There are currently three versions of the M2 available from EagleTac, the one reviewed here is the M2C4 which uses a single SSC P7 LED. The head makes up a significant part of the light and feels very solid and noticeably heavier than the battery tube. Right up the front is stainless steel crenellated bezel which is easily removable which can now be replaced by the available diffuser or color filters. The filters screw on smoothly with no problems. Behind this sits a multi-coated glass lens and an o-ring for water resistance. The texture reflector is well finished, aligned and focused well to the LED sitting at the bottom. The exterior of the head has a simple cylindrical design. Towards the front end is a band of knurling which provides grip when unscrewing the head for battery changes. Towards the rear end of the head is a polycarbonate rotary ring which controls the activation and mode switching of the light. This ring has a rubber coating which gives it's surface a nice feel and better grip when twisting. The newer revisions of the M2 series has markings on the control ring and head indicating the position for Turbo mode. By default, both switching on and changing or modes are done by simply twisting this rotary ring. I noticed that the amount of twist required to change between Off, Level 1 and 2 is slightly more than when switching to Level 3, 4 and Strobe mode. Threads on the head are well machined and anodized. They're also very thick and mate well with threads on the battery tube perfectly well. The battery contact on the rear end of the head are gold-plated and designed well providing good electrical contact.

The battery tube makes up the other half of the M2 and has a rectangular shape since batteries are housed in parallel alignment. The narrow faces of the battery tube have shallow ribs which provide adequate grip while the wide faces have horizontal lines running the length of the battery tube. A battery magazine is housed on the inside of the battery tube which can hold either 2x 18650 or 4x CR123. When using in 4x CR123 configuration, the included CR123 holders come in handy. The battery magazine feels secure and is enforced by four aluminum bars connecting the PCB on the front and rear ends. Battery contact on the battery holder are also gold-plated for improved electrical conductivity. Towards the rear end is a wide rectangular slot for lanyard attachments. The M2 also comes with an option to install a push button switch assembly if desired. This involves removing four screws from the rear of the battery tube and is easy enough to perform. When used with the push button switch, the activation of the light is controlled by the switch while mode changes are controlled by the rotary ring on the head. The switch mechanism has average tension and travel, providing a tactile clicking feedback when engaged. It is a forward push button switch so momentary activation is possible. However do take note that with the push button switch installed, the M2 is not able to tail stand. As of this writing, there are some water resistance issues which are being addressed by EagleTac. Since the M2C4 comes with a limited lifetime warranty, they will send you the required components for the fix.

If you're unfamiliar with any of the terms used in this review, click here for explanations on common flashlight related vocabulary.

The M2C4 has four output modes in the following order:

Off > Level 1 (40 lumens) > Level 2 (150 lumens) > Level 3 (360 lumens) > Level 4 (900 lumens)

The M2C4 which uses a P7 LED outputs a maximum of 900 lumens as compared to the 800 lumens of the three R2 binned XR-E LED's used in the M2XC4.

The beam profile produced by the M2C4 has a medium sized hot spot with a slight dark area in the middle, though only noticeable at close distances. The spill beam is very bright and should provide more than adequate peripheral illumination. The beam is smooth and free form artifacts in the spill beam. The color temperature produced by this review sample was a neutral while, slightly cool when compared to sunlight white. I noticed that with either the blue or green color filters, there's some dim color bleeding along the edge of the beam profile. Regulation is maintained well on all levels, even at the maximum brightness level. Relative to the amount of light produced, runtime is above average. As you can see from the runtime graphs below, running on CR123 produces practically identical output brightness, runtime is similar to the M2XC4 and do take note that this review was done with new EagleTac 18650 cells. As such, it's definitely more worth while to run on rechargeable 18650 cells.

The Good - Fit and finish is very well done. Rotary ring provides easy selection of output modes. Huge amount of light output with respectable runtime and excellent regulation. Comes with accessories for carrying, especially useful for a light this size and now includes color and diffuser filters.

The Bad - No locking position on rotary ring could result in accidental activation, although this can be negated by using the optional switch assembly. Large size and weight might not be comfortable for everyone.

The Relative - Light produced has a cool color temperature. Optional forward push button switch allows for momentary activation. Is able to tail stand without push button switch assembly.

Head (front view)

Head (side view).

Head with filter.

Head (rear view).

Battery magazine.

Battery tube (front view).

Battery tube (wide side view).

Battery tube (rear view).

Beam profile, blue.

Beam profile, green.