SupFire M1 Superthrow Tactical Flashlight
Price: £1.80 free shipping
Manufacturer: SupFire
Model: M1 superthrow
Power: Cree XP-E Q5 3W
Run By: 1x 18650 li-ion or 3x AAA
Focus Type: Fixed
Modes: 5
Vendor: Seller via ebay
Description:
Shipped From: China
What's in the Packet?: M1, Lanyard, 18650 sleeve
First Impressions
What a first impression! I was half expecting a lesser quality Ultrafire C8 clone when I paid £1.80 for this on ebay. - Although the past couple of SupFire's have been really good I didn't think I'd get lucky a third time.
What a beast! It's big, bold and feels like a £20 torch. The main body of the torch is wider than the Ultrafire C8's to accommodate a AAA adapter giving this torch dual power flexible over the standard C8 which is lithium 18650 only.
The tail cap, rubber seals. contact plunger and screw threads are of a very high quality. The glass lens is made from polished ground glass and has no residual artifacts. It's hard to find good quality glass lens at these low prices so I'm really happy they threw one on this thing. The deep set reflector is divided into an orange peel lower section with a nicely polished smooth section up top. Like the ultrafire C8 we have the same glow in the dark green o-ring to keep water out.
Overall then this torch is fantastic quality for under 2 quid!
Super high quality half orange peel reflector
Quality Rubber o-rings and screw fittings
An Improved C8?
Absolutely! The SupFire M1 seems like a restyled and upgraded version of the ultrafire. Look closely and we find the upgraded reflector, wider main body to accommodate AAA adapters and a much improved tail cap and glass lens. The material build of the M1 seems much more tough and substantial. Thicker aluminium alloy and precision cut threads adds an extra feel of quality to this torch over the standard C8. I love the Ultrafire don't get me wrong but this incarnation is the best example of the classic C8 design yet imo.
Ultrafire C8 and the SupFire M1 - virtually Identical
Testing
Much like the Ultrafire C8, the M1's performance is that of a good quality spot thrower. A performance that vastly outweighs it's silly price tag. The reflector throws the beam a good 150-200 yards at least. Its quite remarkable.
Operating this torch is simple. Just click the button in the tail cap ( like every other Chinese Flashlight) and away you go. The Button clicks are clean and mode transitions seemless. The feel of the torch seems solid and balanced. Impressive stuff!
Unfortunately these pics don't really show the full extent of M1's beam. As with most throwers a highly concentrated spot of bright light is projected down the middle followed by spill which covers a wider area albeit much Dimmer. The M1 manages to cast a wide circle of spill beyond the center spot which is enough to see stuff in your periphery. It's the C8 all over again but this time finely tuned
Another crap pic but the outer spill circle can be seen a little better here. Like the C8 this torch would be ideal for strapping to a rifle.
Rating ✅✅✅✅✅ 5 out of 5 "Best Cheap Super thrower"
I liked the C8 and I love this version even more! It's better made and more flexible by offering the option of using AAA batteries as well as an 18650. Its definitely one of the best budget superthrowers.
Another SupFire plagiarised masterpiece! Recommended.