Fluid Steel BBLs with Damascus Rib?

[Bruce Day]

This was a no brainer to tell they are Damascus. I thought they were going to be polished silver, which is harder to tell and takes a more practiced eye. Brad is one of the two or three gunsmiths that does a lot of this work and has the unhesitating recommendation of many experienced Parker collectors here. I greatly admire Brad's work. And Dale Edmonds is close by and I think he has done nice work also.

The following photo is of matched and consistent coarse or D Damascus on a G a few years earlier than your gun. Your Damascus pattern hopefully looks like this under the rust browning. These barrels are original with some age patina, the blackish color of your barrels generally occurs from unprotected exposure to humidity. If that is bluing on yours, it would raise concerns for me, but you will not know until stripped and re-browned to see what you have.

[B. Dudley]

Based on the photos, it looks like you can faintly see the Damascus pattern under the rust blue. Especially on the rib, but also some in the barrels. And this was pointed out to you in your other thread.
Photos can be deceiving, but these barrels are most likely 100% Damascus.

There is no way to fully hide Damascus pattern. Even when rust blued. In the right light, and in the right spots, you can make out some trace of the pattern. Even polished Damascus will show pattern.

I thought you were selling this gun? Decided to keep it?

[Parker Bachelder (Brad's Profile)]

The top and bottom ribs are correct. The breach band engraving is Parker. The address line is consistant with Damascus. I assume that the barrel flat markings are correct.
Parker barrels under C Grade were only polished to around 320 grit.Many refinishers belielve they are improving the blue job by polishing to much higher grits and removing original marks. The experts look for those marks when judging a blue job.
When Damascus is polished to 600 grit or above it becomes difficult to see any trace of the patterns . This may be the case with your barrels.

Brad

[Bill Murphy]

Who is this gunsmith "recommended" by PGCA members who cannot recognize Damascus barrels?

[chris dawe]

Definitely there ,no Question .