I remember that there was a type of test used in the aircraft industry called eddy-current testing. It was used to test structural and weld integrity. You might call a smaller aircraft repair company and ask them about it?
You're lucky you're not blinded. I can't speculate too well on what happened, other than it was a catastrophic failure. I infer that the cartridge was fully seated in the chamber, but it looks like much of the force was directed backward - judging from the ruptured parts. I've never heard of the ass end of a shell exploding, but since you can see all the way through the barrel, and part of the shell is stuck in there, the ass end must be missing, right? Glad you're OK.
Eddy current is better than MPI for very small flaws but the probe that is utilized is typically specific to the geometry being inspected.
Dude it is not worth it to go thru all this to not buy a new barrel. I would hang it on the wall with the rest of the pieces and build new.
I had to have my SBR engraved by Steve at Cold Hand Arms, so while I was there he pulled the brass out of the barrel that had the malfunction. Here's what it looked like:
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Are able to see any crimp marks on the case neck?
Were the 2 different rounds you were shooting that day crimped?
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Looks like a case head separation to me. Now whether or not that caused the kaboom I'm not sure.
If you can determine with some certainty that it is a mere case head separation, i.e. case failure without damage to the barrel, then a thorough inspection of the barrel extension including head space may be all you need. I would still be leary of using the barrel again and believe the smart move is replacement.
