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Where do you buy your cr123's

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Primary Arms has sales sometimes - Streamlight or Surefire batteries.  I think I got 'em for about $1.20 each after shipping.

I remember there was a website someone here listed that I got some no-name brand ones for 76c each (yellow batteries) - may have been like cr123batteries.com but this was like 6 years ago and I doubt that deal's still around.

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I run rechargeable CR123s (aka 16340 or RCR123), 17670, and 18650 batteries in most of my flashlights which take 3v batteries (total of somewhere around 25 batteries).  Currently, the only light with legit Surefire 123s is the Streamlight TLR-1s, since they seem to specify 3.0v very explicitly, and I'd rather not damage it as I have not seen enough feedback from other users.  I have and HIGHLY recommend EagleTac RCR123s and 18650s, and have had very good luck with Tenergy 3.0V RCR123s.  I have had so/so luck with UltraFire RCR123s and 18650s - 3 early failures, likely due to the protection circuit failing (guessing that, due to 0.0v output).  Olight RCR123s are really wimpy, with way less runtime than I would expect of them based on mAh rating and price.

However, things are never quite so easy.  Most RCR123s are rated at 3.7v under load, and charge up to around 4.2v on a fresh charge, which can damage things not designed for them (especially when using multiples) - do not use them in things with an actual filament bulb.  There are 3V RCR123 batteries out there, but not all chargers will work with the 3.0v batteries, so you gotta use the cheap charger that usually comes with them.  The 3v batteries will usually be around 3.5-3.7 volts on a fresh charge.

17670 and 18650 batteries are often used in laptop battery packs.  They usually have substantially higher power densities than two RCR123s would have.  You can often buy the designed-for-laptop cells, or buy made-for-flashlight types with the button on the + side. Most flashlights won't care about using either because of spring loading.  Again, the light needs to have been designed for using a 17670/18650, but if it was, I highly recommend using them over 123s if you have a 2x 123 light.

I use a Nitecore i4 quad charger, which charges all the above (except 3.0v RCR123s).  Most of my batteries are what is known as "protected" cells, meaning there is a shutoff circuit on the battery to prevent over-discharge (under the rated voltage).  This means the battery will either cut out at unsafe voltages, or go into lower power mode, depending on the battery.

Self discharge has been very low, I can easily leave a battery in a light for 6+ months without checking it and know it will still work.  I use my lights often, and I can usually get multiple weeks of use at various power levels out of them before needing to put in a fresh battery.  I have had zero issues with these batteries on guns, including hundreds of rounds of shotgun from target loads through 3 1/2" magnum buckshot, as well as .223 rifle rounds.

Quality RCR123s will run you around $8 per, and a decent charger will run you around $20.  That said, I am only now starting to consider getting rid of some 9+ year old batteries, so I would easily have spent hundreds of dollars on regular lithium 123s if I used them at the same rate I use my RCRs, and many of the older batteries were significantly less than $8 per cell.  You can find EagleTac RCR123s on ebay and Amazon, and likely same for the Nitecore charger.

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Yup, I too try and run rechargeables. 

Our house light is a couple Fenix lights with recharged lg 18650's. 

my guns have surefire and stream light lights mounted with cr123 surefire and stream lights battery's. I don't use them much anymore and save on buying batterys.

But iget them off Amazon when the price is right. 

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I stick with Surefire... and most of my lights have them in there. Exception being new lights, as they get whatever comes with them for the first run (my TLR-7 still has the original Streamlight inside, and still going; probably will swap it in the near future). Usually Amazon, but I make sure Amazon supplies them. Private sellers... unless they make the product, I’ve always had bad experience with them. Old product close to the expiration date, previous version which didn’t work (listed as the newer one), or looks like it was stored in a flooded basement.

For all other batteries, to include AA, AAA, and even CR2032, I stick with Energizer. Used to be a Duracell fan, but there is something with their AA/AAA batteries that mess with the battery level readings on my insulin pump. Will say the battery is low, at about half-life. Works fine, but still gives notifications that it needs to be changed. Just for that, I stay with Energizer.

In regards to rechargeables... not my cup of tea. Main thing is you have to recharge them (if you have 10 batteries, unless you have a very religious charging procedure... how do you quickly know if one is charged or not). To me, rather toss (dead or batteries that won’t give me high mode in my Surefire lights... they go in the garbage) and put in new batteries than that extra hassle. Add in limited number of recharges, just not something I view to be worth it. Back in the day, my parents used to have a set of rechargeable batteries... think more of the common types (AA, AAA, D). I don’t remember them staying around that long. It might work for some people, and it should reduce costs over the long term... but I’ll save money in other ways.

