Need some ideas on what is available as this is going to be a gift to someone.
-Something L2/L2M sized or slightly bigger, but needs to fit in a coat pocket, so a Mag 2D/2C is too large. It can be more chunky, just not overly longer.
-Plenty of lumens and some reasonable beam distance, so p60 sized head would be ideal. Bigger is ok, but not smaller.
-Now the snag. It’s for someone who will have no interest in li-ion batteries and using CR123A’s will get old pretty quick. However NiMh is a realistic reality. So AA/AAA power sources preferred.
-Max $40 or so, but would consider something not outrageously more money if it fit the bill perfectly.
Cyclone C88? It’s only a little longer than a SF P60 host, and only $5 over your budget. Definitely on the chunky side though.
Give the AA holder a little attention and it’ll pull the full 2.8A from a decent set of NiMH. Even without that it still puts out a good amount of light. Alkalines aren’t recommended however.
Smacks a P60 out of the park for throw too, and still has a decent amount of spill.
Both are great suggestions, the C88 came to mind immediately. Bob K’s suggestion is the same as the Saik 305 I believe, and there are a few threads here about modding them. I did one and I really like the light. I ended up using just a 1A 3 mode nanjg driver and it’s a fantastic everyday light.
How about the BlackShadow Rook? $48 shipped but a high quality light. Runs on AA or 14500 in case one day they may want to upgrade their cells and output. Comes in either CW or NW (your choice) and can be custom laser engraved for gift giving.
I keep forgetting that I should probably buy that light. Shame it doesn’t come in different colours though. I like my SRK, but I’m not sure I want something else in sand.
What about the 4xAAA 57mm head Ultra OK XM-L? Ebay link (link to listing I just bought). Sure it might need a little attention, but it's fairly cheap and doesn't need much attention if only running AAA's. For AAA's use simple pull up emitter and spread thermal compound around outer edge where emitter contacts the lip of the pill. I think it was Rusty Joe that documented like 2 hours of useable runtime on high on AAA's.
It may be a bit above your budget, but I have and love the Olight S65 baton. Its half the size of a 2D Maglite, runs on 6xAAs and puts out 700 lumens on high. Tough light, highly recommended!
Chicago X has one. Perhaps he can chime in. He had planned on a review but probably got sidetracked with that new lathe of his and countless other projects he has on his plate.
https://budgetlightforum.com/t/-/10103#comment-229822
