My EX10 Broke!

I have a first-generation EX10 Q5 that I bought from 4sevens' original pre-order. It has long since been replaced as my EDC (currently by a Quark MiNi AA), but I still use it around the house at night for it's low Minimum and straight-forward UI (requires less cognizance to turn on than the ZL SC50 Low).



Last night, I went to click it on and the piston just sort of gave in. I tried again and the head came off in my hand. It's been on the same battery for months and I haven't opened it in a while, but my first inclination was to try to snug the head down. The head wouldn't grab, though.



I took into a well lit room and realized that the male threads on the head had broken off in the body of the light!



I have heard of this happening with the D10, but I didn't know that it was a problem with the EX10.



How well does Nitecore handle their lifetime warranty on these lights when they break like this? From what I have heard, it will take some time.

Rather than starting a new topic, I searched for a similar one, so here we are.

After a few years and a few problems with my original UI EX 10, it stays on high and won't ramp. It was getting flaky before that and would malfunction in a number of ways. Any suggestions? Does it pay to return for service? What would you replace it with for size, brightness, and a very low level?

Take head off
Look for cut ring that springs up and down on the back side.
That gap where the ring is cut, try to spread it open a little.
If I'm even thinking of the right light, it's been a while.....

The gap is fine and the ring rotates. I'm suspecting an electronic failure by the way it went through different problems before this.

Removing the swollen top O-ring fixed the problem; it was hard to open to change cells. I removed the bottom O-ring when it was new because it was too hard to press. It's not water proof, but is easier to use.