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I just 1 click order Surefires from Amazon and don't even think about it.. they are reliable.. they come right to my door.. and I don't pay shipping.. I could probably save a few bucks if I searched around.. but to be honest its just not worth it to me.. time is money.. and effort to search around for a better deal for a few bucks is just not worth it.. Amazon is simple and reliable.. 

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23 hours ago, Screwball said:

In regards to rechargeables... not my cup of tea. Main thing is you have to recharge them (if you have 10 batteries, unless you have a very religious charging procedure... how do you quickly know if one is charged or not). To me, rather toss (dead or batteries that won’t give me high mode in my Surefire lights... they go in the garbage) and put in new batteries than that extra hassle. Add in limited number of recharges, just not something I view to be worth it. Back in the day, my parents used to have a set of rechargeable batteries... think more of the common types (AA, AAA, D). I don’t remember them staying around that long. It might work for some people, and it should reduce costs over the long term... but I’ll save money in other ways.

I have 2 bins. Fresh/charged batteries stay in one. Depleted stay in the second. When i have 2 or more in need of recharging, I do so.

Lithium rechargables should have 40-60% charge left after 6 months of sitting without any drain/load, far as i know. Like I said, stuff I leave around with a battery in it will still work months later.

I do have a reminder on the phone to charge infrequently used devices every 4-6 months.

And if you get "pre-charged" AA or other NiMH batteries, those have a lithium-like 6-12 month charge capacity if unused.

If i were going thru 1 cr123 a year, $2.50 is not a big deal. When my 3 or four year old $8 battery is still going strong, having been recharged at least a couple dozen times, i would have spent $40+ on throwaways for just one flashlight. I have 11+ 3v flashlights, so that each is used a bit less, but does not make sense to not use rcr123s/17670/18650 when the costs are so much lower over the long run. Like I said, i have 9+ year old batteries that still run...a lot shorter runtime sure, but still work for some needs. Easily have 100+ recharges on them, and probably cost me $4 a battery.

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batteryjuction, their titanium brand. In my experience they perform very similarly to the surefire bulk batteries. They are protected cells, and you can find plenty of people doing anal comparisons of them and the big names. 

Myself, I have moved to mostly low self discarge nimh AAs and 18650 li-ion rechargeables.  Prior to that I'd probably burn through 10-15 cr123 primaries in a year, and got about 60 or so cells deep into using the titaniums without a problem. 

 

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I have 2 bins. Fresh/charged batteries stay in one. Depleted stay in the second. When i have 2 or more in need of recharging, I do so.
Lithium rechargables should have 40-60% charge left after 6 months of sitting without any drain/load, far as i know. Like I said, stuff I leave around with a battery in it will still work months later.
I do have a reminder on the phone to charge infrequently used devices every 4-6 months.
And if you get "pre-charged" AA or other NiMH batteries, those have a lithium-like 6-12 month charge capacity if unused.
If i were going thru 1 cr123 a year, $2.50 is not a big deal. When my 3 or four year old $8 battery is still going strong, having been recharged at least a couple dozen times, i would have spent $40+ on throwaways for just one flashlight. I have 11+ 3v flashlights, so that each is used a bit less, but does not make sense to not use rcr123s/17670/18650 when the costs are so much lower over the long run. Like I said, i have 9+ year old batteries that still run...a lot shorter runtime sure, but still work for some needs. Easily have 100+ recharges on them, and probably cost me $4 a battery.


I go through five or so every other month in my two Surefire handhelds... then add in the others (weapon lights), depending on use.

Again, no interest to go that route. Even if I get 100+ charges, then I got to keep an eye out for depleted ones, and cycle them out/replace with new. Not to mention losing charge if they sit for 6+ months (probably wouldn’t; but that is my major issue with rechargeables... not same as a brand new battery). It is just a hell of a lot easier to keep two boxes of Surefires, when a battery dies, chuck and put in one from the box. Nothing needs to be done past that.

Don’t take it as I’m saying you are wrong, but the benefits do not outweigh the negatives for me to go that route. Buying CR123s is worth not having that headache.

I do keep track of batteries in my lights/sights, and replace as needed.

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