I agree that the loop will never fall off and will outlast the rest of the gun.
"Both welds were laid in in a continuous pass, no back stepping or staggering, and both show strong undercutting- from the crowned appearance of the welds- were laid with 1/8" or 5/32' 7018 high iron deposition downhand rod- aka- "Rookie Rod"
Runs, why would anyone weld these barrels with either 1/8" or 5/32" rod on this thin of metal? The amps for 5/32" 7018 would be at least 200 amps.
Of anything 3/32", but more likely it was TIG.
The bead is NOT TIG- and I wrote 1/8" or 5/32" (1/32" larger than the 4/32" that is also, by pure luck, 1/8th"-- Using the rule of one amp per every thousand of an inch of the bare rod dia- and with a heavy deposit and larger flux OD of AWS 7018, I would run it at 120 amp. AC-- and 5/32" in the same AWS 7018 at about 130 amps. Where did you go to welding school anyway- that high crowned and undercut weld bead(s) sure as shooting ain't from TIG, but SMAW--
