John: your barrels probably left Meriden looking something like this
and should have a 'D' or 'D3' on the flats
although we've seen Laminated Steel barrels with 'Damascus' on the rib
It's likely that the contrast between the iron and steel induced by the chemical oxidation (nice word for rust
) in the finishing process is no longer apparent. Related to natural oxidation over time, barrels will develope a 'plum' color, and there is little that can now be done to restore that contrast short of refinishing the barrels.
BTW: the bores are protected during 'coloring', and should show very little contrast.
See
http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=dfg2hmx7_194gwgwmqdh
and
http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=dfg2hmx7_192fcpp4khn