Black & White Or Brown Barrels on English Gun?
 

Just made a deal on a Bonehill hammer 8 gauge. The gun is engraved and has "Fine London Damascus" printed on the barrels. Is color a personal preference or will it hurt the gun value to go one color or the other on the damascus barrels?

I like the black and white best, but have to let my smith know what color the barrels are to be done. Thanks for any help or advice.

English composite gun barrels were generally finished in brown.

British Brown
 

An example from a British restorer's site

http://www.peterdyson.co.uk/acatalog/1BARREL.JPG

I had a 28 ga Bonehill BLNE - barrels were brown. Also had a high-grade WC Scott, also brown.

composie barrels
 

In our current group of restorations,we have a Neadham, Greener, 3 W&C Scotts, and a Purdy. All fine Damascus. These guns all had remnants of original pattern and colors. The colors were black and white with a subtle overtone of brown, due to oxidation. In my experience, original English barrels have shown the same color ranges. The plum brown " orange" color only appears on english re-done barrels.
In finishing all damascus barrels are brown and white until the rusting is converted by boiling. I have noticed that English iron tends to convert back to the brown state more easily than other types of iron. This conversion combined with oxidation leads one to believe that they were brown and white. My experience tells me that they were black and white.

Brad

Brad post a picture of the Bernard barrels you are doing for me when done I know they gonna look good!

The black and white finish Brad put on my Greener barrels is the nicest I have ever seen. I think he knows whereof he speaks.