I would scope every $350 barrel going on a new build. Why would you put double the money into machining a project without looking at the bore, and slugging it as well. If it’s not perfect we send them back. Barrel makers of any worth will accept New Unchambered returns. So telling someone to ignore the bore of a barrel well that’s just silly.
4000 posts in 2 years! Is it all expert advice.
That all sounds good, IF YOU KNOW WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT.
You obviously have experience with such things and I respect that, however, the OP is new to this.
Running a tight patch down a bore, looking for loose/tight spots is always advisable, good advice.
Bore scope, is OK, if you know what you're looking at.
As for reputable dealers/manufacturers taking returns, that is a hit-and-miss scenario unless you purchase a lot of barrels from that supplier or manufacturer.
Back in the day, when purchasing several orders per year of ten to a dozen barrels at the same time, I found it was very easy to return unchambered barrels that didn't look right, had loose spots, or were marred by cutter chatter.
These days, I wouldn't get the same attention. Now I usually get a bit of a run around, with the usual line being "Any barrel we send out meets or exceeds the advertised quality standard."