Blemished and used by the looks of it. - Ballistic Advantage Modern Series 5.56x45mm Barrel

I don't know much about barrels and wearing, but this barrel I received looked used and it was blemished with a nasty chip at the barrel extension. I bought another identical barrel to this one (same brand, length, and series) from RTB, and there is a significant difference between the look and finish on them. The one I got from RTB has no blemishes and you can tell immediately that it's a brand new barrel, and I don't think you need to be a gunsmith to see the difference. At the end of the barrel near the threading, you can see what appear to be wear marks similar to what you would see on a used handgun barrel (police trade ins for example). Like I said, I'm no gunsmith so maybe I'm wrong, but I do know that it definitely does not look nearly as new and pristine as the barrel I bought from RTB. Plus, that chip at the extension I mentioned is very worrisome. I'd include pics if I could, but it doesn't look like I can include any on here. I haven't asked OpticsPlanet for a replacement because I've already done an exchange the past month for a handguard, and the process has just been kind of a headache. I really don't want to go through it again. It's taking forever to get my build up and running, and now I'm worried about the barrel. Plus, there aren't any of these barrels left in stock for OpticsPlanet to send me a replacement anyway, so I guess I'll just hope for the best. I was grateful for the good customer service I got, but this experience make me hesitant to buy from here again. Pretty disappointing considering I paid full price for it. I do still recommend these barrels because Ballistic Advantage makes them very solid, and I absolutely love the one I received from RTB. You might want to consider getting your barrel from somewhere else instead. I can honestly say I wish I had bought my barrel and handguard from somewhere else. I'm only giving 3 stars because I have not tested it out yet. I'll update the review once I've actually tested it out.