I'm sorry to hear your bad luck with the WE drop-in Sgt. I on the other hand have three of them, except mine are the 2 level 190 lumens, and I have a nice white smooth as silk beam with no rings or artifacts on all three. I would call Mike at PTS and see if he would exchange it for you. I have talked to him several times, and he seems like a good fellow. I'd give it a try.
Rob Bond