HL, thanks for the replies - great info on checking on my barrel and I plan on it this week before I fire it again. Yes, I agree great customer service is the way to set yourself apart especially in the hunting/firearms industry.

mrl0004, the rep @ IC mentioned the switch and said they'd had great results with the stainless steel since. He said they think they have pinpointed this to a bad batch of ss from the fall but said it's frustrating because they aren't able to address until consumers contact them. (Seems to me they'd benefit from utilizing batch #'s on their chokes for recall purposes). Thanks for the input.