Unicomp buckling spring keys "crunch" feeling

[xga]

When I press down a key with my finger more on the right half, then move my finger even just a tiny bit to the left, I hear and feel a giant SNAP! noise, which is somehow louder than the buckling spring itself. It's like a second, much stronger actuation, and I can really only describe the feeling as "crunchy." In a bad way.

This only applies to some keys (most alphanumeric, some F keys, not esc/arrows/numpad). Also doesn't happen if I press with my finger slightly on the left side and nudge it right instead.

Here's some audio of the press -> C R U N C H -> release: https://instaud.io/3m2r.
As you can tell, the snap is way louder than the press itself.

I encounter it a lot during normal typing use, super annoying. I've removed the keycaps to take a closer look, but I don't see anything that would cause this (except for a bunch of circular plastic nubs inside the bottom of the board?).

Is it normal expected behavior, or is it repairable, or should I request a replacement? Has anyone else encountered this?

Edit: One thing I've noticed is the row of F keys that doesn't have the weird snap looks like it's placed a few mm higher / further back than the others. And on the numpad, my 2 key has the snap and 3 key doesn't; so I took off both the caps, and the crunchy 2 key has the spring perfectly centered while the normal 3 key has the spring laying towards the top/back of the key slot... which is it supposed to be? I wonder if what's happening is the spring is buckling the other way when I tilt some of the keys left.

[ander]

Uh-oh, it's happened: Something on Lexmark's assembly line has finally worn out.  :?O

[xga]

Uh-oh, it's happened: Something on Lexmark's assembly line has finally worn out.  :?O

so i'm guessing this isn't normal

[rowdy]

Welcome to Geekhack!

I have one Lexmark MOdel M and 3 IBM Model M and none of them make this noise.

My first thought was that there is a slight imperfection in the barrel or the key itself which is causing something to rub where it shouldn't, but you said you have removed the keys and couldn't see anything wrong.

The inside of the barrels should be smooth.

If it happens for most of the keys then it is either manufacturing defect, or perhaps all the parts are not fitted together properly.

[xtrafrood]

When I press down a key with my finger more on the right half, then move my finger even just a tiny bit to the left, I hear and feel a giant SNAP! noise, which is somehow louder than the buckling spring itself. It's like a second, much stronger actuation, and I can really only describe the feeling as "crunchy." In a bad way.

This only applies to some keys (most alphanumeric, some F keys, not esc/arrows/numpad). Also doesn't happen if I press with my finger slightly on the left side and nudge it right instead.

Here's some audio of the press -> C R U N C H -> release: https://instaud.io/3m2r.
As you can tell, the snap is way louder than the press itself.

I encounter it a lot during normal typing use, super annoying. I've removed the keycaps to take a closer look, but I don't see anything that would cause this (except for a bunch of circular plastic nubs inside the bottom of the board?).

Is it normal expected behavior, or is it repairable, or should I request a replacement? Has anyone else encountered this?

Edit: One thing I've noticed is the row of F keys that doesn't have the weird snap looks like it's placed a few mm higher / further back than the others. And on the numpad, my 2 key has the snap and 3 key doesn't; so I took off both the caps, and the crunchy 2 key has the spring perfectly centered while the normal 3 key has the spring laying towards the top/back of the key slot... which is it supposed to be? I wonder if what's happening is the spring is buckling the other way when I tilt some of the keys left.

The audio file reminds me of some of those 'EVP recordings' I would listen back in ~2005.

+1 if that is a .wav file )

From what I understand of Unicomp there is a bit of a tooling blemish that's easier to see on darker models.  Though it's almost impossible to see with their trackball models.