Malkoff M61WL in Z44 bezel / G3 Body...gap between bezel and body?

Hi all, I've been a lurker on these forums for awhile but finally I have the need to post, so here it goes...

I recently put together a new light. It is a combination of Surefire host parts and a Malkoff emitter. Specifically:

Z44 Head
G3 Body
Clicky tailcap from G2x pro
Malkoff M61 WL Drop-in

So far the light is great, and I like the tint much better than my other LED lights (G2x, Fury, Mag XL200, Mag 2D rebel). Overall I am very impressed with the quality and service of Malkoff. However, when fully assembled there is a small gap between the base of the bezel and the body of the light. If I screw the bezel down all the way, there is a click, as if the threads are skipping, and the head is all loose again. Right now I've got it screwed down about as tight as I think it will go before "popping" loose. It is definitely on there straight. When I thread the bezel onto the body without the Malkoff inside, it goes all the way on without the gap (base of the bezel sits flush with the G3 body). Any thoughts?

They all do that... although it seems as though the gap is more noticeable with the nitrolon bodies. It will be fine to use with the gap.

The gap is normal, but the head loosening up is worrisome. Sounds like the threads are stripped, but I have no idea how that could be possible. You would definitely see a wierdness to the threads of either the body or the head. Stripped threads often look flattened on their peaks, if you know what I mean.

When you say the head loosens up again as you tighten it all the way down, can you slip the head off at that point (after it "pops" loose)?

daishi360 said:

If I screw the bezel down all the way, there is a click, as if the threads are skipping, and the head is all loose again.

Click to expand...

I think you may have stripped the threads on the body.

When it "pops", the head still cannot be slipped off (I have to unthread it a bunch to take it off). After it pops, it feels loose, and I can turn it about 10 degrees or so until it starts to snug up again. I disassembled the light and looked at the threads and they do not appear to be stripped, although there were a few fine metal filings suggesting some damage had been done. I did notice that if I put pressure on the head while screwing it onto the body (pushing it towards the body), I can get it tighter before it pops loose. I think I will go get an o-ring or something to take up the gap and provide a bit of resistance for the bezel to bite into as it squishes down...we'll see how that works. Thankfully I have found the point where the head appears good and snug (probably an eighth turn more would make it pop loose). If I find an o-ring of the correct thickness, I should be able to set this light up to be happy in this position. Thanks for the info guys!