Counterfeit CR123 Batteries…

This one just came over the transom from the mil-email…

PSA on counterfeits with SIGNIFICANT issues!!!

GENTEXT/REMARKS/1. THE FBI HAS ASSESSED IN REF A THAT COUNTERFEIT AND SUBSTANDARD LITHIUM BATTERIES POSE A SERIOUS HEALTH AND SAFETY RISK TO MILITARY PERSONNEL.  THE FBI HAS RECEIVED NUMEROUS REPORTS OF SUCH BATTERIES SPONTANEOUSLY COMBUSTING WHILE BEING USED, TRANSPORTED OR STORED, RESULTING IN SERIOUS INJURIES AND DAMAGE TO TACTICAL EQUIPMENT AND PROPERTY.

2.  CR123A BATTERIES ARE THE MOST COMMON COUNTERFEITS.  THESE ARE WIDELY USED, NON-RECHARGEABLE THREE VOLT LITHIUM MANGANESE DIOXIDE BATTERIES MANUFACTURED BY MAJOR CORPORATIONS SUCH AS DURACELL, ENERGIZER, SUREFIRE, PANASONIC, RAYOVAC, SANYO, SONY, KODAK, AND MAXELL.

3.  IDENTIFICATION:  COMMON EXTERIOR INDICATORS OF COUNTERFEIT BATTERIES INCLUDE LABEL MISSPELLINGS, MISSING LABEL INFORMATION, BLURRED FONTS, ALTERED LOGOS OR SEALS, DIFFERENT LABEL DIMENSIONS, ALTERED OR SUBSTANDARD PACKAGING, CRIMP SEAL DIFFERENCES, MATERIAL DIFFERENCES, AND DIFFERENCES IN VENT PERFORATION.

4.  AVOIDANCE:  DO NOT BUY BATTERIES AT REDUCED PRICE ON THE INTERNET, AT SWAP MEETS, STORE FRONTS, GUN SHOWS, ELECTRONICS AND TECHNICAL SHOWS.  THE CHANCE OF PURCHASING COUNTERFEIT BATTERIES IS HIGHER AT THESE LOCATIONS.  USE AUTHORIZED

RETAILERS.

5.  SAFETY PRECAUTIONS:  DO NOT MIX DIFFERENT TYPES OR BRANDS OF LITHIUM BATTERIES.  NEVER USE BATTERIES WITH DIFFERENT DEPLETION LEVELS (I.E. DO NOT MIX OLD AND NEW BATTERIES IN THE SAME DEVICE).//

Tell your friends and check those ‘cheap’ batteries if you bought any lately…

Comments

Counterfeit CR123 Batteries… — 13 Comments

  1. I’ve read stories of fake CR123’s burning up people’s flashlights.
    They’re also VERY sensitive to being mixed with name brand batteries, as the internal impedance of the fakes isn’t correct. If you have two or more in series, the fakes have a higher internal resistance, which leads to them running hot.
    Once they heat up, the resistance rises more, which makes them run hotter, and pretty soon you’re into a thermal runaway situation which is NOT a good thing with Lithium batteries!
    I think SureFire has or had an article on their website about fake CR123’s.

  2. Good tip.

    I only have a few lights that run on CR123s – all Surefire G2Ls – and they generally only need new batteries once a year. I buy a twelve-pack direct from Surefire every two years and call it good.

  3. Oh for God’s Sake! How much longer do we have to put up with this Crap? I thought the OverBloated Federal Bureaucracy would be on top of all these “Imports.” Gee, I can’t buy a Norinco 1911, but any damn junk from Chairman Mao’s Factory of Crap is allowed into the country.

    WTO my Butt! Screw the ChiComs! Let Wal-Mart buy their stuff from the Japs and the South Koreans.

  4. drjim- Yep

    Skip- Go RIGHT ahead… 🙂

    Zer- I do the same…

    Armed- Good!

    Les- Concur… sigh

  5. I got a ‘deal’ on a pair of 123s.
    Wouldn’t fit in the device.
    Took ’em back for refund.
    “Sorry sir, the package has been opened.”
    Radio Shack sux!

  6. Got a source link? A quick google provides a lot of stories, most of which – beliove it or not – link directly back to your article.

    You;ve got me wondering if the prohibition on shipping lithium batteries, or anything containging them, such as laptops and tablet PCs, to military overseas, got started this way.