Brand new "stainless" barrel is rusted?! WTH?

[Grampz]

Just took delivery of this from Midway. Don't know what to think. The bore looks OK and I'm sure it'd clean up but... Should I call and go through the hassle of return/replace?

[LeadFarmer74]

Is it just surface rust or is it pitted?

[-hanko]

Stainless can rust, just usually not as fast or as bad as regular steel.

[sarbiker]

S.S. can rust but unless it was a used barrel, purchased as is; I would send it back.

[Grampz]

S.S. can rust but unless it was a used barrel, purchased as is; I would send it back.

Purchased as brand new. It was a "30% off" special. The way it was packaged, they would not have seen it. Probably sat in stock for some time to look like this though.

[Red-Osier]

I don't know OP, I would be pissed.

[LeadFarmer74]

Is the 30% worth the rust?

[titan2]

Just took delivery of this from Midway. Don't know what to think. The bore looks OK and I'm sure it'd clean up but... Should I call and go through the hassle of return/replace?

Couldn't you make the pictures a little bigger....hard to see the details!!!

[Dezrat]

The Barrel Extensions are never Stainless Steel. If they were you certainly would not want them as it's not appropriate material for the application. That said, poor handling resulted in you getting a rusty extension and if it bothers you you're certainly justified in asking for replacement.

[Grampz]

Couldn't you make the pictures a little bigger....hard to see the details!!!

Lol! Yeah, sorry. Raw image from phone. Should have edited it. Fixed.

[Grampz]

The Barrel Extensions are never Stainless Steel. If they were you certainly would not want them as it's not appropriate material for the application. That said, poor handling resulted in you getting a rusty extension and if it bothers you you're certainly justified in asking for replacement.

Never thought of that. "Not appropriate" due to dissimilar metal contact with receiver? Is the barrel extension actually a different piece of metal than the barrel? Learning here... Thanks!

[WyGoSlw]

No question, send it back.

[user120312]

OP, my experience is more in the petrochemical and food processing industries than gunsmithing but this paper pretty much aligns with my experience working with stainless alloys in the shop:

http://www.sperkoengineering.com/html/Rust.pdf

I have a lot of 304 and 316 alloy in the shop and one common instigator of rust is incidental contact of the bars (I've got mostly round bar to make parts) with steel or alloy steel which has surface rust particles. It 'rubs off' and deposits on the stainless and goes from there.

If this condition is uncommon in your experience, I'd contact the supplier or manufacturer and get their opinion. In most cases, the issue is primarily cosmetic. However, that is some of what you're paying for so worth addressing.

[Divernhunter]

That looks like pipe wrench marks.
I would return it since it is a new barrel.
My2Cents

[Zorba]

It looks like its been abraded - which will cause stainless to rust.