Can barrels be welded ?

[Mike Franzen]

I had a Damascus barrel tig welded. I believe it was in an article I wrote for the last Parker Pages. I don't think a crack like that so far down the barrel from the breech would be a problem to fix. If you have any shops in your area that perform tig welding on high pressure vessels they might be able to help. Should be a pretty cheap fix.
To check if the metal is cracked through plug the breech with a rubber stopper. Insert a very bright flashlight down the muzzle and position it near the problem. Cap the muzzle so no light can escape. Go into a room that gets very dark when the lights are turned out. Take a magnifying glass and see if you can detect light coming from the crack. Another option would be to stopper the muzzle and fill with water to above the crack. If there is separation you should detect water leakage.