The head of the D2AX houses a D26 lamp assembly, this review sample has the 4 mode Cree 3.7V-6V version of the LED module. The exterior of the head has long scallops machined all around the outer side. The bezel is crenellated as its essentially a strike bezel which can be used in self defense. Attached to the head is the glass lens. The lens is held in place by a metal retaining ring, this prevents the accidental dropping out of the lens if you were to swap out the Cree module with an incandescent one for example. The emitter module is built very well, feels solid and has a hefty weight to it. The entire module is sealed as one piece so you don't have to worry about parts loosening up or dropping off. Brass is used for much of it's contact surfaces which adds to it's build quality. The reflector has an orange peel texture which is smooth and well polished. The emitter is aligned perfectly with the reflector, very snug fitting.

The entire light is coated in a black Type 3 anodizing with a matte texture. The matte finish feels nicer to me compared to the smooth type, this is subjective and comes down to personal preference. There's a band of diamond textured knurling about 3cm wide in the middle of the battery tube. The knurling feels rough enough and provides good grip. There are also 2 flat faces machined on either sides on the battery tube. The entire battery tube is very well anodized just like every other part of the light, even up to the threads. The threads themselves are smooth and fit together very well with no cross threading. The inside of the battery tube is lined with a brass insert which is a nice touch. This brass insert completes the electrical contact between the "+" and "-" points. This is unlike most other lights which leave the ends of their battery tubes uncoated to make electrical contact with the tail cap. The battery tube accommodates protected 18650 cells without any problems. Cells with flat tops will also work since there's a spring on the "+" end. Since this light is meant to be used in rough environments or gun mounted, having springs on both ends help prevent the battery from intermittently losing contact due to recoil or impact. There are rubber o-rings at the head and tail end threads, all came well lubricated.

The tail cap holds a regular forward push button switch encased in a brass housing. The entire switch module is sealed into the tail cap, thus can't be removed. This is good because I have found that switch modules which are easily unscrewed can sometimes come loose after screwing on the tail cap very tightly. The push button is covered by a black rubber cap which has a moderate checkered texture. The light turns on easily for momentary activation, cycling through modes or morse code signaling, but to actually get the switch to click on takes a little more travel compared to most other lights. Also, the switch has a good amount of tension, slightly on the stiff side and requires a bit more pressure to click on. This could either be a good or bad thing. Good because it helps prevent accidental click on, but bad because you might miss the click when trying to switch it on in a hurry. I find that there is not enough tactile feedback when the light is clicked on. I could not feel when it clicked, only confirmed by a soft audible "click" sound. Finally, the tail cap has ridges which provide good grip during battery changes.

The 4 mode Cree Q5 HO assembly is manufacturer rated at 260 lumens.The beam profile has a medium spot with wide spill. Unlike most other lights, the spill is actually quite bright and is not over powered by it's hotspot. Take for example the UltraFire C2, it has a hotspot to spill ratio of about 68:1. The Explorer however has a ratio of about 36:1, this strikes a pretty good balance. Beam profile is smooth and doesn't contain any artifact as expected from the textured reflector. Also, the typical dark ring around the hotspot associated with XR-E lights is not present in this light. The tint on my sample is pretty good. When compared against natural sunlight, it appears have a slight violet tint.

Unlike most multi mode lights which require you to click it on first and then soft press to switch modes, the forward push button lets you momentarily cycle through the modes and click on once you're at the mode you want. The 20% and 2% levels are achieved by PWM, but don't let this put you off. The frequency used is higher than most others. The PWM is high enough that it doesn't affect my camera, thus I was able to take control shots for all the output levels. While the specification state the lowest level is at 2% brightness, actual output is actually about 10% of full brightness when compared relative to the brighter levels.

The operating modes are as follows;
"Off" > "100%" > "20%" > "2%" > "Strobe"

The light can be powered by either a single 18650 cell, or 2x CR123 cells. Running on 2x CR123 cells produced similar output but shorter regulated runtime. As can be seen from the graph below, it would probably be better to run it with 18650 cells which gives better runtime and saving you cash at the same time. Note, I stopped the runtime test on 18650 at about 10% of initial intensity because running down rechargeable li-ion cells below 2.8V tend to damage them.

The Good - Excellent build quality and finishing. Nice use of brass for electrical contacts. Generally cheaper than SureFire lights (depending on model) with similar performance and quality, plus it's able to run on rechargeable 18650 cells without modifications. Good power regulation.

The Bad - Almost no tactile feedback from the push button switch when clicked on.

The Relative - Does not have a memory feature for the different output modes. Uses a standard forward push button which enables momentary activation. Smooth beam, no dark ring around the hotspot. Slight corona around the outer rim of the beam profile, only obvious at close range of about 1 meter or less.

Head (front view).

Head (side view).

Head (rear view).

Emitter module (front view).

Emitter module (side view).

Emitter module (rear view).

Battery tube (front view).

Battery tube (side view).

Battery tube (rear view).

Tail cap (front view).

Tail cap (side view).

Tail cap (rear view).