I would like to think they just had a mix up and sent you a used barrel that was sent back for service or replacement. However, if Eabco, or E Arthur Brown CO is going to treat customers like that, I won't be doing business with them. I have only been using an Thompson Center Encore to hunt with for the last 17 or so years, and owned several Encores and TC Contenders. Of the twenty or more barrels I have owned, all have been original TCs. It still sounds to me lime thus is a problem with EABC and not Thompson Center. Maybe if you contact TC directly they will correct the issue.