I’ll be honest. I’m one of those guys that loves new “toys”, especially if they have anything at all to do with my duties / experience in Police, Military or working overseas. So when Josh from LEGEAR on the Gold Coast asked me to 
review the X2 from PentagonLight, I jumped at the chance. Having owned and used a few Mag-lites, and about half-a-dozen Surefire torches over the years, I know what a good high-end flashlight should be able to do.
At first glance, the X2 appears like any number of lights I’ve used before. The claims on the packaging were fairly runof-the-mill too:
- 70 LumensAnti-Abrasive & Anti-Reflective;
- Shock and recoil resistant;
- Anti-roll tail cap
Yep, I’ve heard it all before.
Now one of the claims about the X2 is that it is “built like a tank.” I make no claim to expertise in how tanks are built, but as soon as I held the X2 I blurted out to my attentive dogs (who probably thought I was opening some food), “solid”. And it is. The X2 has a comforting solid feel about it that I have not noticed in any other light I have used before. Sure, it is a little heavier than a lot of lights out there, but I don’t mind carrying some extra weight of a reliable tool that won’t snap in half when used
in the real-world, and the X2 makes no claim to being “lightweight”.
The very next thing I noticed about the X2, and something that I have never before seen on any other light I have used, is that the threads and rubber o-rings on this light are already lubricated. That is a sign of care in the manufacture of a flashlight, and I have to say I was impressed.
The X2 comes with two Lithium CR123A batteries, which are the standard for this range of lights. Once the batteries were in, the next thing I noticed about the X2 that I have not experienced before is a “heavy” switch. The switch, described as a “push on tactical switch” is in the tail-cap, which again is the norm, but requires a definite push as opposed to a light touch that most other lights require. This in itself is not a plus or minus, but merely a feature that requires some getting used to. The switch itself can be deactivated merely by twisting the tail-cap a half-turn, thereby preventing accidental activation.
One of the claims of the X2 is that the tail-cap is anti-roll. Being a pentagram shape, the tail-cap does prevent roll on very slight inclines, but that’s about it. I wouldn’t expect it to be still sitting on the dash of my vehicle if I braked or accelerated suddenly, but that in itself is a minor feature, and not a reason in itself to invest in a tool such as this.
Now in my experience, most issue tools don’t hold up to hard use. So my review of this light was not going to be a walk in the park for this product. As soon as I finished checking out the functions, and making sure it worked straight out of the box, (it did), I immediately threw it into my hydro-resistant testing device, commonly referred to as a “spa”, and left the X2 in more than two feet of water. Over a period of 24 hours, I would wander over, stick my arm shoulder-deep in 9 water, and switch on the light while it was still in the water, leave it on for a while, turn it off, and leave it again. After 24 hours of this, (the prettier half wouldn’t let me keep it in there any longer), I took the X2 out and disassembled it. There was not a hint of moisture inside the product anywhere. The “Hard Anodized Exterior” also shed water faster than I expected, with the light being nearly dry by the time I walked into the house. Now there is no claim by PentagonLight that the X2 is waterproof, but after having my torch die on me whilst chest deep in the crocodile infested mangroves of the NT at night, looking for a violent offender, I want to know that a duty light will work when NEEDED.
The X2 claims to have 60 minutes of run time, so I replaced the batteries with some brand new ones, turned it on, and started my stop-watch. High-tech huh? It doesn’t have 60 minutes of run time. I found it to be 80 minutes. At that time the X2 became noticeably dimmer. After 100 minutes I found the light to be barely noticeable. Not bad. Obviously this is not the type of light to be used for week-long low-light searches, or for helping you write in your ticket book and again, it makes no claim to be used for that purpose. It is a tactical light, and as such is used for tactical requirements such as searching rooms, lighting up the interior of apprehended vehicles, chasing offenders, and even as a use of force option.
Yes, I said as a use of force option. The X2, at 70 Lumens, is bright enough that in the middle of a sunny day, you can shine the X2 into the eyes of a suspect, and he / she will automatically close their eyes and look away. The difference between an issue mag-lite and a light such as the X2 is one of apple and cheese. About the only thing I used my maglite for after a couple of years was knocking on doors, and even then it became useless.
Now the X2 utilises a 6-volt xenon bulb that is claimed to be 12 times brighter than conventional flashlights. I don’t have access to a light-output measuring instrument, so I can’t test that claim. What I do know, is that issue lights such as the mag-lites measure their lights in terms of candlepower, whereas high-end tactical lights such as Surefire and PentagonLight measure their products in Lumens. Lumens and Candlepower measure different types of light output, such as illumination distance, source illumination, etc etc, and even I find it difficult to understand sufficiently to enable my interpreting it to readers. Suffice to say, that if you used your issue mag-lite in the use of force scenario I described above, the suspect wouldn’t even realise you were shining a light in his / her eyes.
What else? Oh yes, the claim to be “Shock and Recoil Resistant.” The X2 comes with a “spring-deflected lamp with complete battery compartmentalization.” I won’t bore you with describing the mechanics of that system, but I will describe how I tested it. I dropped the X2. I threw the X2. I bounced the X2 down concrete and rock steps. After every “shock and recoil resistant” test I conducted, I hit the tactical switch. And every time it turned on flawlessly. Over a period of a week, I continually tested the X2 this way, and every time it came up fighting. I was tempted to drive my 5 tonne armoured truck over it, but decided I liked this thing too much to do that to it.
So it’s tough. But how does it work as a light? The X2 will clearly light up a dark 50 meter-long hallway, to the extent that you can clearly make out facial features of a person, and clearly be able to identify if they are holding a weapon. Out to approximately 100 meters, it will allow you to recognise people, what clothes they are wearing, and still make out if they are armed. The beam itself is noticeable out to approximately 300 meters, and 10 more so on a moonless night with no other lighting around. That is pretty damn impressive in a source the size of a pistol magazine. Try doing that with your issue maglite.
As stated, it was Josh from LEGEAR who asked me to review this light. If it was crap, I would not hesitate to say so. But it isn’t. It is a solid, reliable, and powerful hand-held light source that can be worn on your duty belt, or kept in your pocket any time of the day or night, can withstand the rigours of your duties, and be a very good source of light when you NEED it.
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About the author:
Doug Nicholson served for over 9 years with the Northern Territory Police Force, during which time he worked in remote Aboriginal Communities, was a General Duties Shift Supervisor at the busiest Station in the jurisdiction and became a qualified Workplace Assessor and Trainer. He has travelled to the US for advanced training, and is currently studying for a degree in Security, Terrorism, and Counter-Terrorism.
Doug can be contacted at editor@responseaustralia.net
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