Well, I'll eat my hat in that a hugh probability exits for a licensing agreement between Krupp steel and FN circa 1900 for FN to use Krupp steel ingots to manufacture rifled tubes for Mauser rifles. I haven't found the licensing agreement but am certain that it exits. So LLH, Lucian Clement, Sl and possibly others either had a similar agreement, which I am skeptical of, or were under the FN umbrella licensing agreement. Liege and surrounding areas were a hugh example of tube production and it was just simple economics for Krupp to allow their product to be the one to be transformed in the backyard of Cockerill into tubes by the Liege craftsmen, who were pretty much a tube source to the world, maybe with a few exceptions. At this time most of the American makers, Hunter Arms, Ithaca, Parker Bros., Lefever Arms, J. Stevens, N.R. Davis & Baker Gun & Forging Company -
http://books.google.com/books?id=XW0vAAA...;q=&f=false p.2702) were complaining about S, D&G's importing tactics while they were also importing tubes, more than likely in the rough, from the craftsmen in an around Liege. Considering the Dingley Tariff Bill of 1897 and the Krupp-FN licensing agreement(and possibly others in Liege), then possibly without exception, post 1900(maybe a little earlier)all American made shotguns with Krupp steel stamped tubes were sourced from Liege/LLH, etc. The Krupp composition was the same but it was the talent of the tube maker in the end product. So what is a "genuine Krupp Steel" tube? And why pray-tell would they advertise/tout it as a "genuine Krupp Steel" tube; maybe because there were examples which were stamped Krupp, but were not or was it that it was a Krupp steel tube not made in Suhl/Germany? I can't say but the steel components across the board should be the same.
Kind Regards,
Raimey
rse
