Parker Laminated Steel

[Drew Hause]

As our "knowledge" continues to be refined, I thought I'd post a summary of what we "know" at this point

1. Parker produced Laminated Steel c. 1877-1880 which may have a 'P' on the barrel flats. Austin's Grade 3 SN14056



2. Laminated Steel ? of British or Belgian origin in the same time period

Albert Zinn's late 1870s 16g Lifter labeled 'Twist' but clearly laminated steel.



c. 1890s Belgian Laminated Steel in THREE variants

3. Belgian "Pointille" Laminated Steel
1890 12g Grade 1 courtesy of Milt Fitterman



4. Dean's 1892 Grade 0 clearly a different pattern



5. 1893 10g Quality O courtesy of Bob Brown with Parker "Fine Laminated"




The 1899 Catalog lists "Fine English Twist" on Quality T, S, R, P & N (and later as an option on VH guns), "Fine Laminated Steel" on Quality I & H, and "Fine Damascus" on Quality G, F, E, & D. The Parker "Fine Laminated" offered on Quality I and H hammer guns in the 1899 catalog is a grade below the "Fine Damascus" used on Quality G guns. The 1888 Colt Patent Firearms catalog also has a quality gradation from Twist to "Laminated" to Damascus, and Hunter Arms used "Laminated Steel" on Quality No. 1 L.C. Smith guns 1892-1898.

Whatever the later Parker 'Laminated Steel' is, it's not the very high grade (expensive) British Three Rod Laminated Steel used on c. 1870s-1880s British Best guns prior to the introduction of Sir Joseph Whitworth fluid compressed steel (the earliest Purdey documented with Whitworth was made in 1880) and which was declared the winner of the 1893 Birmingham Proof House Test.

[Dean Romig]

Thanks Drew. Can you show us an example of "British Three Rod Laminated Steel" barrels?

[Drew Hause]

c. 1878 W&C Scott Premiere 10b



c. 1884 Greener (not sure of the grade)






and a 1886 W & C Scott & Son 10b with Belgian Pointille Laminated Steel



Harrington & Richardson Grade 1 with Pointille

[Dean Romig]

Nice!!

[john cody]

My rabbit ear'ed double, serial 53771, grade 2, says damascus steel on the rib between the barrels, but there is no pattern that I can discern. In fact the barrells are pretty much brown -patena- but the bores are smooth and clean, again I don't see a pattern there either. Apparantly damascus steel means only the type of steel and I was erroneously under the assumption that it always meant twist...? Thanks for any help JohnC.

[Drew Hause]

John: your barrels probably left Meriden looking something like this



and should have a 'D' or 'D3' on the flats



although we've seen Laminated Steel barrels with 'Damascus' on the rib

It's likely that the contrast between the iron and steel induced by the chemical oxidation (nice word for rust ) in the finishing process is no longer apparent. Related to natural oxidation over time, barrels will develope a 'plum' color, and there is little that can now be done to restore that contrast short of refinishing the barrels.
BTW: the bores are protected during 'coloring', and should show very little contrast.

See http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=dfg2hmx7_194gwgwmqdh
and http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=dfg2hmx7_192fcpp4khn