It seems the older I get the more I think about being young and all the things I did in my life. Now, if you were to ask my daughters how old I am, they’d probably tell you that when I was younger I hunted dinosaurs with spears. Well, I’m not quite that old, but I am getting there. I spent a great deal of time in law enforcement and private security and I still remember old fashioned flashlights. You know the ones I’m talking about. They held two large “D” sized batteries that didn’t last long, and the light they threw was yellow and didn’t help you see very far at night. For the life of me, I don’t know why they are still be manufactured and sold when there are much better LED alternatives, which use smaller, much longer lasting batteries and throw a bright beam of light a long distance.
Living out in the “boonies”, like I do, we don’t have street lights. When the sun goes down, it gets real dark outside my homestead. During Fall and Winter, it gets very dark much earlier, too. Sure, I keep the front porch light on, but it only lights up my front deck. Iit does nothing to light my large front yard and driveway. So, when my German Shepherds hear something, they start barking, alerting me something is on our property. Because of my poor hearing, I don’t ignore their barking because they rarely bark without good reason. Just the other night, all four of the big German Shepherds in my house started barking. I looked outside, but couldn’t see anything; it was too darn dark.
I reached for the LED LENSER M7RX flashlight I had received to test for SurvivalBlog. I turned off the front porch light, opened my front door, and turned on the M7RX. I saw four does grazing on the plush grass in my front yard, only 30 feet from me. I stood and watched them for several minutes, until they decided the light might be a threat and left my yard; they walked out rather than running. I often sit on my front deck, where I watch deer feed in my front yard, sometimes only 15 or 20 feet from me. They know that I’m not a threat to them, so they’ll feed until they are full, and then leave my yard.
The LED LENSER M7RX is one of the newest small flashlights from LED LENSER. For the record, they are owned by Leatherman– the multi-tool company. I’ve tested several of their flashlights in the past and have been impressed with them all. I carry a small (now discontinued) flashlight in my right front pocket. It is “only” 70-lumens, but it throws a lot of light for a flashlight requiring only one lone “AAA” battery. Comparing my little pocket flashlight to any of the old-style “D” cell battery flashlights, it, literally, outshines them in all respects.
I always have one or two small flashlights in my pockets, always! If you carry a firearm for self-defense and you don’t carry a light source, you are making a big mistake. It is estimated that most shootings take place in low-light or no-light conditions , about 80% of the time. So, if you don’t have a light source when the shooting starts, where are you going to shoot? Are you going to shoot at the muzzle flash or a noise you hear? Not a smart situation. So, you need some kind of light source in order to identify any potential threats that might be out there or in your house. I think we all remember the shooter in the movie theater in Colorado who opened-fire on innocent movie-goers. The only light in the theater was from the screen. If there had been a legally-armed civilian in the theater with a bright flashlight, they might have been able to take down that shooter, or at the very least, temporarily blind him with a bright light.
The M7RX is just such a bright light. It is advertised as having 600-lumens, and that is more than enough to temporarily blind an attacker. What’s that you say? The shooter will see the light and fire at it? Not likely. He’ll be temporarily blinded with 600-lumens. At best, a shooter would only be able to fire wildly, giving you the chance to return fire or escape the deadly threat. Trust me, I know what that kind of bright light can do. While visiting my local gun shop one morning, one of the employees was playing with a 300-lumen flashlight and shinned it into my eyes. I lost sight immediately, and it was several days before the dark spot in the center of my vision cleared up. Not a smart thing for that kid to do; super-bright flashlights come with a warning to not look into the light because it can temporarily blind a person and potentially cause long-term vision damage.
So, we are looking at 600-lumens coming out of the M7RX.. This particular model is rechargeable, too, so you don’t have to purchase any batteries. It has a very clever magnetic charging system; you simply attach the charging device to the bottom of the flashlight. The charging device and flashlight are held in place with a magnet, and the charger is plugged into the wall outlet. If you let the flightlight battery go completely dead, it takes about 6 1/2 hours to fully charge. Still, it beats having to buy batteries all the time.
The M7RX has a maximum output of 600-lumens as mentioned above, and it will run for approximately 1-hour 30-min on high beam. At the reduced power of 85-lumens, it will run for 8.5 hours. Did you read that? At the lower lumen power, it will run for more than 8-hours. Try that with your 99-cent double “D” cell flashlight that might throw 15-lumens of yellow light. The M7RX can throw a fairly bright, white light on the reduced power setting of 85-lumens all night long.
The M7RX is fairly small. It is only slightly more than six inches long, and it weighs a mere 7.16-ounces It is about as fat as a large cigar. It also comes with a lanyard, a pocket clip, and also a holster that you can easily clip onto your pants. We also are looking at the “Advanced Focus System” that LED LENSER has. This allows you to rapidly change the focus of the light from a small, narrow beam to a floodlight. The floodlight focus easily lights up my huge front yard.When I focus down, I can see several hundred yards across the road from me onto my neighbor’s property. I can see just about all of his 40+ acres of land. It cuts through the dark. Without going into all the details of the Advanced Focus System, it basically allows you to use your thumb to slide the lens forward or backward. When you slide it forward, it gives you a narrow focused light beam. When you slide the lens back, it gives you a floodlight effect. Of course, you can’t see nearly as far with the floodlight focus, but it lights up my front yard, which is several hundred feet wide.
Whether you live in the city or out in the country, like I do, you simply must have a good flashlight at night. On top of the power settings on the M7RX and the focus system, it also has several other features that can come in handy. You’ll need to read the detailed instructions that come with this light. You have a strobe light feature; this is a great thing for self-defense use, inside or outside. A strobe will readily disorient an attacker or someone who breaks into you house. In short order, we’re talking a second; the person will break-off an attack once the strobe feature is used and you flash it into their eyes. Yes, you can temporarily blind them, but that’s their problem, not yours. You were defending yourself. If you are one who takes walks at night in the city park (a foolish action, in my opinion), you need this non-lethal weapon in your hands. The strobe light feature will make an attacker or rapist blind, so you can run away. There is also an SOS feature that enablesthe light to flash an SOS signal. The list of features goes on. For such a small flashlight, it has a lot to offer. Check out the website for more information.
I know some people aren’t into firearms, and that’s their choice; they carry pepper spray or a knife, but carrying the M7RX is just a darn good idea if you are worried about your well-being. Pepper sprays don’t always work against drugged-up attackers, and you really need to be skilled in knife fighting or the knife can be taken from you. However, if you use the M7RX to temporarily blind an attacker, it gives you time to run. Even in bright sunlight, the 600-lumens of powerful white light will still blind an attacker. So don’t think it is only a night-time, self-defense weapon.
The M7RX has a full retail price of $300. It is a bit steep, but this light will last you many years; it comes with a five year warranty. You can find the M7RX at lower costs, if you shop the Internet. It is a great investment, not only for the lighting capabilities it offers you but also for the self-defense use as well. Additionally, the M7RX isn’t just a “flashlight”; it is a computerized, multi-function lighting system that might just save your life some day. – SurvivalBlog Field Gear Editor Pat Cascio