Carried this one for years. (7 actually) and only replaced the battery. One tough light

I still carry the first SL-20 I was issued...must be 10 years by now. Great product!

The SL-20 is the original version. The SL-20X is the newer one. I bought an SL-20 in 1983 and it is still the best flashlight I have ever seen for patrol work. The size is right, it is very bright and a solid focused light beam. the charging system was in the charging sleeve, not in the light.

Do not confuse this with the SL-20X which put the charging system into the light, not the sleeve. this made the light more fragile, it also bleeds off some of the power, making it less bright, although slight but noticeable, than the SL-20.

this light revolutioned police flashlights, finally we had one that was bright enough to work with, but wasn't 3 feet long to do it. AND, rechargeable!!!!!! From now on we would not have to buy stock in a battery company just to see inside a building or direct traffic at night.

Streamlight, you should never have changed the design!!!!! Stick with the original. If I had known they were going to change it I would have bought 14 more.