doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Welding cracks in barrel tubes?

Good to see you posting again, Chuck. Hope you and yours are well.

To clarify, I have no history on the gun before I took possession. Looking at the damage I speculate that it at one time got the heavy crease/dent and was either fired in that condition, or a poor attempt to push the dent caused the crack.

Yes, the vertical defect is where the crease dent was. I do not see any cracks formed perpendicular to the linear crack. Hopefully this evening I will try to get wall thickness measurements of the tubes FWD, AFT, and at the damage point. Running a tight patch through the bore, there is no loose spot as when a bulge ring exists.

Several years ago Buck Hamlin welded a 16 gauge Lefever barrel for me. About a 3/8" crack about 3 or so inches back from the muzzle. I'm not sure if I can find the crack now.

Results of the wall thickness measurements. I took measurements one inch forward, one inch Aft and inline with the crack. The thickest area was near the top rib and measured 0.038"-0.040" at all three points. The thinnest walls were near the bottom rib measuring 0.030"-0.032". In line with the crack the measurements were 0.034"-0.035".

That wall thickness should be fine to weld. The use of a well fitting copper bore plug will minimize the intrusion of the weld bead into the bore.

And, as the late great Running with the fox mentioned, put a rubber plug in each end of the tube and let alet an inert gas flow through the tube while you weld it.
Prevents sugaring (oxides)

Thank you to everyone that provided guidance with my dilemma. I will turn a copper plug and try to locate a magician with a tig welder.

I’m doing the same kind of job on a lawn sweeper frame that somebody (me) hit a tree with.
Definitely a tig job. Not a stick job
I used a series of sockets to swage the tubes back to round. Planishing as I went.
Final fit up is tomorrow
I may gas weld the tubes back together.