Dangerous Damascus

[Drew Hause]

“Fire-Arms Manufacture” 1880, U.S. Dept. of Interior, Census Office
“The earliest use of decarbonized steel for gun-barrels is generally credited to the Remingtons, [E. Remington & Sons] who made steel barrels for North & Savage, of Middletown, Connecticut, and for the Ames Manufacturing Company of Chicopee, Massachusetts as early as 1846."

All courtesy of Dave Noreen.
I don't believe the source of Remington's "Ordnance Steel" is known

The Remington (hammer) Model of 1889 No. 1 with “Decarbonized Steel” was offered until 1908.

The Remington No. 3 Model of 1893 single was listed with “Blue Steel” and No. 9 Model of 1902 with “Special Steel”.
The No. 9 hang tag (courtesy of David Noreen) states: “The barrels of this gun have been THOROUGHLY TESTED and are guaranteed for all standard brands of Smokeless and Black powder, when properly - but not excessively, loaded.” The maximum load was 3 1/4 Dr. Eq. of Bulk or Dense Smokeless powders.

It is assumed the Remington Steel used on the A Grade Hammerless Model of 1894 starting in 1897, K Grade (Model 1900) Hammerless, and Model of 1894 Hammerless Grade “F.E.” Trap Gun (introduced in 1906) is similar to Marlin “Special Rolled Steel” and Winchester “Rolled Steel”. The April 1897 Remington catalog stated “Remington blued steel barrels are manufactured in our own works” and the Sears catalog No. 112 c. 1902 states the K Grade has “fine Decarbonized steel barrels”.

Remington introduced Ordnance Steel for the (Model 1894) Hammerless Double in the April 1897 catalog.
The 1902 catalog stated the Remington Ordnance Steel tensile strength was 110,000 psi.


Winchester Nickel Steel was introduced for the Model 1894 rifle about 1896 and was sourced from Bethlehem Steel Co. and Midvale Steel Co.
George Madis, The Winchester Book
Nickel steel barrels for the .32/40 and .38/55 calibers Winchester 1894 were available after 1895 as a special order option. The barrels were stamped “M.N.S.”.

[Researcher]

"America's Oldest Gunmaker", Remington, was really in the gun barrel and parts business for most of the years from their 1816 birth date up until just before the Northern War of Aggression. One of the earliest pieces of Remington paper that the Remington Society has come up with is an E. Remington & Sons 1854 broadsheet listing their cash prices for barrels. They offer --

MATCHED BARRELS for DOUBLE GUNS, plain iron------------$4.50
MATCHED BARRELS for DOUBLE GUNS, stubs twisted plain---$8.00
MATCHED BARRELS for DOUBLE GUNS, stubs twisted fine---$10.00
MATCHED BARRELS for DOUBLE GUNS, cast steel------------$8.00
BARRELS for DOUBLE GUNS, cast steel, solid or drilled from single bar-----$15.00
BARRELS for DUCK GUNS, from 20 pounds upwards -- 75 cents per lb.

I have no idea if E. Remington & Sons were importing these barrels or actually manufacturing them.

[Autumn Daze]

Dave, Wasn't there a photo of men working in the Remington shop making composite barrels?

[Richard Flanders]

That's right about when I wrote them and asked about my Ithaca Flues damascus S/S; I think it was made in 1907.

[charlie cleveland]

i really like the one for duck gun barrels over 20 lbs i sure would like to see one of these barrels....charlie