Thanks for weighing in on this dilemma, y'all. The Stigma people were incredibly condescending and rude, implying that I didn't know how to treat a tattoo machine, and insisting that the fault must be all mine because they couldn't have possibly made a machine with even a small flaw...lol.
As pointed out by Bully Jey, it would seem there is a small flaw in the RCA assembly. (Thanks for the aluminum foil fix - I'll give it a whirl.)
If the HyperV3 is as inconsistent feel-wise as the other 2 comments have indicated, then I am definitely better off not purchasing another one.
So, I guess I'm still looking for a rotary with a softer feel. Anyone else have anything to say?