I know this is probably a frequently asked question but I’m ignorant as to what I need for what I bought!
Ordered 2 of these per recommendation on the flashlight forum.
They will be used as gun mounted lights for hog hunting and I want to buy 4 batteries so I’ll have a spare for each light.
I know I need 18650 batteries, but do I need protected or unprotected, button top or flat top?? Recommendations??
Also would appreciate recommendations for a charger.
Thanks for being patient with a newbie!!
for the low power LED any protected or unprotected from a known cell manufactor will be good
The lights you got don’t require high drain cells, so you should go with some with higher capacity.
Look at Panasonic NCR18650B, NCR18650GA or Sony INR18650MJ1.
No need to go for protected cells as the light has built in protection.
As for the charger, you can look at the Liitokala Lii - 500, Opus BT-C3100, Zanflare C4 or Miboxer C4.
Get the one that you can find at the lowest price.
Yeah, those aren’t high-strung lights, so even decent laptop-pulls would work fine.
I’m trying to burn down a set myself, and stuck them in all my low-stress lights. Work fine.
Button or flat top??
As long as both tailcap and driver have springs, either.
I’d stick with FTs if springs. No extraneous cap to add resistance.
If there’s no spring on the driver, you’ll actually need BTs.
Also, most drivers have built-in LVP (I think I’m the only one who uses 1-mode stacked 7135s only 
) you won’t need protected cells.
Unfortunately the lights are being shipped from china so I don’t know if they have single or both springs and I’d like to have the batteries here when the lights arrive.
If you can get away with flat tops, I would go with 30q. Good all around cell
Safe to say most drivers in all but specialty lights (eg, the Q8) will have springs.