New Wildcat MK3 Keeps Blowing Reg Seals

[IRBent]

Last Friday my lady received a brand new Wildcat MK3 BT in .22 cal. We shot 3 mags through it on the fill that it arrived with, filled it up to 300bar and left it. The next morning the bottle was maybe half full and I could hear a slight hiss coming from the front/bottle reg. After removing the bottle and stock as well as mixing up some soapy solution, I screwed the bottle back on. What was a hiss became a pretty heavy whistle around the reg adjusting screw. The sales company was quick to send out a new reg o-ring kit and I carefully replaced all 6 o-rings last night, filled it up to 295bar and left it again. This morning it was down to 160bar with that same slight hiss coming from the front reg. Same steps as before, remove bottle and stock and prepare to spray soapy water on the area. When I screwed the bottle on, heavy whistle once again. I degassed the gun and removed the reg adjusting screw to find the top o-ring a little chewed up. I used a combo of plastic picks and tweezers to remove the o-rings, so I'm pretty positive that I didn't scratch anything on the reg. Have you guys ran into this before?
Note the hairy o-ring. I'm hoping that the sales company sends a reg this time.

 

[weevil]

Put a Huma in there - the high pressure variant!

 

[Florida_Man]

I wonder if there is bur on what its getting screwed into that is causing the issue. Have you taken a q-tip and investigated? Its an easy way to find a snag

 

[IRBent]

I wonder if there is bur on what its getting screwed into that is causing the issue. Have you taken a q-tip and investigated? Its an easy way to find a snag

Good suggestion. I'll do that now and let you know the results.

 

[JohnnyRambles]

Last year I had a somewhat similar issue on my Mrk3 and I ended up finding a hairline crack in the threads. Sent it in to FX and they replaced it, no issues since.

 

[IRBent]

I wonder if there is bur on what its getting screwed into that is causing the issue. Have you taken a q-tip and investigated? Its an easy way to find a snag

While an excellent idea, nothing definitive come from my attempt, twisting it both CW & CCW.

 

[IRBent]

Last year I had a somewhat similar issue on my Mrk3 and I ended up finding a hairline crack in the threads. Sent it in to FX and they replaced it, no issues since.

How did you see that? My eyes are a tad old and for years I've had to rely on a good camera and zoom. Yet, that's a tiny hole. I've written the sales company and maybe, just maybe, they'll send a regulator. In the meantime I did order more seals.

 

[JohnnyRambles]

Thanks to Lasik I have 20/15 vision, but the problem was at first I didn't see it! I replaced the O-ring twice and it kept leaking when the pressure was high, so I finally ended up taking a closer look and saw a faint line on the threads. FX didn't explain to me what went wrong, just sent the gun back with complete new aluminum receiver. Mine was cracked right where the air cylinder threads in a regular Mrk3, not the bottle verison.

 

[candiru]

Tought the Wildcat 3 bt is a 250 bar max fill???

 

[IRBent]

Thanks to Lasik I have 20/15 vision, but the problem was at first I didn't see it! I replaced the O-ring twice and it kept leaking when the pressure was high, so I finally ended up taking a closer look and saw a faint line on the threads. FX didn't explain to me what went wrong, just sent the gun back with complete new aluminum receiver. Mine was cracked right where the air cylinder threads in a regular Mrk3, not the bottle verison.

I will say, FX has a good warranty. It's just sad that a brand new gun isn't capable of being used due to issues. LASIK...... I have a terrible astigmatism, and because of my age can't focus up close. Double trouble for such tiny detail.

 

[18.13]

Do these go to 300 bar now, I wouldn't air it that high if it were me

 

[Emu]

Tought the Wildcat 3 bt is a 250 bar max fill???

That was also my understanding.

And if it was possible to got to 300 I never go to the maximum allowed.

 

[IRBent]

Do these go to 300 bar now, I wouldn't air it that high if it were me

FX's site and many others all state that you can use a 300bar bottle on several of their guns, the Impact, Maverick, Wildcat, etc. I was concerned and the company she bought the gun from wrote and said that they often fill to 300bar, stand behind doing it, and that while the guns are marked as 250bar max, it's because they're old manufacturing runs and once they're gone all the new guns will be marked 300bar. At least bottle versions using a 300bar bottle. They said it's not the gun that was the limiting factor, but the bottle.