Hello all.
OK. Now I understand. A two-piece barrel joined together by forge welding. That makes sense. So the barrels appear to have become dis-joined or seperated at the weld when forced to endure the worst possible stress conditions (over loaded, multiple loads, bore obstruction, etc.). That first ring, or joint where the two pieces overlap, would be the weak spot in the barrel, if forced to burst.
I'm sure these barrels would be unlikely to burst with NORMAL loads of black powder and soft lead balls. But even a one-piece steel barrel can fail if improperly loaded and/or forced to submit to excess stess.
Thanks for the knowledge here and an interesting Thread.
Rick.
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