Thanks

Art, the difference in patterns is because of the fact that, for some unknown reason, the barrel tubes are made from two sections, each roughly 15” long and weld-jointed together to form the full-length barrel tube. I currently have two that have this sometimes not very obvious feature. I’m not aware of any Parker-made Laminated Steel barrels any longer than 32”… but I certainly haven’t seen them all.





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Or possibly 3 sections; obviously the thicker at the breech which is why the pattern if often slightly different
Hard to tell but the arrow may be the weld line between the sections
The other arrow is likely an area of decarburization from excessive heating during the helical hammer welding of the tube

https://photos.smugmug.com/Damascus/...0marked-XL.jpg

The neat rib pattern is from the same laminated steel rod turned on its side and ground to fit
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1...Ix2xJM9bA/edit

Parker D6 with decarburization

https://photos.smugmug.com/Damascus/...tion%202-M.jpg

A Parker D3 barrel refinished by Tom Flanigan with 2 tube segments, which colored differently, with the obvious weld line

https://photos.smugmug.com/Damascus/...tion%201-L.png

Just got a pair of Dam2 10 ga barrels back from Breck, perfect experience as anticipated. Interesting thing is the front half of the left barrel is an unusual pattern I am not familiar with. Joins with the rest of the Dam2 pattern just in front of the roll stamp on the rib. Love these unusual Parkers.

To the L is Parker D3 3 Iron "Oxford", the butt weld between segments at the arrow, then it turns into (a messy) "Horseshoe". That is pretty common as the segment is thinner

https://photos.smugmug.com/Damascus/...orseshoe-S.jpg

Browned "Horseshoe". You see the connection between the scrolls

https://photos.smugmug.com/Damascus/...0browned-S.jpg

The lower picture looks like some of the English laminate I have seen from the 1870's. I have several well graded English guns from the 1870-1885 era that are, along with Parker Laminates, some of my favorite composite barrels.

There was (briefly) something called "Laminated Damascus", which by appearance started with individual strips of iron and steel rather than a “puddled” mixture

Wesson Fire Arm Co., Springfield, Mass. percussion double with 2 iron “Laminated Damascus”

https://photos.smugmug.com/Damascus/...Lam%2012-M.jpg

Wesson with a messy 3 Iron Crolle

https://photos.smugmug.com/Damascus/...%26A%206-S.jpg

Letters in The Chicago Field in 1878 state that a barrel forger named John Blaze of Birmingham, England had immigrated to America to make Wesson's barrels. He was listed in the 1865 Worcester, Mass. City Directory as a ‘Gunsmith’, and 1878-1881 as a ‘Blacksmith’. Whether he left Wesson for Parker's employ after Dan Wesson shut down his shotgun production in December 1870 is uncertain. Other Wesson gunmakers did take jobs with Parker, including Charles A. King.