wanted something slightly longer for more “tactical” situations. The Tactician seems to bridge the size gap quite nicely.

2. Packaging anD Presentation

Not that I care all that much, but SUREFIRE always seems to ship their lights in no-nonsense packaging that doesn’t attempt to fight back (I’m looking at you, clamshell Christmas packaging injury of 2014). The Tactician ships with a wrist lanyard/strap and two C123A batteries preloaded (I assume some shipping restrictions apply).

3. Operation

SUREFIRE makes their light operation intuitive, even for the non-lumen nerd like myself. Press and hold the button on the tail cap for the ‘momentary on’ feature. The activation is solid and repeatable – if you remember back to some of the original lights, the twist sensitivity feature used to have a bit of play depending on tightness. Those days are long gone; tail cap twist and push button sensitivity is what you would expect from an industry leader.

The Tactician uses a twist lock-out feature to help keep the light from triggering in a pocket or bag. Simply twist the tail cap slightly more than a quarter turn counter clockwise to disable the push button. In the reverse, twisting the tail cap fully in the clockwise position keeps the light in the ‘constant on’ mode. Usually I prefer push/click switch, but this is a solid system.

The SUREFIRE Tactician has two modes: high and low. Fully tightened/locked down, the light produces 800 lumens. Turning the bezel an eighth to a quarter turn produces a low power, 5 lumen beam. While the brightness difference is readily apparent, so it the maximum battery life – 70 hours on low versus one hour on high.

The beam pattern on the Tactician is “fill-the-room” wide – meaning that 800 lumens pours into all the dark corners of a medium sized room. The downside is that the beam will always be set on a hybrid flood – SUREFIRE’s Maxvision technology – since there is no narrow beam adjustment. The upside is a lot of useable light, either indoors or or out.

The result is a very bright, wide beam that is great for room clearing or searching for that Oreo that fell down behind the couch (don’t judge me, it was a double-stuff). Bright but not blinding light that is useful across a range of activities. If you are looking for a focused beam with a lot of throw, SUREFIRE has other options available that will better suit your needs. This is a light meant to pour brightness by the gallon into a room or area.

The above pictured Scout Light (previous generation gifted to me by my generous wife) has probably the polar opposite light pattern of the new Tactician – similarly bright but with a concentrated beam. This is how you justify multiple flashlights and reiterates the ‘right tool for the right job’ mantra.

4. Conclusions

I have owned at least 20 SUREFIRE lights over the past two decades, and with the exception of a minor issue with a first generation weaponlight, they have performed as advertised and most have traveled the world with me. As long as you know your requirements, SUREFIRE makes a light that will fit your needs. For the Tactician, those needs are filled with a super bright LED with a wide disbursement that will fill medium to large rooms. The low power mode is perfect for helping to preserve night vision or remaining undetected from the enemy (see the double-stuff Oreo scenario above). Sure there are less expensive options on the market, but given the choice, my experiences have always lead me to SUREFIRE.

This groundbreaking light is designed for maximum versatility, serving as both an everyday carry light and an improvised weapon light. The Tactician’s dual-output LED is paired with a proprietary reflector to create our MaxVision™ Beam, a useful wall of light that fills in the space around you. Hand-tighten its front bezel to set the light to deliver all 800 lumens for longer-range or tactical tasks; rotate counterclockwise a quarter-turn for 5 lumens of light for those tasks requiring less light and more runtime. Either setting is activated in momentary-on mode with a press of the tailcap; twist for constant-on mode.

A lightweight but durable aerospace-aluminum body is knurled for a secure grip, and a Mil-Spec hard anodized finish protects against abrasion and corrosion. Because you’re going to want to take this portable powerhouse with you just about everywhere you go, it features a robust pocket clip for secure bezel-up carry in a pocket, pack, or purse.

Surefire Tactician Features:

• Highly versatile light serves as an everyday carry light or a highly versatile light serves as a fighting light and a task light
• Dual-output LED with MaxVision™ Beam, delivers a broad useful wall of light that fills in the space around you
• Hand-tighten its front bezel for maximum output; loosen by a quarter-turn for low-output
• Either setting is activated in momentary-on mode with a press of the tailcap; twist for constant-on mode
• Output / Runtime — White Light
  High 800 Lumens / 1.5 Hours
  Low 5 Lumens / 94 Hours
• Length – 5.0 in
• Bezel Diameter – 1.0 in
• Weight w/Batteries – 3.5 ounces
• Batteries – 2 CR123A
• MSRP: $149

EDITOR’S NOTE: We are trying to gauge interest in the continuation of the ‘Friday Night Lights’ series here at TFB. The goal would be to talk about the technology and advances surrounding the illumination, laser and night vision industries. If you have review or topic suggestions, please let us know in the comments section below.