is this safe?

[joshua_W]

my dad gave me a used Hobart 175 mig welder. I tried it and looks like it welds OK, but after removing the cover where the gun enters the welder, I found it a mess. Is this going to kill me, or should I get a replacement gun before using it again?
what's going to happen if these copper strands completely separate?

 

[StillAlive]

@joshua_W
tht mess is definitely an electrical hazard that could ruin your machine
Do not use it again until you replace the gun! When those strands separate, they cause huge resistance, which leads to overheating, or they short out and kill the internal components. It's much cheaper and safer to swap the entire MIG gun assembly now.

 

[Alan]

Replacement gun shouldn't be crazy expensive and it's way cheaper than dealing with a fried machine or worse. @joshua_W

 

[t0mmy j]

I don't think it would kill you immediately, josh, but it's a serious fire risk inside the machine due to localized heat!

If the copper strands separate, the welder simply stops working. The bigger risk is the fraying, causing terrible wire feed problems because the damage often crushes the plastic liner inside the cable. Replace the gun assembly; don't mess with patching high current cables.