welding screw holes?

[49willys]

can screw holes in a barrel be welded?I have a rifle that I removed the iron sights and would like to make the screw holes disappear.

 

[Jim K]

The answer is yes, but better not to do it. Once you start using heat on a barrel, there is some danger of destroying the heat treatment. Even if the barrel does not get that hot, you could get the bore hot enough to damage the rifling from oxidation. Plus, of course, you will probably have to have the barrel totally refinised (reblued?) a costly job in itself (and no, cold blue won't work!).

I suggest just getting a couple of plug screws; they look perfectly normal and no one pays any attention to them.

Jim

 

[entropy]

Plug screws are the more elegant solution, and reversible.

 

[rcmodel]

Plug screws.

If necessary, they can be filed flush and re-blued.

But it's better if you don't.
Just screw them in flush and call it good!

DO NOT weld on a barrel or receiver unless you are very knowledgable in steel property's, and a very skilled welder!

rc

 

[joem1945]

The weld material used will not match the steel used for the barrel and then there is the heating question on the barrel. As the weld material is different, blueing will show off the weld area. I'd go with plug screws.

 

[4v50 Gary]

Yes they may be welded but a better solution would be to plug it. Get an oversized screw and cut it off just barely above the hole. Then peen lightly around the screw plug until it blends with the receiver. Polish & refinish.

 

[49willys]

thanks all,plugs it is.

 

[Jim K]

IMHO, the best is just to use plug screws and forget about peening them or filling the slots or filing them flush. All those will just look like heck, where regular slot type plug screws look normal. Most makers today drill and tap sight holes at the factory and plug any not used, so plugs look perfectly normal.

Jim

 

[LoneGoose]

And, if you have access to a number of plug screws, you might find some that will line their slots exactly parallel to the barrel.