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Amateur SportsmanPublished by Outdoor World Pub. Co., 1910
“REAL AND FAKE DAMASCUS BARRELS”
http://books.google.com/books?id=m5kXAAAAYAAJ&pg=RA2-PA18&dq=damascus+barrels&lr BY RECAPPER
In my article published in last month's issue of The Amateur Sportsman I wrote of the steel barrels now almost universally used by gunmakers here and abroad. I do not wish it thought that I do not think well of them, for that is not the case. Except for beauty, I believe that in all other ways they are fully as good and safe as the best of Damascus. What I meant was, that as the Damascus barrel has in past years been counterfeited, it might be wise to see that the Whitworth and the Krupp are not. The steel used today is much superior to that used so long ago as in the earlier seventies. Dongall in one of his books of 1875 says that "with the free choice of either before them, 999 out of 1,000 English gunmakers prefer Damascus to steel barrels."
But, as above stated, the improvement in the making of steel for barrels and the reduction in the cost of manufacturing has been so great that they now take the lead.
Outside of "the trade" not every one knows that there were formerly at least four different kinds of English and Belgian Damascus tubes made, beside the "single iron-steel," known as "common-twist," or "skelp." Another fact not known to everyone is that Damascus barrels of the highest grade not only must be produced from iron and steel of the finest quality, but, as stated by Dongall, "much depends upon the proper state of the fire and other accessories, and it is an uuderstood fact that the best barrels can only be produced during a few hours in the middle of the day, when the whole forge has been brought into due trim." This accounts in part for the increased cost of production ; and because of the decreased cost of turning out by enormously improved methods, and in great numbers, the steel barrels of today, tells why they are now so commonly used.
It also tells why of the guns built abroad to be sent to this and other countries to be offered for sale so few were fitted with Damascus barrels of the higher grades.
What kind of Damascus barrels did those guns have? I will quote from a letter of Mr. Thomas Webley (now, I believe), of the firm of Scott, Webley & Co., Limited, of Birmingham, and one of the acknowledged best known firms of English gunmakers. This letter, from which I make only a brief quotation, was written in 1879, after Mr. Webley had made a visit to Liege in Belgium, in order to get information as to why it was that Belgium Damascus barrels could be produced at less cost than those of St. Etiene in France; and at Birmingham; and he soon found out why it was. He writes that "if intended for plain-twist, the bars of which the barrels were made were simply rolled out flat and then twisted round a mandrel. The breech ends were made thicker, by first lapping a piece of plain iron called a chemise around the mandrel, and all were then heated and welded together." If the barrels were to be of Damascus, each rod was first twisted a certain number of times, then reheated and welded together, after being rolled out flat. No hardening by the hammers was done or any up jumping, though, as Mr. Webley truly writes, this "hammering greatly adds to the density and strength of the metal; but, of course, this additional hammering and up jumping means more metal, more fuel, more time and the labor of three men."
On remarking to some of the Liege makers that their barrels were sure to be soft, made on their principle, and that that was the great objection the English gunmakers had to Liege tubes, their reply was that "they only studied three things:. First, to get the greatest possible distinction in color (black and white when browned) between their iron and steel;" (and there was but little of the latter, I may add, and that of low quality); "secondly, regularity of figure; thirdly, clearness of metal, (or freedom from flaws, cracks and grays) ; and that whether the barrels were hard or soft was of no consequence to them." Here now we have an open confession from these parties, that their main object was to turn out barrels that looked well, and that the question of their safety and durability "was of no consequence to them."
That they could, did and may be are yet making a few barrels of really high grade is true. These are mainly used as samples (to be shown to foreign gun- makers), by their traveling agents when seeking orders for tubes. Dongall wrote that while "foreign metal can be made exceedingly good, it is not to be depended upon without incessant and close scrutiny, as there is too frequently, in more things than gun barrels, a wide difference between the quality of samples and stock."
Small wonder that high-class English gunmakers refused to purchase for their patrons barrels built only to show even figuring and. beauty of colors, and no wonder that they take to the steel tubes which if without beauty are not also lacking in safety, strength and durability; and I, for one, am glad to know that American makers are doing, and for a long time have done the same. With our own makes, and those from reputable English makers of guns, there is no need to take any risks by buying Belgian guns built for exportation ; for I know by experience that "they are not what they seem."
At different times in the days of the muzzle loader, and later when the breech loader came into use here, I have myself tried, and seen tried by others, many of these Belgian guns, with their soft barrels and maleable cast iron breech frames, but have never seen one that could stand any reasonable amount of use. The working parts of the action would soon wear lose, or the barrels would deteriorate in shooting powers, and the so-called gun become practically worthless. I have seen different makes of guns of well known, reputable English makers so closely imitated by these Belgian shams that only those who were initiated would see that they were counterfeits. Yet for several years thousands of these shams were imported here and palmed off on buyers as the genuine article, at prices that were three or four times their real worth.
I remember on one occasion seeing a man pay two hundred and fifty dollars for what he was assured by the dealer to be a genuine Westley Richards twelve bore breech loader. He shot Bob Whites and prairie grouse with it in Illinois for six weeks and brought the gun home shaky and rattling like pebbles in an old tin cup.
