I am big on trying to get people to bite the bullet and move from AA to 18650 lights.. You get more output / longer runtimes and most of the higher end flashlights run on 18650's.. Sure there a little bit of investment in a few cells and charger but you will be better off in the long run and have brighter options..
two 18650 lights I can recommend in the under 25.00 price range are: Romisen RC-C8 II Q5 and RC-2R4 II R5
http://www.shiningbeam.com/servlet/t...4-II-R5/Detail
http://www.shiningbeam.com/servlet/t...8-II-Q5/Detail
I just bought the R5 light and it is a real gem.. Very bright - 250-300 lumens out the front with 18650 - a little brighter with primary cr123's.. I personally would only run it on 18650's, it get pretty hot with primaries if you run a long time..
The light is 5.5 ounces with battery,ideal for bar or helmet use.. Works fine with lockblocks on the bars.. Very tight beam with just the right amount of sidespill.. The only knock on many P7 or MC-e lights is that the beam is very wide/floody..
using UF 3000 mah cells, it ran for 3 hours in high mode and an extra 2 hours in low mode.. It is a 2 mode light and the drop from high to low is about 50% brightness..
I HIGHLY recommend this new light and it is a bargain at 25.00.. make sure if you buy to use discount code: cpfuser
the other light linked about is a great choice is you need a flashing mode, the flood to throw option is nice, it just a little lighter at 5.3 ounces with battery.. It is not as bright as R5 above and I would rate output at just under 200 lumens.. The flashing mode is useful because it has a more moderate rate of 120 pulses per minute versus the seizure inducing ones that come with the fenix lights and many others..