[blucoondawg]

The wife got me a Encore 50 cal for xmas last year, its not the pro hunter, just a regular Encore, synthetic stock, matte stainless finish fluted barrel. I still haven't fired it at all not even to sight in so I took it out today to go out in the yard and sight in the scope I mounted and I noticed a rust spot on the edge of the barrel, it is near where the end of the ram rod is. I rubbed off the rust with an old oily rag and the area is somewhat pitted and will rust up again as soon as I store the gun. As I said this gun has never been fired by me and was purchased new, it's almost as if it were fired and some powder residue left on the tip of the barrel or possibly someone was futzing with the ramrod and scratched the finish with the knurled portion of the rod, either way it really irritates me to have a brand new gun with a blemish allowing easy rusting. I don't think I sent in my warranty info within 30 days like the website directs so I am probably SOL now as far as having Thompson repair or replace the barrel.

[hiwall]

It could have been someone just touched that spot with their finger(even you!).

[blucoondawg]

I wiped it down before putting it away as I try to do with all the guns all the time, I have never had a gun develop a pitted rust spot from touching it with bare hands. I would think this so called stainless steel finish would be even less prone to something like that? Maybe I'm wrong I don't know, I handle a couple of my guns almost daily and don't always wipe them down and they aren't rusting. If that did that just from my finger touching it then TC's products are garbage as far as I'm concerned