I agree, Surefire did fall asleep on the wheel, but I can't fault them for not making rechargeable lights.
For me, lights that use proprietary batteries are no good. I'm all for "multi fuel" lights. Its easy, cheaper and makes more sense to find rechargeable cells.
For example: My Surefire lights use their classic CR123 cells. I bought a bunch of rechargeables and use them on all the lights just the same. Then I bought the Streamlight, which can use 2x18650 (their own cells are pretty awesome) or 4xCR123, which I already have. To me, this is key.
When Surefire came to market with CR123 which at the time were very much proprietary, the same arguments surfaced.
Not withstanding that, battery technology moves on. CR123 has not yet reached "C and D" cell alkaline status, largely due to the fact that the chemistry is still viable. That said primary cells lose ground daily to rechargeable.
18650 is and has been for close to if not more than a decade the most prolific battery in the high capacity rechargeable market. Surefire refusing to bore their lights to accept them is/was absurd. If it will run on 2 CR123, it will almost certainly run on a single protected 18650.
The difference? Surefire didn't sell 18650`s.
Surefire does now bore some of their lights to accept 18mm batteries.
I do still have a couple of single cell CR123 (Zebralight H32 and SC32), but I use 16340 rechargeable in them. They are 4.2v hot off the charger as opposed to 3.7v CR123 primaries, but the driver boards show no ill effects.
Lithium batteries are also something we don't need more of in the trash as well.
