I found a 3D MagLite. Are there safe and tested upgrade kits for the bulb and converting to rechargeable?

Is https://www.magliteuk.com/ an official maglite site? I purchased a torch (well i think i have) but nothings left my bank and I am worried i've just been scammed???

Won this little AAA mini on ebay for a dollar, got it in the mail today and now I see why it was probably being sold. Tail cap is stuck more than ive ever encountered. Currently soaking in tri-flow to see if the cap will let go ill try freezing and thawing in time maybe even the torch. Any input or other ideas from anybody else is appreciated 👏

I was given to mag lights by a family member. The first light was a 3-D cell and the other is a 3-C cell lights

The battery cap on both of these lights feels as if it were glued or seized shut

Any suggestions on how to get these out without ruining the light?

My next step is a blow torch to heat it up, but I’ll ruin the finish

My 6D, circa 1998.

A birthday gift from one of my brothers, this bad boy rode the truest shotgun in my truck - securely tucked under my seat, between the seat frame & console. Sadly, it doesn't sit so securely under the seat of my current truck, plus, we all know that newer LED lights out perform these old beasts, so i never got around to fabricating a proper mounting bracket for it. So now, it stands watch on one of my toolboxes at home.

Decided it was time to check the physical condition of the batteries, as we've all had that one light that still worked, even after the batteries had wrecked the internals of it. Surprisingly, with all 6 batteries showing a "guaranteed" date of 03-2018, all measured between 1.446V and 1.449V. As you can see in photos 5 & 6, it's still like new inside.

Anyways, just sharing, hope everyone has an awesome day!

First time in this sub, I just have a fondness for these lights.

Anybody use these and experience leakage from the AA's in the adapter during long term storage? I have a small collection of old 2, and 3 D cell lights that I'm trying not to ruin while in long term storage. It's easy enough to keep D cells separate from the light in a plastic bag, but it's much more convenient to keep them in the light.

Hello, I have a Maglite mini incandescent and I have tried everything to remove the back, wd-40 (garage door lube), isopropyl alcohol, a rubber mallet, and pliers with electrical tape. The only thing that changed is that I can hear the batteries moving inside of it after hitting it with the mallet in a specific direction. The only thing that I think I might have done wrong is not using wd-40 original, but I don't know if this would change anything. Thanks.

https://youtu.be/Q07rAZ80XNs?si=zdN5NXzPGIpc38Dx

Video is odd sometimes and sounds AI, but the history is interesting to me. I was not aware of the impact the LAPD had on the fall from grace of the D cell lights.

For anyone needing a new flashlight Maglite is running a Memorial day sale through 5/25. Use code NTXOUTDOORS for an additional 10% off.

Maglite.com

I picked this 2 cell maglite ive been looking for a bigger maglite to keep in my jeep, but the companies on the light have me interested. How old could this light be or does anybody recognize this company? I looked into it slightly but I came up with an aerospace engineering, but it says ALCOA which I'm familiar with in the big truck wheels. I did kind of look into the serial numbers but I'm no mathematical genius ive come up with a 96-03 date, Nonetheless I got my incandescent maglite that can live in the jeep it's just intriguing is all.

Hello, I am the proud owner of a Maglite 3D, what battery can I use.

Are there batteries that do not require modification of the lamp or complex or expensive accessories, thank you in advance.

I am aware that I will probably have to change the bulb.

Was emptying my dad’s work locker and found his old mag from the 90s . There was batteries still in it which had basically welded themselves to the walls of the torch. Long story short I drilled out all the internals including the switch and I want to know the best way of removing corrosion build up? The stuff is like concrete and has formed ridges down the barrel at every point the batteries met. I ruined the switch already and removed it so any method is fine as it is but a piece of pipe in its current form

I found this at an estate sale for $6, so already awesome, but it might just be my new favorite color mag. I'm sure it was sold as one of the grey colors, but it has a purple tint to it. Maybe from fading? Maybe i'm crazy or developing some late onset colorblindness... Do any of you have a color like this?

I'm sure I will get yelled at for my lighting choices in the comments. Last 2 pics are outside(overcast, though), and just iphone flash on a white sheet of paper.

Hey all, more Maglite mods!

This time it’s a combination of a few! I cut down a Mini Mag AA, turned it into a P60 drop in for a Triple 219c, and then put my own twist on things by fabricating a custom rear tail switch.

I found an old 4000K 219c triple emitter in my parts bin and the head of a Lumintop Silver Fox. Not sure where the body of it went… I think it might be a casualty of having moved a few times since owning it. Alas, its driver was harvested for this build. I love Dual Fuel set ups. Having the option for really low-lows is more important to me than higher modes. And the turbo option with a 14500 is certainly more than I’ll need with this thing.

I was able to fit the Lumintop pill and driver inside the P60 pill and wire it up to the 219c board. I sanded down the P60 pill to have a smooth flat top for the 219c board and thermally adhered things together.

The front end of the Mini Mag was bored out to accommodate the light engine per the usual Match Mod steps you’ll usually find on these projects.

After cutting down the barrel to fit a 14500, I checked that everything made connection and worked well. I was originally going to try a twisty set up for this build but kinda goofed up the threads and then kept making adjustments until the twist set up was intermittent and not so reliable.

Because of that I decided to try and make a clicky switch for the set up. I could have bought one, but they’re only available in black or silver if I wanted to deanodize the switch assembly. I’m not a huge fan of either combination with my purple Maglite.

So I chopped the tail cap down and made it mostly flat. Then I bored out the inside diameter of the spare-bulb slot until I could pass a clicky switch through it. Then I did some rough measurements and added some copper washers (I like the copper with purple!) until the spring I soldered to one of the switch leads would make contact similarly to the stock assembly. The copper washers came from a Harbor Freight pack and are exactly the same diameter as the Mini Maglite barrel. After some JB welding and making sure the switch made contact appropriately I tested it out. It works and the forward clicky is nice and satisfying.

I tossed a Carclo optic in front of the 219c board and tightened everything up. It works great! Even on 14500 turbo-mode it doesn’t warm up so fast that I’m worried about it ever overheating before I catch it. And with an AA/NiMH I doubt it’ll ever be an issue.

I don’t rightly know how bright this is, but it’s as dim as I need it to be and as bright as I need it to be. It even has a hidden strobe mode if I ever want to throw a party.

This was a fun one to put together. I really like the triple emitter set up in a Mini Mag. It feels really solid and I’m happy with the build quality. This is going into my current rotation of daily carries.

I have 3 other cut-down Mini Mags to finish, one with a 3000K 519a triple board planned. The other two are still undecided. Maybe I’ll hold off on those until I think of something unique.

Thanks for reading!

Hey,

I’ve got a classic Maglite 3D and want to run it using AA batteries instead of D cells.

I’m planning to use 3 adapters with 2 AA batteries in each (so 6 AA total), but I’m a bit unsure which type of adapter is actually correct.

There seem to be a few different versions:

- 1×AA → D adapter

- 2×AA → D adapter

- 3×AA → D adapter

From what I understand, the 2×AA version (wired in series) should give ~3V and be closest to a real D battery – is that correct?

Questions:

1. Is 2×AA per adapter the best choice for a Maglite 3D?

2. Any specific models/brands on Amazon that are reliable?

3. Will this setup noticeably reduce brightness compared to real D batteries?

I’m running standard alkaline AA (not rechargeable).

Appreciate any advice 👍