Vintage Barrel Steel Composition
 

I had wanted to hold some of the good stuff for a future article, but realized there is a LONG way to go for a reasonably complete summary SO I went ahead and added what I have here
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1...EK8OtPYVA/edit

Scroll down to the bottom for the short version summary :)

Many thanks to Dave Suponski, Ron Graham, Raimey Ellenburg and Walt Snyder for their contributions, and Adam W. Haskins, P. E., Metallurgist at Metals Engineering and Testing Laboratories, METL in Phoenix, Arizona.

Drew, thank you for compiling and presenting this research. I have printed a copy and will refer this paper to others. Facts beat opinions any day to those who read and learn.

It's been a lot of work, but great fun Bruce. And this all never would have come together without the contributions of so many here, esp. Dave Suponski, Jeff Kuss, and our friend the 'gold towel guy'. :)

No hay peor ciego que el que no quiere ver. None so blind as those who will not see.

Drew, several issues:

1. You identified an English steel maker named Titanic. Is this company the source of Parker Titanic barrels?

2. You identified several Krupp barrels. Lefever used Krupp barrels, but of which Krupp steel?

3. There has long been debate in the Parker community about whether Parker fluid steel grades were truly different or if the grade steels were the same and marketing was the difference. Your paper shows different compositions for Trojan, Vulcan, Parker Steel and Titanic. I think that settled that long standing question, agree ?

I think I'll read Dave's article again...

Seems to me there were some slight differences in a few of the steels Parker used.





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1. Robert Mushet's "Titanic Steel" was an early titanium alloy; different stuff.

2. Lefever and the other U.S. makers used Krupp Fluss Stahl but the composition may well have changed pre-1900 vs. pre-WWI.

3. Parker Steel = Acid Bessemer Resulphurized Rephosphorized AISI 1109 Carbon Steel. Somewhat similar to Parker Decarbonized or "Plain" Steel.

4. Titanic, post-WWI Vulcan, and Trojan were essentially the same; AISI 1030 and 1035 Medium Carbon steels.
Titanic did have low levels of both nickel and chromium compared to the others, but it would not be an "alloy steel".

5. Pre-1900 Vulcan was AISI 1015 with a lower tensile strength than AISI 1030.

We should however have pre-1900, pre-WWI, and post-WWI samples of each.

Drew: Thank you for your post.

More interesting stuff on this Witten steel thread
http://www.doublegunshop.com/forums/...=445562&page=1

It is clear that even by 1880 the various steel producers were able to manufacture high carbon steel, and were working on the optimal manganese, and other alloy, concentrations. By 1890, Witten & Bofors were producing AISI 1044 which is good stuff.
Krupp was having problems getting enough manganese into their carbon steels at that point. Later Fluss Stahl was 1045 so they figured it out.
Whitworth was a medium carbon steel that also didn't quite have enough manganese to fit AISI criteria.

I've revised one of the documents to cover the evolution of iron & steel components in pattern welded barrels
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1...m8-_AQPiA/edit

I have a crolle and a twist barrel segment for composition analysis

Strength & composition of vintage new fangled steel barrels is still here ;)
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1...EK8OtPYVA/edit

Just got the report from a Parker DD 6 Iron "Turkish" segment Dave graciously provided. The tensile strength was quite similar to other crolle specimens at 55,500 psi.
Composition analysis now of 3 crolle and 1 twist specimens confirms the steel component in crolle barrels was low carbon low alloy AISI 1002 – 1005.
Much more detailed articles will follow in DGJ.