I mainly collect 'non-letter serial' D cell Maglites. What does this mean? Maglites without a D in the serial number are from before 1992. These lights are quite a bit different from the later 'letter serials'. The biggest difference is the size of the light. Non-letter serials have a much thicker body and weigh much more. This gives them the feel of a much more sturdy, durable light. If you've never held one I highly recommend it versus a new Maglite as it feel like a different light entirely. See below for an example of a letter serial versus a non-letter serial.
Maglite 7 Cell D or C PR20 Replacement BulbManufacturer part number: 407-000-006, PR20Replaces part. The serial number is located on the flashlight's barrel near the front. Mine is a 'D' series. There is also a 'DL' series. This video for taking your Maglite apart. I was working from instructions on a web site that no longer exists and came to a dead end.
My serial number begins with 'DL' followed by a series of numbers but this replacement switch will not fit. It is a 3 'D' cell Mag Light, but if your serial number begins with 'DL', this replacement switch will not fit your light. 3 people found this helpful.
Shown in the above pic is a 3D letter serial (bottom) from around 2000 and a non-letter serial 3D from around 1980 (top). The leading digit, 3, specifies the cell size in the non-letter and the leading D and 3 in the letter serial specifies the cell type and number of cells. The rest of the digits specify the number of the light in the production sequence. All lights started at number 1 and worked their way up. So, the earliest 3 cell light would be 30000001. The non-letter light on top is 30051558 so it is the 51,558th 3D cell light produced. This numbering carried over in 1992 and did not reset when the letter serials came out. Older lights did not differentiate between the cell type in the serial. Newer LED lights will also have other letters on the prefix side as well. This blog is specifically about incandescent lights.
Shown below is a new (1992+) end cap threaded into an old (1990) barrel to show the difference in size. The red barrel is an old production non-letter and the jade end cap from a new production letter serial.
The secondary update was to the switch. From 1979 until 1992 Mag Instrument used a retaining ring switch. The retaining ring was made out of aluminum early on but was changed in 1990 to plastic. The aluminum ring resulted in more difficult maintenance because the retaining ring gets stuck when dirt or corrosion get into it. The aluminum ring also resulted in higher production costs because the aluminum is more expensive to produce than the plastic. The 1992+ letter serial switches use a snap ring instead of a retaining ring which also results in less machining and a lower production cost.
Shown below is a 1979 to 1989 aluminum retaining ring switch on the left, a 1990 to 1991 plastic retaining ring switch in the center, and a 1992+ retaining clip switch on the right. The retaining clip is difficult to remove from the barrel and removal is not needed for most maintenance. It should be noted that Maglite still sells retaining ring replacement switch for older lights but they are now all of the plastic ring variety. The aluminum ring has been discontinued since 1989.
These non-letter serial lights are far less common than the later lights. A new 3D is around a 48,000,000 serial which means Maglite has produced around 48,000,000 3Ds as of this post date. Mag Instrument will actually tell you the date a light was produced based on this serial number although I have a Quick Dating Guide that will give you a rough idea without having to go through Mag.
It's interesting to note that when 1992 rolled around only 4,000,000 of each model, and sometimes many less, were produced when the lights changed to the currently available models. Currently Mag Instrument will sometimes sell 4,000,000 lights of each model a year so non-letter serials are much more rare due to their low production numbers and age.
The variations on the standard black model are also much more rare on the earlier lights. Lights came in far fewer colors and there were far fewer special editions than there are on the newer style lights. I've detailed these here.
Another easy way to tell the difference is the addition of the panther logo on the bezel of the new style lights. According to Mag Instrument a panther represents a creature of the night and was added when the models changed in 1992. Shown below is a new style letter serial with the panther logo on the bezel on the bottom and the older style bezel on top.
Incandescent - Serial numbers with 'D'
Accessory Kit for Maglite D Size Flashlights, ASXX376, 108-405
Maglite Accessory Kit for D Size Flashlights ASXX376Includes:- Colored Lens Set (Blue, Red, Clear)- .
ASXX376
$7.95 Axe state of skate hacked games.
Basketweave Leather Belt Holder for Maglite D Size Flashlights, ASXD056, 108-428
Manufacturer part number: ASXD056, 108-000-428, 108-428Features:* Full grain leather, nylon cradle.*.
ASXD056
$5.95
D Cell begins w/ D MagLite Complete Replacement Head Assembly Kit, DHEADKIT
D Cell Maglite Complete Head Replacement Kit for Maglite Flashlights with a serial number that begin.
DHEADKIT
$38.80
D Cell Switch Replacement with tool, 108-208
D Cell Switch Replacement, 108-208Manufacturer part number: 108-000-208, 108-208This fits D Cell mod.
108-208
$10.25
Maglite 2 Cell C&D Xenon Replacement Lamp LMXA201, 107-000-648, 1/Card
Maglite 2 Cell C&D Xenon Replacement Lamp - Retrofits Maglite Flange Style Lamp and Replaces New.
LMXA201
$3.50
Maglite 3 Cell C&D Xenon Replacement Lamp LMXA301, 107-000-427, 1/Card
Maglite 3 Cell C&D Xenon Replacement Lamp - Retrofits Maglite Flange Style Lamp and Replaces New.
LMXA301
$3.50
Maglite 4 Cell C & D Xenon Replacement Lamp LMXA401, 107-000-428
Maglite 4 Cell CÂ & D Xenon Replacement Bulb and Retainer Ring - Retrofits Maglite Flange S.
LMXA401
$3.50
Maglite 5 Cell C & D Xenon Replacement Lamp LMXA501, 107-000-651
Maglite 5 Cell C & D Xenon Replacement Bulb and Retainer Ring - Retrofits Maglite Flange Style L.
LMXA501
$3.50
Maglite 6 Cell C&D Xenon Replacement Lamp LMXA601, 107-000-430, 1/Card
Maglite 6 Cell C&D Xenon Replacement Lamp - Retrofits Maglite Flange Style Lamp and Replaces New.
LMXA601
$3.50
Maglite 7 Cell C&D PR20 Replacement Lamp 407-000-006, PR20
Maglite 7 Cell D or C PR20 Replacement BulbManufacturer part number: 407-000-006, PR20Replaces part .
PR20
$5.95
Maglite C & D Cell Lamp Retainer (200-057, 201-000-599)
Lamp Retainer For the 2-6 Cell C & D Size Maglite FlashlightsManufacturer part number: 201-000-5.
201-599
$3.98
Maglite C & D Cell O-ring, face cap 108-000-026, 108-026
For the 2-6 Cell D Size Maglite FlashlightsMagLite part number: 108-000-026NSN: 5331-01-453-3468UPC:.
108-026
$2.15
Maglite C & D Cell Replacement Reflector (108-036)
For the 2-6 Cell C and D Size Maglite FlashlightsThis does NOT fit LED lights.MagLite part number: 1.
108-036
$6.55
Maglite C & D Amber Lens 108-000-079
Amber Lens for the D Cell Maglite FlashlightsManufacturer part number: 108-000-079.
Maglite Replacement Parts
108-079
$5.50
Maglite C & D Cell Clear Plastic Lens 108-000-031, 108-031
Clear Plastic Lens for the 2-6 Cell C & D Size Maglite FlashlightsManufacturer part number: 108-000-.
108-031
$4.30