Why is my LX powertube tip getting worn down???

[Mr.Orange]

Hello all!

Well, upon cleaning my marker tonight, I had the usual amount of brass shiny flakes around my bolt and power tube. I had thought in the past this was my sear, as I have been firing pretty fast and I expected wear, but what I found to be the truth shocked me...

The powertube tip on my Level 10 is getting worn down on the outer edge. I cannot provide pictures tonight, I hope tomorrow, but here is the idea...

Looking at the powertube straight on, with the on/off pointing at your feet, it is getting worn around the edge of the brass powertube tip, just below the built in hex nut. The wear is even, as it is worn heavily at the top of the powertube tip, and gradualy gets less worn until no wear at the bottom, as the on/off sits or as the valve sits natually in the body.

Playing with it, it looks like when fired the section of the bolt that the sear catches passes the powertube tip, but when the spring pushes the bolt back into place resetting it, the bolt has fallen somewhat and rubs on the powertube tip as it is pushed into place.

I have looked at the bolt, there is no obvious wear, I have also looked at all my barrels, and there is also no obvious wear.

I can only assume three things. This is normal, which I doubt, or my powertube is bent or my LX bolt tube is bent.

This makes me sick with worry, as I am not sure when I will be able to afford a X-Valve. I really didn't want to give up my stainless Emag valve, as I fear wear and tear on the all aluminum X-valve...

So what do the experts think? I will provide pictures tomorrow to help...

What I have:

Emag Valve
LX
RTPro sear and pin
Extreme Body, same body as in a Xmag, just not C&C'd.
Y-grip(new) previous Intelliframe
ULT(new)
no mods to anything.

Thanks all,

James
Naples Italy

[athomas]

A few people including myself had these concerns when the level 10 bolt first came out. We noticed a bit of wear on our powertube tip. I have since fired over 30000 round out of mine and it still functions fine with no additional signs of wear.

[Mr.Orange]

Powertip Picture...

Hello,

Here is the best picture I could take so far... If you imagine rotating the valve 180, the wear would look the same on the other side. The black you see is from Magic Marker trying to help me identify the wear...

Hope it helps. I have been told it might be from not tightening my thumb set screw for the valve down with a allen wrench, as that helps put the valve in alignment...

What do you all think?

James

Naples Italy

[BlackVCG]

The PT and PT tip will gall. It's not unusual.

Be sure to use the closed end of an end wrench to tighten the PT tip. Don't overtighten it but don't let it be too loose.

Also, make sure you do keep the valve tight by tightening the field strip screw with an allen wrench.