American Crolle Damascus Barrels

Drew Hause · 10-15-2009, 11:07 AM

Looks like John Blaze, who (later) made Twist and Laminated barrels for Parker, made some crolle damascus barrels for Wesson.
See http://doublegunshop.com/forums/ubbt...e=4#Post163568
This is the first example of crolle damascus (probably) manufactured in the U.S. that I have seen, and the continual discovery of new information is part of what makes this study so fascinating!

Drew Hause · 10-16-2009, 11:59 PM

Finally found EDMs original thread on DoubleGunBBS from 07' regarding Twist and Laminated Steel barrels (NOT Crolle)
http://doublegunshop.com/forums/ubbt...ge=2#Post62993

Drew Hause · 10-18-2009, 06:15 PM

AND a Wesson with what appears to be "Laminated Damascus"!!

Bindlestiff · 10-18-2009, 06:39 PM

Drew,

Can you take a look at these barrels and tell me what they are? I try to follow the distinctions between one type and the next and I am never really sure I am doing it correctly.

Drew Hause · 10-18-2009, 06:51 PM

Typical, and very nice, D3 3 Iron "Oxford" found on G grade Hammer and Hammerless, and some late $100 through $200 Grade Hammer Lifter guns

See http://www.picturetrail.com/sfx/album/view/17227428

Drew Hause · 10-19-2009, 10:20 AM

Report on Duties on Metals and Manufactures of Metals
By United States Congress. Senate. Committee on Finance, 1912
Testimony regarding the Payne-Aldrich and Dingley Tariff Bills
http://books.google.com/books?id=QDkvAAAAMAAJ

http://books.google.com/books?id=QDk...&lr=#PPA879,M1
STATEMENT OF MR. THOMAS HUNTER, OF FULTON, N. Y., REPRESENTING THE HUNTER ARMS CO. AND OTHERS

The Chairman. Will you state the companies you represent, Mr. Hunter.?

Mr. Hunter. The Hunter Arms Co., the Baker Gun & Forging Co., Parker Bros. Gun Co., Hopkins & Allen Arms Co., A. H. Fox Gun Co., Lefever Arms Co., H. & D. Folsom Arms Co., Ithaca Gun Co., N. R. Davis & Sons, and Harrington & Richardson Arms Co.

Senator McCumber. Does the American manufacturer use the unfinished importation?

Mr. Hunter. He uses what are designated in the present bill as "gun barrels rough-bored." That is what we import.

Senator McCumber. To what extent do you use those?

Mr. Hunter. Entirely.

Senator McCumber. You do not manufacture any of them?

Mr. Hunter. No, sir. We have no facilities for making shotgun barrels.

Senator McCumber. Does any other company make them?

Mr. Hunter. There are a few that make them for themselves only. None are made to be sold. We never have been able to buy any in this country.

Senator McCumber. Why is that—because they can manufacture them so much cheaper abroad that it does not pay ?

Mr. Hunter. Yes, sir; it would not pay.

Senator McCumber. Then why not put such a tariff on them that they can be made here ?

Mr. Hunter. I will vote to put 50 per cent duty on them if anybody will come here and say that he will go into manufacturing them on that basis.

Senator McCumber. Is there any reason why we can not manufacture them here if we have a sufficient duty?

Mr. Hunter. They never have been able to make a figured barrel in this country. Years ago they tried to make what they call a figured barrel, Damascus and twist; but the effort was never successful, and it has been discontinued.

Senator McCumber. Why ?

Mr. Hunter. It is one or those things that have been passed down in Belgium from generation to generation, and from the father to the son, and they seem to know how. We never have been able to do it here successfully. You could not get one of those barrels made here if you put 300 per cent duty on it.

Senator McCumber. Could you not make them here if you had the workmen here to make them ?

Mr. Hunter. Years ago they imported workmen, but for some reason or other they were not successful. It was before I was in the gun business.

Senator Simmons. You American producers practically have the market to yourselves, do you not ?

Mr. Hunter. We would like to. There were 44,000 foreign-made guns shipped into this country in 1907. We have not the statistics later than that.

Senator Simmons. Were any shipped out from this country ?

Mr. Hunter. I presume so. We are working hard to work up a South American trade. We are getting quite a nice trade in South America.

Senator Simmons. Anywhere else?

Mr. Hunter. No, sir. We never have been able to ship them to England or Scotland or Belgium.

The testimony of W.A. King representing the Parker Gun Co.
http://books.google.com/books?id=QDk...&lr=#PPA893,M1

Mr. King. I can speak only for our own company in so far as wages go. For instance, on the question of barrels, Mr. Hunter informed your committee that some years ago some of the manufacturers of this country attempted to make barrels. We made some barrels: we built an addition to the factory, put in some up-to-date machinery, and brought some men from Belgium to show our blacksmiths how to do it. Wo had to pay our blacksmiths not less than 32 cents an hour, up to 40 cents, and we gave it up, because the highest wages paid the Belgian blacksmiths for exactly the same grade of barrel are 11 cents per hour. That is what is paid to the highest-priced man employed.

Senator Smoot. In Belgium ?

Mr. King, In Belgium: yes, sir. That is where all of our barrels are imported from, with the exception of our very high-grade Whipple steel barrels.

Senator Lodge. Those are rough-bored barrels.

Mr. King. Rough-bored only.

The Chairman. Do you make any barrels at all?

Mr. King. We make no barrels whatever.