Damascus colors

[Parker Bachelder (Brad's Profile)]

same markings on the ones I have encountered. The color was dark black with a satin patina. It would be interesting to know the exact composition of the steel and how they were made. I assume they were rolled the same way that Remington did it.

Brad

[Hammer Gun]

CHARLIE, Do your barrels look like these? and do they have the same markings? Gary

[charlie cleveland]

yes they are marked plain steel and the same color of blue or black as pictured..will have to get the guns out of tomb after awhile and see if they are same markings...charlie

[Double Trouble]

Brad:

Are you saying that not even the English makers had a brown/white color to their composite barrels ? I know nothing compared to you, but I always heard that the English did brown/white, while here in the states we tended to do black/white.

I have an old J. D. Dougall that (under the fore end wood) has nice brown/white damascus. That part of the finish looks original. (...but it's had 139 years to oxidize.)

[Parker Bachelder (Brad's Profile)]

John

As you know that question is a "hotbed" topic. I have worked on English guns my entire career. I have not researched English processes to the depth that I have American ones.
The English refinish their guns much more frequently than Americans, it is a part of their culture. The English never condemed Damascus as we did. They never stopped refinishing them.
I can only sight experience and observation. Every "London Best" original condition or factory refinished composite barreled Double that I have worked on, was finished black and white. I have observed brown and white in very early antique shotguns and rifles, but not in contemporary design composite barreled shotguns.
I believe that the English brown and white we see in vintage imports is a result of the way the refinishers did it, not the gunmakers.

Brad

[BRDHNTR]

The new Purdey Damascus doubles are in Black and White as I saw in heir shop in June while in London.

[Drew Hause]

"Decarbonized Steel" or "Bessemer process homogenous wrought iron" was sourced by Parker Bros. from Remington Arms.



Pages 503 & 504 of "The Parker Story" state that Parker changed the name to "Plain Steel" as Remington was using the name "Decarbonized" on their newly introduced Model 1873 & 1875/1876 Hammer Lifter doubles. 889 guns were made with Decarbonized Steel barrels.

1875 12g 0 Grade courtesy of Wally Shayer. 358 guns were made with "Plain Steel."



From "Fire-Arms Manufacture 1880 U.S. Department of Interior, Census Office"
The earliest use of decarbonized steel or gun-barrels is generally credited to the Remingtons, who made steel barrels for North & Savage, of Middletown, Connecticut, and for the Ames Manufacturing company, of Chicopee, Massachusetts, as early as 1846. It is also stated that some time about 1848 Thomas Warner, a the Whitneyville works, incurred so much loss in the skelp-welding of iron barrels that he voluntarily substituted steel drilled barrels in his contract, making them of decarbonized steel, which was believed by him to be a novel expedient. The use of soft cast-steel was begun at Harper's Ferry about 1849. After 1873, all small-arms barrels turned out at the national armory at Springfield were made of decarbonized steel(a barrel of which will endure twice as heavy a charge as a wrought-iron barrel), Bessemer steel being used until 1878, and afterward Siemens-Martin steel.

[Autumn Daze]

Drew, Parker Bros did use the barrel legend of "Decarbonized Steel". Was this with the permission of Remington?

[Drew Hause]

Yes Dave, until Remington objected. Details should be in TPS.

1872 "Decarbonized Steel"



1874 "Plain Steel"

[Autumn Daze]

Thanks Drew..