So I just got a second OG gray FW3A from Amazon because the deal with a coupon code was too good to pass up. As soon as I picked it up I noticed it felt different in the hand. The anodizing is noticeably smoother and slick on the new unit. The knurling pattern on the head and tail is also much shallower and feels smoother to the touch. The tail button in the new unit is slightly less tactile when both are pressed dead center but when pressed off center, the older one gives a slightly mushy feedback while the newer one retains its click.
Nothing bad about the changes, though I think I do slightly prefer the more matte hand feel of the older unit.
Click the photo for higher resolution (8067x5472).
are the copper ones coated now??
I opened mine, washed it and attempted to force patina with baking soda and warm water. The effect was negligible after 4 hours.
like zero effect.
I thought it would be easier
If someone could respond….couldn’t find answer.
Curious…is the “candle” strobe/flicker (and lightning) mode adjustable in brightness? Or is it preset like most blinkies?
Brightness in candle mode can be set by tap and hold. Strobe modes have only adjustable speed. Lightning mode has no adjustments (brightness varies on its own).
There’s a sale going on at my local store so i ordered one FW3A.
My light has a brass driver retaining ring, black pocket clip, Lumintop one piece optic and the most important detail is the tail
cap has been glued tight.
The light work flawlessly though, I just wish that i got the one using Carlo optic.
That sounds odd. They now have the retaining ring for the tail so glue is not necessary. The black clip is definitely an early part. I thought they had fully switched to silver clips before they started using the one piece optic.
Do you see the traces of glue or is it still together and too tight to remove? I have not heard of them gluing any tails. Quite odd.
Maybe the store added the glue to reduce warranty issues?
There is trace of glue on the pocket clip and the inner tube is pretty much stuck inside the body as well so i think there’s a good chance that it has been glued. I’ve also checked with the store, they said all their FW3A have been glued like this from the factory but only in their recent batch and not on the earlier ones.
Received my purple edition today (thanks ToyKeeper). Worked great out of box - I opened it anyway, it has a black retaining ring in the tail, silver clip, and a brass retaining ring in the head. I forget how to check the Anduril version (well, I forget how to check for the manual memory or two-step lockout mode). Also has a glass lens and Carclo optic.
I went with the SST-20 4000K for this one, and I’m not noticing any green, so it’s a pretty good tint. The button doesn’t feel better or worse than I recall the button being on my original, group-buy edition FW3A.
Fake edit: Checked, and it does have a two-step lockout mode. I don’t remember other details to check for, or what Anduril version that indicates.