MagLiteHeavy-Duty Incandescent 6-Cell D Flashlight, Black - S6D016

Let's be honest, it isn't the most amazing light ever as far as output. You can get 2AA light like the Fenix E21 that is much smaller with similar light output. But what it is, like all Maglites, is a beautiful well made light. And this thing has some nice heft to it, especially with 6 cells inside. For an incandescent, you get pretty good run time and output thanks to 6D cells. Also, the weight and durability of this flashlight could make it useful as an improptu tent stake driver. Also, I actually like the very long length of this light because I can rest it on my shoulder with my hand on the switch. I have found that if you are shooting in low light conditions this is great for illuminating your sights and the target at the same time with a nice stable platform that takes little effort to keep aligned with where you are pointing. I was taking a night shooting pistol class and I think I was getting better shots off than the others because I could see my sights very clearly and the target clearly.If you get this one with the Krypton bulb though, upgrade to the Xenon Bulb at the minimum. You can get a Xenon bulb really cheap and it increases the output. But you can also get LED units like the Malkoff that will turn this light into a power house with much higher output. I would recommend that option if you can afford it, but the LED will cost you more than the flashlight itself.If you wanted to adapt this light to be a club, it might actually be a little too heavy. You might hurt your wrist swinging this thing full force one handed, but two handed it should be pretty good. Further, I think very few people will want to pick on a person carrying a flashlight longer than many batons. You can also use it as a stick to make distance between yourself and aggressive dogs.Another cool thing about this light is that many people are impressed by the sheer size of it. When I need to use a flashlight for a presentation I like to bring this one as it amuses the audience more.

Maybe you're a cop or security guard, maybe you're a guy who lives in a place where you can't carry a firearm, maybe you're just someone looking to fill the 'use of force' void that exists between shooting someone the bird and shooting them between the eyes. Any way you look at it, lets not beat around the bush here... Anyone buying this light is doing so for one reason only, the 'light' aspect being totally secondary to that one reason. It's a club that doubles as a flashlight.So, how do we judge it on the objective criteria?As a whuppin' stick, it definitely works- so well that some 'kinder, gentler' Police Departments don't even allow it anymore. Kind of a bummer that they discontinued the thinner 6C; barring finding one second hand and paying a real scalpers price for it, the 5D/6D is the pretty much the only 'in production' option in the Mag line for a "big defensive flashlight" but that's OK. Unless you have very small hands, the 6D is perfectly controllable.It's big. Really, really big. The light itself is about 19.5" long- a foot and a half- in total. When weighted down with cels, it's heavy, too.You will want to tread lightly with this, as it definitely would generate enough striking force to fracture a skull, break bones. Be damn sure you're legally justified to use it, if you ever do use it. You can hurt someone with it. It's does cut a pretty intimidating profile. Walking around with one, it's almost as if you're carrying a bat. In some situations, this is OK. In other situations, where drawing attention to yourself isn't the desired outcome, you'd definitely want to leave this one home (in this regard, probably worth noting that given its weight, this is essentially a two handed club. I'm a large guy who has decent enough working strength- swinging a six D-cel flashlight with one hand is pretty slow going. Slow enough that you might risk your adversary grabbing on to it)As far as brightness, it's bright by 'bright enough' standards. Not bright enough to impress flashlight geeks who obsess over marginally relevant technical details on internet forums, plenty bright for Average Joe to use for real world stuff. Unless something has changed, these are still shipping with incandescent bulbs, which aren't anywhere near as bright as a good LED (for example, the Maglite 3d LED torch is significantly brighter)... of course, let us not forget the reason we bought this in the first place. The 'flashlight' part is a secondary consideration, or, a primary consideration inasmuch as it allows us to carry it around in places where the same thing absent the flashlight function would be considered an unlawful bludgeon or club.If you want to juice the light aspect up to balls-out bright, terralux makes an upgrade that turns the thing into a portable sun... It's pricey- three times the cost of the light itself- but it does add a monumental upgrade in brightness (700 lumens), which can be quite practical. If you shine that into someones face, they're either turning away, or, if they're really determined to keep advancing, they'll be doing so blinded and/or with their eyes closed, at which point we option the 'club' functionality.I don't throw around the five star rating too often, but this is a five star piece. Right now, as of October 2010, with Amazon free shipping on purchases over 25, you can get one shipped to your door for right at 25 bucks. Is this worth 25 bucks? Hell yeah.

MAGLITE S6D016 Heavy-Duty 6-D Cell Flashlight, BlackI have owned one for over 30years and will be getting a newer one in order to add an LED adapter. It has never failed. The focus and brightness are fantastic. It is a little long and heavy, but if you want a potential personal defense tool, it can certainly fill a niche. Because it is so long and heavy, it has a lot of momentum and for an un-trained person, it could possibly be taken away by an attacker. If you're a pet lover and walk your dog where there are either human de-sensitized coyotes or feral dog packs, the impact can be lethal and the brightness enough to blind temporarily for a fast getaway. Although I am a 20+ yr armed/unarmed instructor and was also trained in the use of batons, I feel quite comfortable with it although it is slower to maneuver than a straight wood baton. Besides being a long-lasting and reliable source of focusable light, it is not considered a weapon. When visiting NYC years ago, it was always in my daypack. I have heard rumors that the construction is not as good now and I will definitely review the new one when I get it.