OK, sounds like you have your Pavoni under control then I have to check out of the discussion then because it really is about the grinder, which I just don't know.

That's fine - the only reason to have absolute burr lock at 0 would be to communicate grind settings. They might actually intentionally calibrate the grinder that way to keep the burrs from pressing against each other (threads are good force multipliers). If it's just some slack in manufacturing then you could feel at ease grinding at a slightly finer setting than recommended.

You could remove the burrs completely and look for slop in the assembly - bear in mind that it might be a little tricky and with some risk involved, for example stripping a tiny screw..

My first recommendation if you want to alleviate this issue is to stick to fresh beans and if that is not enough look into getting a bigger basket, IMS make some for big doses (although you might need a bottomless portafilter as well)

I have a timemore slim and have had issues grinding for espresso as well. The stepped burrs are way to spread out! Steps 1-6 can hurt the burrs, step 7 is the only step fine enough to pull anything and 8 the recommended step for espresso is way too course. I'm thinking it's time to step away from timemore grinders for now...

I will have some freshly roasted (less than 2 weeks ago) beans tomorrow, so i will see how it goes. I hope i wont have to almost max out my grinder to pull out nice shots like now

Hi. Maybe a little late to this party, but perhaps the following info is helpful?
I have a La Pavoni Pro and a Chestnut X - both fairly recently purchased. I'm still finding my way around using the machine. I got the Chestnut X specifically for espresso grinding for the LP. So, on first couple times I used the machine, I had set the Chestnut X at setting 5 (a mistake, as pointed out before, Timemore recommend a setting between 6-12). Anyhow, it resulted in a choked pull down when using the LP. I could hardly move the lever, coffee reluctantly and eventually dribbled out of the filter! I read the CX manual to get their recommended settings for espresso (who reads manuals!).
Since then I've been trying settings from around 9 downwards. Currently at 7 but feel it could go finer as shots pull a little too easily. Taste hasn't quite dialled in yet but improving every time.
Any how -perhaps the grinder you have isn't working the way it should?

I have a Chestnut X and a Cafelat Robot. In my case, I always start with setting 6 on the major dial. I can then dial in with the minor dial. I always end up between 5.6 and 6.4. I use 17.5gr dose. For me it is more than capable and any outliers I would contribute to a mistake in the prep or pull. I use medium roasted bean between 1 week and 4 weeks old. 10sec preinfuse and 25 seconds pull for about 38 gr out

The manual mentions between 5-7 clicks for espresso, so it seems pretty spot on. Biggest problem for me is that it takes about 2 minutes for a 17.5 gr dose.