[bikerbill]

Surefire doesn't charge $4-$5 for batteries. you can get a box of a dozen from them for $21 last time I looked.

My experience with my 9P (three 123s) is that there is no dimming. In every case where the batteries had to be replaced, I use the light one evening and it works perfectly, the next day no light at all. I don't use the light a lot (I keep it in my nightstand with my 1911 and use it maybe twice a week).

To avoid problems, I swap the batteries out every two months, no matter what the useage. I love the light, but it seems a tad dangerous (especially for cops) to carry a light that can simply fail completely without warning.