1979 to 1982 7D Lights

Summary: 7D lights were made from 1979 to 1982 and were very slow sellers due to their size and minimal increase in light output over other models. They are the most desirable Maglites today among collectors.

I get the question a lot: What is your favorite Maglite? or Which Maglite do collectors want the most? The answer is without a doubt the 7D and as I near the end of my collection and the information I have, I figured I'd make a post on them.

For a while most folks online thought the 7D was an urban legend and didn't exist. That's not true although they are one of the rarest and most sought after Maglites. Most folks that aren't into Maglites have heard of them and they fetch the highest price out of most collectible lights. Maglite only made them for 1979, 1980, 1981, and early 1982 before they were discontinued and only produced around 19,000 total.  They were likely discontinued around August of 1982 based on some sales literature I've seen including old Cabela's catalogs. Like most other old lights many had the batteries corrode in the barrel after they were left sitting and are no longer around. Now they are at least 36 years old and finding one is very difficult but not impossible.

Maglite discontinued these lights for a lot of the same reasons as other lights. They were a slow seller. They were mainly a slow seller due to their size. Lights of this size are very tough to carry and are very heavy. Shown below is a picture next to my forearm. I'm 5'9", a pretty average height, so you can see this light is YUGE!

It isn't a whole lot longer than a 6D, which is still produced. You can see both my 7D and a 92 to 95 Panther 6D in the picture below. Overall length on the 7D is 22" and the 6D is 19 1/2". Unfortunately the 7D doesn't have many advantages over the 6D. The original Vacuum/Argon PR Base Bulbs were designed for automotive use and didn't really match up too well to D cells. As such, the 7D, PR20 bulb put out the same amount of light as a 6D, PR18 bulb and the run time was only marginally better. Later on Krypton bulbs came out and the 7D, KPR120 bulb put out 151 lumens vs 100 for a KPR118 but the 7D was already discontinued by this point. I have specs and descriptions on all of these bulbs in my post about PR Flange Base Bulb Specs.

The other question I get a lot is why did Maglite produce the 7C until 1990 when the 7D was discontinued after only 4 short years? I think the picture below speaks for itself. It shows a 7C vs. a 7D. The 7C is much shorter. In fact the 7C is shorter than a 6D. I have a few 7Cs that I've covered and below are pics showing a 7C vs. a 7D.

Believe it or not longer lights have actually existed. Kel-Lite had a very short lived C cell BTL-26 baton light which was the equivalent of a 12C. The light had a spacer in it that knocked it down to a 5C and it was designed to be used as a baton by law enforcement. It's overall length was around 26" hence the BTL-26 model name. This made the Kel-lite Baton Light 4" longer than the 7D Maglite. I have one of these and I've included a picture below with some of my longest lights, and the longest lights I know of.

From top to bottom they are:

7D Maglite

6C Maglite with ASP Baton

This collapses and it's aftermarket so while it's technically longer extended I don't count it as the longest light. It could be installed on a 7C for an even longer light! It is 30" long extended.

BTL-26 Kel-Lite

7C Maglite

3D Vari-Beam for scale

At the end of the day the 7D was not a great self defense tool because it required far too much effort to swing and was very rough on the wrist. Were they intimidating? Sure, but that's about it. They would have also been very cumbersome on an officer's duty belt. I've always preferred a 3 or 4D for self defense. They'll provide all of the oomph needed while still being manageable to carry and swing. Use of flashlights as a defense tool is now frowned upon in most departments and small Streamlight Stingers and Surefires have all but replaced Maglites and Kel-Lites.

I also figured I'd throw in a few more pics for your viewing pleasure. Shown below are two of the rarest Maglites in my collection. They are also on opposite ends of the size spectrum. The Marquis (Solitaire) is the smallest light Maglite makes, an AAA, and the 7D was the largest Maglite made. For those interested in the origin of the Marquis please check out my post about it.

The serial number is 70008675 as shown in the above pic. This looks like a low serial but all other D cells surpassed this number early on in their first year. This is a 1980 light as can be seen by its "Paten Pending" stamping below so the light is not as early as the serial suggests. I put out a D Cell Quick Dating Guide that explains the differences from year to year and how to date lights. The highest serial 7Ds I've seen are 18,000 and they are stamped "Patented Made in U.S.A.". This corresponds with about 4,500 lights sold a year which is a very low number. It's far lower than 7Cs which were the next lights to be discontinued in 1989. Interestingly enough due to their value now several collectors have made inquiries into Mag Instrument to resume production. Mag Instrument actually will but requires an order of 10,000 lights. Even at the wholesale price of $15 per light you'd be looking at an $150,000 order. Given the limited collector demand I doubt anyone would place such an order. 

