[Parker Bachelder (Brad's Profile)]

The use of drain "weep holes' is common in barrel manufacture. It is not always a bad thing. Many refinishers add holes to prevent trapped solutions in the rib space. We leak test all of the barrels that we run. With Parker barrels, slight rib gaps are common. When we need to vent barrels we try to avoid drilling any holes that are visible. We fixture the muzzle and remove the top and bottom keels and deep drill into the open rib space. Barrels run muzzle down throughout the entire process. When the barrels are finished we reinstall the keels, solder and finish the muzzle. Parker may have done the same thing, thus avoiding additional drain holes. Properly fixtured the keels can be resoldered without disturbing the finish.

Brad