I purchased a br111 solid 7/16 a long time ago "4 years" but did not get around installing it till now. It it has always been kept safe and dry inside a finished house that was always 65-80 f and humidity between 30-55%.

During install my floor guy found that the pieces did not fit together well. Two adjoining pieces would fit at either end but gap in the middle. It was clear it was nothing the installer was doing.

Now I have to go through the process of dealing with br111 and the store I bought it from to get the wood exchanged. Is this going to be hard?
My installer seems top notch and already has taken proof of the mishapen boards.

My questions are-Is this a common thing and is it easily rectified? I would be happy for an even exchange.

Not sure what to tell you to expect with BR and their return policy; after 4 years of storage outside of their or their distributors control, they may not be too willing to deal with you. Besides that, crooked or "banana" boards are not necessarily a manufacturing defect. NOFMA does allow for some misshapen boards, as they can usually be wedged into place and held tight if the proper nailing schedule is followed.

If the boards are too crooked to pull tight, keep in mind that they are still allowed to include up to 5% of defective material, so unless you're above that amount,there is still no warranty claim. Was the installer just seeing the gapping when he was racking out the floor loose, or was he actually having problems when nailing?

I can't understand why your installer can't persuade the boards to fit. There are many methods used to pull the bow in.

Yes and I'll bet Jerry has a few pics somewhere. Easily rectified in my opinion without actually seeing it.

I have to admit that this was my first question as well. But I didn't want to be the one to say it first.

Have very rarely run into a board that couldnt be jacked tight because of excessive bowing. When it did occur, I would generally cut it in half and use the cut pieces at either end of the room