Like most lights I buy and collect I always try to get a backstory where possible. Some I am not able to get a backstory on but this one I was and I am very glad because it's a light I was chasing for a long long time. I purchased this light from its original owner on a large auction site. He purchased it from a firearms store in the early 80s before a camping trip. However, he found it to be very unwieldy so he stored it, luckily, without batteries, and purchased a 4D instead. The light sat for many years before he decided to sell it. The light would be nice for warding off critters on a camping trip but that would be about it.

I've seen these 7Ds also produced in blue, red and gold. As with most larger lights the finishes are very rare. I've only ever seen 1 blue 7D, 2 red 7Ds, and 1 gold 7D and they almost never come up for sale. In fact I have heard from fellow collectors that the finishes were never done for retail sale. They were likely only done for Mag employees or for "test runs". I almost never post pictures of lights that aren't mine on my blog but a fellow collector sent me the pic below of a red, blue, and gold 7D all in one pic. It is so amazing I couldn't help but post it here. He was very tight lipped as to the back story but I suspect they were acquired from a Mag employee similar to other one off lights I've acquired.  

So, the big question! What are these lights worth? As of the posting date I've seen them go for between $200 and $400 depending on age, demand, and condition. They aren't the rarest Maglite but they are the most expensive.

Shown below are pics of my full 7 cell collection which includes 4 - 7Cs and 4 - 7Ds. The top 7D is a 1979 model and is very rare. It has a later lanyard ring end cap but otherwise it is all original and has faded to a really cool purple. The others came from owners in the mid-west where these lights were somewhat popular due to their extended run time. With a fresh set of D cells these lights may not have been super bright but they could run for 11+ hours. As with other 7Ds these have seen only marginal use and have little wear. I've owned a handful of others too over the years that I've traded off or sold to folks that are interested in them or wanted one for nostalgia purposes.

I also wanted to clear up another urban legend in this post. I see from time to time folks talking about Maglite having made an 8D, 10D or even larger lights. That is simply not true. I've spoken with ex Maglite employees as well as numerous other collectors and there is no record of larger lights being produced even by a special order. In fact if you take a look back through flashlight history you'll see lights up to 7 cells but never any larger. Longer, yes, but more cells, no. This is because brightness and run time just did not increase with the old style PR bulbs.

Some online retailers do sell extension tubes for D cells and C cells that will allow for the use of extra cells. These lights were popular around 2007 when adding more alkaline or lithium cells allowed for use of very bright industrial incandescent bulbs that were popular with hobbyists. These extension tubes are still sold but have little use since LED lights have become available. They are still purchased though and every now and then you'll see one installed on a light that is advertised as a 10 or so cell Maglite. A quick check of the first digit of the serial number will tell you what the actual size is of the light.

In fact I've actually made a 7D from a 5D before I was able to find one for my collection. From time to time I still make them for folks through my blog. You can make one at home too if you don't have the money for a 7D or don't want to spend the time searching for one. Just pick up a new style 5D incandescent light and a 2D extension. I like the one from Adventure Sport as it is inexpensive and the fit and finish are perfect. You'll also need to swap the 5D bulb for the correct, PR20 bulb, or a 6D bulb that can handle the correct voltage. Shown below are some pics of my "new 7D" before and after assembly along with a true 7D and my old 2001 6D.

As a side note this will probably be one of my last regular posts since I'm only hunting for a couple of lights and I've posted my entire collection. 53 posts over the last 6 months have gone by so fast. I started this blog to post a couple of the cool lights from my collection but wound up posting all of my lights and all of the knowledge I have from the last 7 years of collecting Maglites. I have had some requests to show a shot of my whole collection and I'm also sure I will come across some other interesting lights and tidbits of Maglite history in the future. Until then I'm going to round it out with this post. So long and thanks for tuning in!

As always I'm looking to buy Vari-Beams and Vintage/Rare Mags. Please let me know if you have any, top dollar paid.