There is a 604 square forge de-mill on Gunbroker with a hole drilled in it.  Has square pad port door an early with arrow windage drum for $180 opener. Still has slip ring assembly and barrel stub.  

Question do ya'll think Braceman could repair it an actually use it?  Lots here have the re-welds and shoot them but they are lower repairs not upper generally with zero stress.  A few have done the cracked uppers and generally use for 22lr conversion.  Not sure if supposed to post link or not. Same seller slim form Indiana Surplus goes off in two days.  I have one just like it less the hole drilling but would think the door and windage drum are worth opener bid.  No affiliation to seller just like early authentic retro. Can't copy image without a bunch of hassle.  Pretty cool none the less.

I'm not sure if you looked at all the photos, but the right side has a hole in it, and the left side is cut entirely in two.

why would you demill an upper??

They cut the assembled gun in pieces:

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to discourage folks like us from buying them...Bill

If anyone can he can save it braceman can.  I can vouch for the seller they’re great to deal with, I bought 2 XM16E1 demilled lowers from them one of which I was able to bring back to life.  

Also that’s been up there for a while.

Thanks JT, I don't see too good any more even on my dual 26" monitors.  Looked at door, drum and right side hole and was good enough for me.  I didn't bid as really don't need any 01 pieces at this point in time.

Liberty,  I bought plenty from Slim over the years when still at Indiana Surplus but thanks for confirmation.  Lots here bought from him before their parting of ways.  Still has a lot of rare pieces for sale so might have had something to do with that.  Still worth the windage drum and port door IMO.  Probably going to bring $200 plus easy enough with all the money floating around right now.  I didn't pay nothing like that for mine but I have two godsons currently in the USMC patiently waiting  to inherit. Always make a good x-mas gift if ca't find anything else they need.  Mostly they want tunes and related stuff like that.  They get to play with lots of real firepower, helicopters, planes and such.

JT do you think it would be safe if it only had the right side hole for anything other than 22LR?  That was the real question.

I'm not a metalurgist, done plenty of welding mostly pipe & x-ray for industrial facilities.  Don't know how far back the pressure actually travels thru the upper receiver.  Many Kabooms will break upper also but usually more downward force and barrel, bolt / carrier. mag well mangling.  

Have welded a couple race race chassis.  roll bar, ladder basr repair, MC frame or few, farm machinery but that's about it and been a while at that.  Not much if any aluminum I can remember.  Last time I tried still run a decent bead.  Was paid as a professional pipe fitter.

Braceman did contact me many years ago inquiring about welding receivers & I did confirm it could be done with high quality equipment.  Only time I've ever talked to him actually. Probably still have the e-mail on an older PC somewhere.  Don't throw much away.

Still one of the cooler pieces on Gunbroker and kinda confirms early 604's had 01 to later production pieces installed if nothing else.

Not sure why you would even want to when you can typically get 604 uppers with barrels for like $5-600...  Youd have that much into the re-weld and I guarantee he wouldnt do it.

Thanks,  kinda my thoughts but didn't know pricing for a weld job, especially a little hole.   I'm way too cheap.  Doubt seriously you could get one of those with a barrel for $500-600 or the barrel for that matter if in any kind of decent shooting shape unless you found a dope.  SP-1's cost that muc today.  Figure stripped 01 upper is going for that and you have another $200 plus in parts installed.  Whats a VP or M VP going for now days in great shape,  not re-parked & worn out junk most peddle as NOS today,  $1K plus?

604 early square is easily worth more than a 01 IMO.  See 01's all the time when you see one those recently? You can't buy a Brownells POJ for that,  why would anyone sell authentic upper assembly that cheap today?   Thanks again still wouldn't think welding would be that expensive for a small hole when they do complete lowers here all the time.  Do they cost $500-600 to weld a front to a back of a 80% lower?  

Really was asking if safe to use if welded for anything over 22 LR blow back.  Didn't look at left side.  Most all I've ever advised was 22LR only on re-welded upper and been doing this a lot longer than most.  Think I'll stick to usual recommendation.