Patterns and Variations

[Brad Bachelder]

The following barrels are from the most recent group of restorations.
The first set- "Peiper P" grade. A very high grade Damascus used by Remington on their highest grade guns. Only three "EE" 1894's are known to be fitted with these barrels.

The second set- "Bernard Steel" A beautiful set from a salvaged "C" grade Parker. Check out the pattern on the top rib.

The third set- Parker "P" grade hammer gun. Are these barrels plain twist or English twist ? Or perhaps both ? Two distinctly different types twist were used.

Brad

[Drew Hause]

Incredible Brad; and one of those EEs is Paul's
http://parkerguns.org/forums/showthread.php?t=1743

The Parker P barrel is "Damascus Twist", a One Iron Crolle-Twist laminate also called "London" or Baker "Best London Damascus Twist." Very similar pattern barrels are found on LC Smith Maker Baker, H grade Lefever, and Baker Gun & Forging guns. First I've seen on a Parker.

[Brad Bachelder]

Drew, this EE is the newest one to be discovered. The metal was completely covered by years of light rust and dust. Fortunately no serious pitting, but no pattern or color case left. as I started taking it down, it became aparent that this gun has never been fired. I will post full pics when the restoration is completed.
As for the Parker, I don't want to count just how many twist barrels I have refinished, but I have never seen this anomilie in any other set or make. I liked it enough that I bought the gun.
thanks for the feedback

Brad

[calvin humburg]

Brad,
Thats some very nice work and some really pretty pattern barrels. ch

[Frank Cronin]

Brad,

Thanks for sharing your pictures. The clarity and the close-ups are superior. The workmanship performed by you is top-quality. I really do enjoy viewing the Damascus barrel restorations and viewing the beauty of other members’ shotguns in the albums. The skill and craft of the gunsmiths, the artisans, and Damascus barrel makers of the Golden Age of American shot-gunning without the aid of modern tools today like CNC and CAD in my opinion is truly remarkable.

Regards,

Frank

[Brad Bachelder]

thank you Frank,
The accurate and proper restoration of Damascus barrels has become a passion to me. Using the correct processes and formulas, has allowed us to see pattern intracies not seen for a 100 years. The diversity and variations in patterns are truely breathtaking. I hope to gain a better understanding of the people that made these works of art and eventually catalog the scope of the trade.
I am glad that you enjoy the posts. I will continue to post the unique and unusual examples .
Brad

[Mark Ouellette]

Brad,

I've seen your work on other's guns and am always amazed how you can transform 100 year olds into their youthful beauty once again!

Respectfully,
Mark

[Mark Landskov]

Brad, these photos show the Plain Twist barrels you recently restored for my 1877 Lifter, 10250. Do the patterns appear to be different, or, are these just unique little 'defects'. Defect isn't the right word, because the barrels are not defective. In fact they work just great! Thanks for a great job, and sorry about my cruddy pictures. Cheers!

[Brad Bachelder]

Mark, it seems to be a constant with the early twist barrels, to have very little consistantcy within the pattern. Later production twist tubes display more contrast and deeper black & white. We are starting to think that twist barrels such as yours, may have been some that were actually made by parker.The ribs are plain steel rather than Damascus. The low carbon content of the steel limits the sharp contrast.

Brad

[Mark Landskov]

I was wondering about the ribs being reg'lar steel!

[Brad Bachelder]

Mark the subject of ribs seems to be a study in its self. We have documented rib use by year of manufacture, and have yet to establish any logical pattern use , prior to what I would call the typical 4 wire patterns, most often used on latter barrels.
I would assume that Parker purchased steel for ribs, from the same suppliers that furnished tubes. Many of the patterns match. Some of the patterns are way out in left field. No rhyme or reason.
Plain steel rib materials were more readily available, which is why we believe that your barrels may of been produced by Parker.

Brad

[calvin humburg]

could that be a seam in the middle barrel picture?

[Mark Landskov]

Calvin, that mark is where the steel forend tip rests.

[Rich Anderson]

I wonder if Parker stockpiled individual tubes and as orders came in selected two and put sets together thus the mismatched patterns. I have a 16ga GH from the early 1900's with mismatched damascuss tubes.

[Brad Bachelder]

The early twist and Laminated steel barrels are among the most mismatched tubes. I don't know what criteria were used in selecting or matching tubes.
Damascus barrels are a lot closer, but still show anomilies and changes within each tube.

[Dave Suponski]

I would think that because composite barrels were basically hand made that there would be variations constantly. I bet that if we examined barrel tubes very closely that no two were exactly alike. But unfortunately the criteria for putting together"matched sets" is lost to time.

[Richard Flanders]

Awesome pics at the top Brad. I'm going to have to make a trip across the state to your shop while in Michigan some November. I thought about doing it this last trip so I could have you bend the stock on my Daly, but didn't find the time. I'll make it sometime.

I would imagine that with those early and not high-grade guns they used whatever barrels they had laying there that would work; if they had some that matched, fine, if not, fine also... just getterdone and on the rack.....