steel used in barrels

[Dean Romig]

That's my opinion too John, although we may never be able to prove our hypothesis.

[Bill Murphy]

John, you are out of here. Parker steels are better and stronger as the price goes up. Anyone who does not believe that is no longer an esteemed Life Member of our organization.

[Dean Romig]

[John Davis]

I miss EDM. The idea is that grading Parker fluid steel was a carry over from the Damascus days. Purchasers were accustomed to various qualities of Damascus steel. And of course 3 blade was in fact finer than twist, 4 blade finer than 3 and so on. When fluid steel was introduced, sportsmen of the day expected the same, and gun makers gave it to them. Perception being more important than reality. But I think Charlie Price best set out the arguments of why the fluid steels were probably all basically the same, perhaps only differing somewhat as between suppliers. That was a great article by the way. And although I can't prove anything, if it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck and looks like a duck, it's probably a duck.

[Bruce Day]

Acme and Titanic barrels finish finer than Vulcans.

[Autumn Daze]

My belief is that there are at least three different steelsused in Parker Bros. barrels. This may just be as simple as three different suppliers. Anyone in the steel business knows that no two manufacturers are exactly alike even though they may call the material the same name ie: c1018,or 4140 etc. I have not given up on getting samples and results. Some day this will come to fruition.

[Richard Flanders]

It would be simple enough to do Dave if you could get pieces of blown barrels or muzzle trimmings or whatever. How about the guns that Sherman blew up? I can get them analyzed and I could even do polished sections of the steel and photograph the crystalline structure. This is all basic microscopy. Bring it on! Where's Edgar on this? He knows more about this kind of thing than the rest of us do collectively.

[Dean Romig]

Originally Posted by Bruce Day

Acme and Titanic barrels finish finer than Vulcans.

Do you mean to say refinish?

As they came from the 'factory' in Meriden the Peerless and Whitworth barrels were more highly polished than Acme and Titanic. The Parker Special Steel, Parker Steel and Vulcan barrels were very nicely done but striking marks were plainly visible under the fine rust blue of new barrels.

Remington barrels, on the other hand, were nicely filed and polished and had virtually no striking marks at all but the rust bluing process was different than the Meriden process and produced a duller or coarser luster to the finished product.

[Bruce Day]

No.

Vulcan barrels and Titanic/Acme, carded the same with the same grit fineness, the Acme/Titanic will come out smoother and better finished.

As to the comment about Rem barrels, I am in SW Kansas, but in a few days, I will post photos of identically carded, blued and polished Titanic and Rem barrels side by side so a person can see the difference. That should leave no doubt in anybody's mind that some steels finish better than others.

[Dean Romig]

I'm in Dave's camp re that Parker Bros sourced their barrels from as many as four different suppliers. I simply can't ignore the fact that the circle stamped in the right barrel flat containing the letter code for the designated barrel steel were all of the same diameter and that the letter stamp is observed as being located virtually anywhere within that circle, rarely in exactly the same position. That coupled with the fact that we have seen unfinished barrels with the circle stamp and even the HT/A but without that final barrel steel letter designation stamp.