doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Extraordinary Damascus Find

"Most", though not absolutely universal, guns found with the two piece top rib will be those having a top bolt or Doll's Head. The short rear section will be brazed along with the breech jointing & under lump, with the remainder of the rib being soft soldered. Those guns not using a rib extension will more often have a one piece top rib, which will be soft soldered in its entirety.

That's some extraordinary information.

My pea brain is still trying to process all this, but am starting to see a pattern. There are lots of pics up now on the PictureTrail album http://www.picturetrail.com/sfx/album/view/21182597

Lower grade guns mostly had a Twist or Laminate rib of 2-3 non-twisted layers of alternating iron and steel. US guns were universally roll-graved with obscures the rib pattern

Higher grade guns might have the same product as the barrels, but the rib was oriented so the surface of the barrel became the side of the rib as shown on this Remington 'Etoile' barrel. The rib extension shows the flat laminate section



The British, who criticized the Belgians for being more concerned about appearance than strength, used the ribs as a nice embellishment for their guns, and were less likely to roll grave the ribs



The ONLY mention of rib production that I could find was from:

The Gun and Its Development: With Notes on ShootingWilliam Wellington Greener Edition 3 1885
http://books.google.com/books?id=LAsAAAAAQAAJ

p. 265 "Ribs are forged from rods twisted in the same manner as described for the manufacture of Damascus iron. They are then forged to the required shape upon a grooved anvil. Plain iron ribs are used for very common guns, in which case they are rolled for the gun to the required shape."

It is clear that rib manufacture was another specialty of the gun maker's art, with a knowledge base that was part of, but in addition to, pattern welded barrel technology.

Checking the link you provided, I was very surprised to learn that it takes over 18 pounds of steel and iron to produce a pair of 12 gauge tubes that weigh less than 4 pounds. and that is without the weight of any of the rib, lumps, and locks. That seems to be a lot of waste! Did they use this extra material for any other purposes such as knife blades, etc.?

binko

binko,

Jsut a reminder. You are reading a description of the how the English did it in 1885. Except for the description of forge welding, this was NOT the method the French or Belgians used.

Pete

Safe to say nothing that could be harvested went to waste Binko.

The chapter on 'Damascus Barrels and Ribs' is up
http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=dfg2hmx7_293fxzspwc3

Keep in mind that even into the late 1800's metals were not cheap. The steel was a noticable cost in the making of the gun. Today it is near trivial. Per RDD, anything metal got put to use somehow, somewhere.

Greener discussed Swaff Iron in 1835
http://books.google.com/books?id=oIEY4qL6_z0C&pg=PA30-IA1&dq=wiswould%27s+iron#PPA50,M1

"It is an iron which is composed of iron and steel filings, chippings of breeches pieces, and cuttings of the ends of the screws, lock plates, cocks, and the rough borings of barrels, and all other small scraps found in gun-makers' workshops. These are collected by the boys in each shop, and when they have accumulated sufficiently, are sold to the swaff-forger, and the proceeds are considered as drinking money."

"and the proceeds are considered as drinking money"

I should work for that company!

binko

Drew, check your PM's. I sent you one about a DVD on the making of Damascus barrels. Thought you'd be interested if you don't have it.