A method for making a flashlight housing comprises providing a blank of an electrically conductive material, impact extruding the blank of electrically conductive material to form an elongated hollow member that has an internal cavity open at a first end and that has a reduced inner diameter portion proximate a second end thereof, and coating the elongated hollow member with a coating material. The flashlight housing may have a tail cap, and may have O-rings for sealing at the rearward end of the tail cap, at the forward end of the housing, and at the interface between the housing and the tail cap.