What Damasus pattern do you like best?

[Todd K.]

This one has different patterns as well.

[Dean Romig]

Paul, Those barrels are Laminated Steel sourced in Belgium.
There are only a couple of other Parkers made with these barrels which would have normally, according to the grade, had Twist Steel or Damascus Steel, or Vulcan Steel. There is scant documented reason for the barrel steel switch.







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[Drew Hause]

Dean is on the wrong side of the channel but close
They are "Fine (3 Iron) Laminated Steel" sourced in Birmingham.

The Parker "Fine Laminated" offered on Quality I and H hammer guns in the 1890s catalogs is a grade below the "Fine Damascus" used on Quality G, and referred to as Lam1 in the Parker stock books. The 1888 Colt Patent Firearms catalog also has a quality gradation from Twist to "Laminated" to Damascus, and Hunter Arms used "Laminated Steel" on Quality No. 1 L.C. Smith guns 1892-1898, and some tubes also have Birmingham proofmarks.

This is Belgian "Pointille" Laminated Steel; 1890 12g Grade 1 courtesy of Milt Fitterman



Dean posted this some time ago. 1899 PH Laminated Steel barrels, rib marked 'Damascus Steel', and 'T' stamp on flats. Can't tell if it's the same stuff



I added a couple of the images here, with an attribution Paul
http://www.picturetrail.com/sfx/album/view/17227428

[Drew Hause]

Todd: your barrels are Parker D3 3 Iron "Oxford" and the pattern is fairly symmetric. The problem appears to be in the 'take' of the coloring.

[C.O.B.]

Damascus barrels remind me of finger prints, no two are exactly alike.

[Mills]

Originally Posted by Rich Anderson

Damascus barrels remind me of finger prints, no two are exactly alike.

Very true and a good analogy. I never get tired of looking at them

[Drew Hause]

One can only speculate as to how Parker Bros., Colt, and Hunter Arms got a bunch of Birmingham Laminated Steel tubes around 1890. It should be noted that this product is different than the "English machine-forged 3 rod Laminated steel" that was the big winner of the 1st Phase of the Birmingham Proof House Trial of 1888-1890
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1...t?pref=2&pli=1

By 1890 Siemens and other fluid steels were being increasingly used on good (but not "Best") guns and Laminated Steel was going out of fashion, so the U.S. makers "got a deal".

[GH-16]

Drew,

Thank you for the information. I suspected they were laminated but a question arose about the pattern when Brad Bachelder had them in his shop to raise a small dent in one of the tubes.

Brad suggested I contacted you to get your opinion on them. I take it from your post you think they are Birmingham Laminated hand forged rather than the machine forged laminated?

[Drew Hause]

Paul: Laminated Steel production methodology and the pattern produced went through an evolution over time. There is more information here
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1...t?pref=2&pli=1

The Birmingham Proof House Trial Report of 1891 included barrels described as:
1. Belgian and English Laminated Damascus
2. Machine-forged English Best Laminated Steel, 3-Rod and 2-Rod
3. English hand-forged 3-Rod Best Laminated Steel (the winner of the 1st Phase test)

Your barrel is 3 Rod, and by the pattern is not "English hand-forged 3-Rod Best Laminated Steel" which had a much finer pattern

[GH-16]

Thank you Drew ! You are the man !!!

I can't start to tell you how much I've enjoyed reading the various research pieces you've posted on pattern welded barrels. You are one of the main reasons most of the SxS's in my gatherings are wearing these beautiful hand crafted barrels.