Bernard T-Gun Water-Cooled MIG Gun 400-600 A

Water-cooled MIG gun for high-heat production welding

The Bernard T-Gun is a semi-automatic, water-cooled MIG gun family for production environments with very high heat input. Models are rated at 400 A (compact series), 450 A and 600 A. Bernard gives a 100 % duty cycle with CO2 gas and 60 % with mixed gases. The sheet lists general manufacturing and fabrication, heavy equipment, oil and gas, rail and ship among the applications, and the guns take AccuLock R or TOUGH LOCK consumables.

Technical specifications

Construction details that matter in heavy use

The neck is insulated and armoured with stainless steel to withstand abuse, every neck water-line joint is silver brazed and 100 % leak tested, and the nozzle threads directly onto the neck so that it runs cooler than a nozzle mounted on a hot diffuser. The gun is water-cooled internally right up to the diffuser or retaining head, which supports the high duty cycle. These guns need a water cooler or circulating cooling unit on the welding system, so check the cooling arrangement of the power source and feeder.

Selecting amperage, neck and consumables

Use the 400 A compact model where access is limited, and the 450 or 600 A guns for the heaviest sections and longest arc-on times. The sheet lists 45 and 60 degree necks for the 400 A model and 45, 60 and 180 degree necks for the 450 and 600 A models, and custom neck bends can be requested. Choose between AccuLock R and TOUGH LOCK consumables, then select contact tips by wire diameter from 0.023 in to 3/32 in. The sheet lists handle and trigger housing options, including lock-on and dual-schedule triggers.

Bernard also lists expanded contact tip options with AccuLock consumables for the 400 A and 600 A guns, and its product page carries a TOUGH GUN CA3 cross-reference chart. When replacing an existing water-cooled gun, give the existing part numbers so that the neck, handle and consumable family can be matched correctly.

Because a water-cooled gun adds hose connections to the feeder and cooler, state the connection type and the hose arrangement in the enquiry. Also give the shielding gas, since the duty cycle changes between CO2 and mixed gas, and the wire diameter and type so the correct contact tips can be listed.

Documents and quotation

The attached Bernard spec sheet shows the handle, neck and consumable options. For a quotation, send the amperage, neck angle and length, handle and trigger option, consumable family, wire type and diameter, and the cooling-water connection arrangement. Browse TIG torches and MIG guns for other guns and torches.