Originally Posted By: Doverham
The barrel makers might disagree, and say that there is a lot of art in selecting the right steel and striking the barrels properly for the particular metal to get the required strength, weight and balance.

Its something new to me. How many "right" barrel steels you know and what is difference in strength of them?
There is English type of barrel design with heavy breech end, also there are German, Austrian etc.
What can change balance and handling of particular gun design is wood.

Geno.