The data Drew posted seems to counter the common lore that the Winchester M12 was the first guns to use "modern steel". Maybe for the frame. But barrels were being made of alloyed steels of around 100,000 psi from about the turn of the century. These steels were proprietary alloys that were closely protected. But industrial espionage was a reality even then. Decades later, it would take a war and government intervention to drive standardization in the manufacturing of engineering materials and processes so that you can now say " I want this made with 4140, 1018, etc..". At least in the USA.
