Protected 18650 advice.

Ok so i've had a look about the forum/internet and can't seem to find the answer to my question (unless i'm using the wrong keywords to search)
I received some xtar 3100mah protected 18650s and they were to wide to fit into my pl-d pro, so i removed the outer packaging to reveal the Panasonic NCR18650 with the protection on it. the battery is thin enough to slide into the laser now but i'm slightly worried that the contact from the positive to the negative is exposed. I'd like the keep the protection on it but my question is will having the metal connecting the poles have any effect on the circuit.
(I apologise if this is a stupid question but after a lot of things going wrong with batteries/lasers i don't want to risk this without some advice)
Cheers!

I am not exactly sure what you ask maybe a photo would help. You can use Kapton tape or black electrical tape to isolate the exposed parts.

Paddy;

I have used hundreds of the Panasonic 3100 & 3400mah cells,
WITHOUT any protection integrated circuit board.

They are tested to stringent U.L. 1642 safety standards.

IMO, the conductor on the side is a greater risk with the normal wear & tear of hundreds of cycles of charging. The danger is wear through the PVC cover to the very top positive pole of the cell (assuming the strap is the negative pole).

If it was my cell, I would carefully remove the PCB.

LarryDFW

Thanks for the replies, the battery doesn't fit with a bit of electric tape over the conductor (that's how tight a fit it is that it still fits with the conductor but not less than a mm of tape)
I have completly removed the PCB at the negative end and the conductor but it isn't powering up my laser.
I was just curious as to whether it would damage the laser at all if i kept the conductor out in the open because i'm not 100% sure if it's the laser or the batteries that aren't causing my laser to power up.
Once again thanks for the replies!

Check the voltage at the cell terminals.

If it is ~ 4 VDC, then the laser should power up.

Some lasers require a raised terminal on the positive end.

LarryDFW