Hey black rifle fans, check out my "New" 13.5" LMT .308 barrel! This is what it looked like out of the box! Actually, that last part isn't accurate - this is what it looked like after an hour+ of cleaning the various rust, grease, dirt and grime off it with G96, q-tips and micro fibre cloths! And that doesn't even include the 3-4 scratches and gouges in the chrome lining...
In hindsight I wish I'd taken some 'before' pictures, but I didn't realize at the time just what I'd embarked on... At one point I honestly thought I was cleaning mould off the feed ramps (this is apparently what colour factory packing grease turns when undoubtably left exposed to the elements for probably the better part of a year). The 'red circle of death'/rust (for you Xbox fans) around the gas block took 20-minutes with a nylon brush to remove the worst...
And the best part is this is apparently a "warranty" issue (!) with my "new" barrel, and now I get to wait 4-12+ weeks for a replacement from LMT (no refund for me, even though I politely asked...). Lesson learned! Why pay less on the EE for mint/LNIB when you can pay retail from a CGN sponsor for used/'slightly handled'!!