US damascus barrels patent

[Ken Descovich]

I was searching through some patents that Ethan allen had filed for in 1865 and ran across one he filed on improvements on constructing gun barrels, my question is do we know if these barrels were actually made?
See attached patent papers.

[Breck Gorman]

Would like to read this, but too blurry.

[Steve Huffman]

Would like to read this, but too blurry.

Click on it and it gets bigger I was able to read

[Drew Hause]

In 1865, Ethan Allen received Patent #48249, for twisting, winding, and welding damascus shotgun barrels. One of the witnesses is Sullivan Forehand. One year later, Ethan received another patent for soldering the tubes together through internal flaming. Sullivan Forehand was a witness again.
Ethan Allen resided in Worcester, Mass. at the time of both patents.
“I take a number of sheets of metal, of hot iron and steel, and lay them up alternately first a sheet or bar of one and then a sheet or bar of the other and when I have a sufficient number together they are subjected to a Welding-heat, and thereby welded solidly together. I then roll this down into a small bar and again heat it, and put it into a machine and twist it, after which it is again rolled flat or partially flattened. I then cut this flattened bar in two lengthwise through the center, and put these together, keeping the outside edges together. I then wind them spirally (after being heated) around a round rod, keeping what was the center of the bar before it was last cut in two on the outside, then weld it firmly together in the ordinary manner, thus producing a figure on the exterior of the barrel corresponding to the twist of the inside of the bar.”
“The figure of the barrel can be varied by the number and thickness of the layers and the twist given the bar, so almost an endless variety of figures can be produced, and make a very strong as well as a very handsome barrel.”

Allen produced over 600 high quality breech-loading shotguns of unique design in Springfield, Mass. between 1867 and his death in 1871.

c. 1870 Ethan Allen “Best Laminated”

https://photos.smugmug.com/Damascus/US-/i-NvDN4Zh/0/8176f104/M/Ethan%20Allen%20Best%20Laminated%201-M.jpg (https://drewhause.smugmug.com/Damascus/US-/i-NvDN4Zh/A)

“Fine Laminated”

https://photos.smugmug.com/Damascus/US-/i-7RJhQGL/0/440c0dea/M/Ethan%20Allen%20Fine%20Laminated-M.jpg (https://drewhause.smugmug.com/Damascus/US-/i-7RJhQGL/A)

In 1869, another patent was issued to Selah Hiler of Harlem NY for improvement in the manufacture of gun barrels in which he states that “successive rolling operations...(is the usual)...manufacturing process.”

More here on U.S. produced pattern welded tubes, including Dan Wesson and Parker Bros.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/12y9006Ur7mMCqdeeye89c7L4DQrc2iXR8p4S6OIN1bA/edit

[Ken Descovich]

Thanks Drew I figured you might know about this.
Ken

[Drew Hause]

Daryl Hallquist sent me more images of his Ethan Allen barrel and breech.
Though the contrast has faded, one can clearly identify 3 Iron "Mosaic" "Fine Laminated Steel"

https://photos.smugmug.com/Damascus/Laminated-Steel/i-Tncnhsh/0/6540b7fa/M/Ethan%20Allen%204-M.jpg (https://drewhause.smugmug.com/Damascus/Laminated-Steel/i-Tncnhsh/A)

I thought the breech and trapdoor were probably decarbonized/Bessemer steel

https://photos.smugmug.com/Damascus/Laminated-Steel/i-xPp2zWb/0/bee80a72/M/Ethan%20Allen%202-M.jpg (https://drewhause.smugmug.com/Damascus/Laminated-Steel/i-xPp2zWb/A)

But appears very likely that they are a form of Laminated Steel also, but clearly different from the barrel, and possibly the same material as the rib

https://photos.smugmug.com/Damascus/Laminated-Steel/i-F9DgMH5/0/d3d26e10/M/Ethan%20Allen%203-M.jpg (https://drewhause.smugmug.com/Damascus/Laminated-Steel/i-F9DgMH5/A)

https://photos.smugmug.com/Damascus/Laminated-Steel/i-6DQXKMd/0/ef65ea03/M/Ethan%20Allen%205-M.jpg (https://drewhause.smugmug.com/Damascus/Laminated-Steel/i-6DQXKMd/A)

A Laminated Steel Parker clearly with a Laminated Steel breech

https://photos.smugmug.com/Damascus/Laminated-Steel/i-JNT9pqV/0/6a593aa5/S/42669x7-S.jpg (https://drewhause.smugmug.com/Damascus/Laminated-Steel/i-JNT9pqV/A)

[Dean Romig]

The process, though probably new to gun barrel manufacturing in America, was not necessarily new - Damascus firearm barrels having been manufactured elsewhere in the world for more than a century. Certain refinements to the process and manufacture of Damascus barrels can probably be attributed to Ethan Allen though.

"In 1634 a Hungarian named Caspar Hartman is attributed with adapting the Far Eastern method of making sword blades to enable the production of barrel tubes. From that point until the 1880's, gun barrels were almost always formed this way and the process became known as the Damascus method."





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