Board Thread:General Nerf discussion/@comment-29970843-20190623191925/@comment-27306930-20190624041517

Those aren't cracks. They are stress deformations caused by uneven cooling when the shell was initially molded. It caused the surface to warp as different areas contracted unevenly during cooling.

It's further complicated by the electro-painting process used in mass production. The paint is electrically charged, and the plastic shell is given an opposite charge. The paint is literally sucked directly onto the shell, with almost no waste. But those minor deviations in the thickness of the shell affect the electrical charge, and how the paint pools, leaving the tell-tale dark streaks.

So no worries Tom, it's all good. The shell of your Defender isn't compromised. It's just "unique".