Police Security Blackjack flashlight run time, answered
Police Security publishes a Blackjack flashlight run time of 1.5 hours. That figure covers the light’s single High mode, on the two AA cells that ship in the box. So one set of alkalines carries an evening of intermittent use. But it will not hold up to a night of continuous burn.
Blackjack run time and output at a glance
- Run time 1.5 hours on High, using the two AA cells included in the box.
- Output 250 lumens with a 150 m beam on the current specification, though retailers still list 140 and 180.
- One mode only There is no low setting to stretch the cells, so run time is a single fixed number.
- Water resistance Police Security rates its flashlight line to IPX4, which means splashes and rain rather than immersion.
- Warranty Limited lifetime against defects in performance, with battery corrosion excluded.
Figures are Police Security’s published specification for the current revision of part number 31483.
Police Security Blackjack
Water-resistant, one-touch, two AA cells
A one-mode AA penlight built around simplicity: press the tail, get every lumen it has, for about an hour and a half. The trade-off is that you cannot dial it down when you need the cells to last.
Police Security Blackjack, part 31483
Why one flashlight is sold as 140, 180 and 250 lumens
Part number 31483 has been revised more than once, and retailers never resynced their listings. The same light shows up as 140 lumens at one store and 180 at the next. It is 250 lumens on Police Security’s own product page, together with a 150 m beam. Check the output printed on the listing you are buying from, because run time is tied to it.
Clearing up the run time and the lumen count
Police Security lists 1.5 hours on High, running on two AA cells.
Retailer listings for part 31483 usually drop the runtime line entirely, so the figure reads as missing when it is simply not repeated downstream.
The 140, 180 and 250 lumen figures describe revisions of one part number, not three different products.
Which one you receive depends on the stock a retailer is still shipping, so the output on the box can disagree with the output in the listing you bought from.
What actually changes the Blackjack flashlight run time
The 1.5-hour figure assumes fresh alkalines at room temperature. Cell chemistry, cold weather and duty cycle all move it. Two of those three are under your control.
Four things that decide how long a set of cells lasts
Alkaline AA cells give the rated 1.5 hours. Lithium AA cells cost more, but they hold voltage further into the discharge and behave far better in the cold.
Alkaline capacity falls sharply below freezing, so a winter run time can land well short of the rated figure even with fresh cells.
The rated figure is continuous burn. Used the way a penlight actually gets used, in short bursts, one set of cells covers far more than 1.5 hours of task light.
Multi-mode lights stretch a battery by dropping output. With a single High setting, the Blackjack cannot trade brightness for endurance at all.
One caveat before you compare on run time alone. Brands like Streamlight publish a per-mode runtime table, because those lights have modes to tabulate. The Blackjack has one output, so it gets one number. If you are weighing brightness against endurance, our guide to how many lumens an EDC flashlight needs covers that trade-off.
Police Security Blackjack: common questions
What is the run time of the Police Security Blackjack flashlight?
Police Security publishes 1.5 hours on High, using the two AA cells supplied with the light. That is a continuous-burn figure, so intermittent use stretches a set of cells considerably further.
What batteries does it take?
Two AA cells, and a pair is included in the box. Alkalines deliver the rated run time, while lithium AA cells cost more but hold up better in cold weather.
Is it 140, 180 or 250 lumens?
All three figures refer to part number 31483 at different points in its production. The current specification is 250 lumens with a 150 m beam, but retailer listings were never updated in step, so older numbers are still in circulation.
Does it have a low mode to save battery?
No. The Blackjack has a single High output with one-touch activation, so there is no way to trade brightness for a longer run time.
Is it waterproof?
It is water resistant rather than waterproof. Police Security rates its flashlight line to IPX4, which covers rain and splashing but not immersion.
How long is the warranty?
Police Security covers the light with a limited lifetime warranty against defects in performance. Normal wear, misuse, neglect and battery corrosion are excluded.
So what should you expect from a set of cells?
- 1.5 hours on High, on the two AA cells included
- 250 lumens and a 150 m beam on the current specification
- One mode only, so output cannot be traded for endurance
- IPX4 water resistance: rain and splashes, not immersion
The run time question has a published answer, and it is 1.5 hours on High with two AA cells. The harder question is which revision of part 31483 a retailer is shipping, because the lumen figure in the listing can be two versions out of date.
