Barrel composition of pre 1900 Parkers

[edgarspencer]

Perhaps Tom Armbrust and Sherman Bell could be talked into doing the same test they performed on Damascus barrels, but using a Parker marked 'Decarbonized Steel'. Given that they had to take the loads all the way to the mid 20,000 psi range to burst a set of Damascus barrels, I wouldn't hesitate to shoot a 7000 psi load out of an otherwise good set. I have yet to see any published information that emphatically states that decarbonized steel barrels are unsafe, and suspect there's some urban legend involved, much like the old legends of damascus barrels.