I'm no expert on the history of steel metallurgy, but I remember Muderlak in one of his books had quite a bit on the transition from cast iron barrels, which had carbon occlusions, to modern compressed fluid steel barrels, like the famous Whitworth barrels. Damascus barrels were a way to beat out the carbon occlusions and minute air pockets and provide a thinner and stronger metal composition until fluid compressed steel with moly, chromium,( Cro-Moly) and various additives came along. Kind of a fascinating subject in itself. In the late 1800's there were various metal manufacturers and various processes, each claiming to be superior, so its understandable that Parker and other gun barrel users were listening to the vendors and using various barrel steels.
I've been fascinated by the Parker penchant for using various barrel steels, Vulcan, Acme, Titanic, etc, and why they did that. We know that Parker and all the gun makers were approached by the barrel vendors who each claimed to have the superior product ( secret formula of course) and each of whom claimed that they had solved barrel bursting problems. Interesting issues, and as Muderlak pointed out, we never had reliable engines for automobiles and airplanes until the metallurgy issues were solved. Considering as how I had to replace a prematurely worn camshaft on an engine a few years ago, maybe those issues are still not fixed.
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08-04-2011, 01:00 AM
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