At SHOT Show 2017 in Las Vegas, I had occasion to visit with the good folks at Surefire to see a couple of new versions — updates really — to a pair of popular flashlights.
The first one is geared mostly toward pilots, but may have some law enforcement applications. The company took the existing V1 Vampire — which was originally a light and an infrared — and added a feature of a very dim red LED. This 0.4 lumens bulb is perfect for reading a document in low light without messing up your eye’s adjustment to the darkness around you.
Next, we examined a light popular with police — the R1 Lawman rechargeable flashlight. An enormously successful flashlight already, the R1 Lawman continues to feature maximum output of 1,000 lumens with user-programmable head and tailcap switches. What’s new is that Surefire has added IntelliBeam Technology to the light.
This product was discussed by company representatives at SHOT Show last year, but for whatever reason, they’re pressing the news of an IntelliBeam-enabled R1 Lawman hard as the big news for law enforcement this year.
This enables the user to change the aimed beam of light from a non-reflective surface to one that produces a mirroring effect without accidentally blinding oneself momentarily. The light sensor in the bezel of the light reads how much light is being returned from the environment. The sensor quickly takes a measurement about ten times per second and makes the adjustment to the intensity of the outbound beam.
This will prove to be helpful in a variety of settings, from traffic stops to writing paperwork in the squad car. It’s clear that the new R1 Lawman with IntelliBeam will make its way into the hands of police across the country — and probably pretty quickly at that.
