Pull chain light sockets wired without pigtails

Question

I have a string of four ceramic pull chain light fixtures in my unfinished basement on a 20A circuit with 12awg wire. The chain/switch on one stopped working and when I started to removed the fixture to replace it I discovered that the hot is wired to the terminal not with a pigtails but with one continuous wired looped around and then departing the box to feed the other lights. (The neutral is pig tailed.)

See image (note: the red and one white go to a receptacle -- I think we can ignore those for this purpose).

This seemed unusual so I opened the next fixture down the line and both the hot and neutral are wired in this continuous loop way. (I'm assuming the other two lights are too.)

This certainly seems not ideal but is it dangerous/really bad? Or was this accepted practice at one time?

(I'm in the US. House was built in the 60s but not certain if this particular circuit is original or not.)

Answer 1

It's perfectly fine. I don't do it because it takes too much work threading all that wire through all those holes/knockouts... but there's nothing wrong with the method.

Answer 2

I'll start with noting I'm not an electrician.

That said I have never seen anything like this. My guess is someone will be able to tell you why this isn't a good idea.

If you are concerned it it would be trivial to fix as there looks to be enough wire in the loop. Simply turn the power off, cut at the stripped portion, strip a little more on both ends, and add a wire nut and pig tail. Should take about 10 minute to do all three.

My guess is the last one won't be like this unless the circuit feeds something else.