What Damasus pattern do you like best?

[Drew Hause]

Dean is on the wrong side of the channel but close
They are "Fine (3 Iron) Laminated Steel" sourced in Birmingham.

The Parker "Fine Laminated" offered on Quality I and H hammer guns in the 1890s catalogs is a grade below the "Fine Damascus" used on Quality G, and referred to as Lam1 in the Parker stock books. 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, and some tubes also have Birmingham proofmarks.

This is Belgian "Pointille" Laminated Steel; 1890 12g Grade 1 courtesy of Milt Fitterman



Dean posted this some time ago. 1899 PH Laminated Steel barrels, rib marked 'Damascus Steel', and 'T' stamp on flats. Can't tell if it's the same stuff



I added a couple of the images here, with an attribution Paul
http://www.picturetrail.com/sfx/album/view/17227428

[Drew Hause]

Todd: your barrels are Parker D3 3 Iron "Oxford" and the pattern is fairly symmetric. The problem appears to be in the 'take' of the coloring.

[C.O.B.]

Damascus barrels remind me of finger prints, no two are exactly alike.

[Mills]

Originally Posted by Rich Anderson

Damascus barrels remind me of finger prints, no two are exactly alike.

Very true and a good analogy. I never get tired of looking at them

[Drew Hause]

One can only speculate as to how Parker Bros., Colt, and Hunter Arms got a bunch of Birmingham Laminated Steel tubes around 1890. It should be noted that this product is different than the "English machine-forged 3 rod Laminated steel" that was the big winner of the 1st Phase of the Birmingham Proof House Trial of 1888-1890
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1...t?pref=2&pli=1

By 1890 Siemens and other fluid steels were being increasingly used on good (but not "Best") guns and Laminated Steel was going out of fashion, so the U.S. makers "got a deal".

[todd allen]

Originally Posted by Drew Hause

Todd: your barrels are Parker D3 3 Iron "Oxford" and the pattern is fairly symmetric. The problem appears to be in the 'take' of the coloring.

Drew, I just got it out and checked. The rib marking says "PARKER BROS MAKERS, MERIDEN CONN. TWIST "
Could it be mis-marked?