LA Police Gear recently announced a new line of flashlights under their own label (LAPG). The Recon C1 flashlight is one of the new arrivals, and when I saw the light on their website I was really impressed by the specifications and features. Flashlight technology has exploded over the last 10-15 years, and the new Recon C1 appears to be a beneficiary of those improvements. Boasting a maximum output of 850 lumens, with (4) lighting options, and on sale from LAPG for only $39.99 the Recon C1 appears to be an amazing light!
LA Police Gear has been a law enforcement retailer for nearly 20 years. Started by a former southern California police officer and SWAT cop, LA Police Gear has grown to a company selling over 20,000 products, from many of today’s most popular brands, covering a full spectrum of law enforcement needs. If you’ve never checked them out it would be worth your time to do so.
LA Police Gear Recon C1 Flashlight
The LAPG Recon C1 flashlight is a small, hand-held light specifically targeted as a lighting system for law enforcement, but with many other possible applications as well. With most officers using the small hand-held lights as primary lights, the Recon C1 could very well fulfill those duties.
The benefits of smaller, brighter lights are many. First, the smaller size allows lights to be easily carried on duty belts, or even pockets. Second, the smaller size allows a variety of hand carry methods that larger lights do not always lend themselves. These newer lights are producing as much or more illumination than the older and larger lights.
The Recon C1 comes with an aluminum body capable of sustaining the harsh environments of police work or other emergency services, with an impact resistance of 8 meters. The aggressive bezel provides lens protection and impact options. Though not ideal to use a flashlight as an impact weapon, in an emergency its nice to know you have options.
The aggressive bezel also provides a glass breaking option, though that action should not be attempted without proper Kevlar lined gloves. In addition, the Recon C1 has an IPX-8 water resistance rating, which translates to water resistance of at least 1 meter of full immersion.
LA Police Gear made sure to include the most popular lighting options desired by professional users. A high output of 850 lumens is incredibly impressive in such a small light and sends out a beam up to 214 meters away. Medium selection produces 500 lumens, while the low selection goes all the way down to 13 lumens. The Recon C1 also has a strobe function with a 20hz burst light output at the highest 850 lumen level.
The BlueSheepDog crew has supported the inclusion of strobing functions on flashlights for a long time. The proper use of a strobe can be absolutely phenomenal in disrupting a suspect’s ability to focus on an officer’s location or movements.
LAPG goes the extra mile with the Recon C1 flashlight. There are two CR123 batteries included with the light, and an additional O-ring and activation button should they wear out. The end cap has two lanyard holes pre-drilled, and a lanyard is also included withe the Recon C1. The Recon C1 comes with a clip attached, but the clip is easily removed without needing any tools.
LAPG Recon C1 Flashlight Features
- Lighting Levels: High, Medium, Low, Strobe
- Lumen Output: 850, 500, 13, (850 strobe)
- Light Times: 2 hours (high); 3 hours (medium); 61 hours (low)
- Strobe: 20hz (4 hours)
- Maximum Beam Distance: 214 meters
- Water Resistance: IPX-8
- Impact Resistance: 8 meters
- Package Includes: (1) Extra O-ring; (1) Lanyard; (2) CR123 batteries; (1) Carrying case.
LAPG Recon C1 Flashlight Specifications
- Light Type: LED XM-1 U2
- Overall Length: 5.0″
- Bezel Diameter: 1.1875″
- Tube Diameter: 0.8125″
- Weight: 3.2 oz
- Batteries: (2) CR123 (included)
- MSRP: $49.99 (Currently on sale for $39.99).
Final Thoughts
So far I’ve found my LA Police Gear Recon C1 to be well-built and easy to operate. The end cap pressure switch is a little tight at first, but as I’ve practiced it has become easier to manipulate. Part of that “tight” feel may be because the LAPG Recon C1 uses a unique pattern to toggle the light selections.
Operation of the different light operations is a little different than most lights. Most multi-light flashlights require performing a series of partial presses to cycle through the lighting options before fully pressing the switch in to lock the selection. The LAPG Recon C1 flashlight performs the operations in the exact opposite manner.
The user first has to fully press the activation button to click the light on. Once on the light in high mode, or 850 lumens. If a different lighting setting is desired the user than performs a series of half presses until reaching the desired level. A full press is not needed at that point, because the light is already “on”. So after reaching the lighting preference through half presses the user simply lets off the activation switch and the lighting preference is locked in.
I have mentioned this before, and its worth noting here. Lumen output can reach detrimental levels. Though the 850 lumen output is fantastic for open area use, that same magnitude of light can reflect back on objects and blind an officer if they are not careful. I’ve posted before that a maximum of 500 lumens should be plenty in most law enforcement uses.
The lighting series goes in this pattern: high, medium, low, strobe. When the light is ready to be turned off, another full press on the activation button will turn the power off. As I continue to use the Recon C1 on duty I’ll post on the ease of lighting transitions during stressful situations.
AUTHOR’S DISCLAIMER: I have purchased numerous items from LA Police Gear and have been pleased with my selections. This includes LAPG operator pants, which I’ve found to be great training or casual pants. My personal experiences have found LA Police Gear to be highly competitive in pricing and shipping. Some orders were held up for items that became “backordered”, but I was given the option of shipping the remainder of my order immediately, or waiting until the full order could ship. Once shipped, I have received my products on time. Neither BlueSheepDog, nor I, have received any compensation for this article, and at the time of publication LA Police Gear is not a sponsor of our site.