I guess that Wernher von Braun fella was correct; One test result is worth one thousand expert opinions.
Decarbonized Armory Steel had been listed since introduction of the Crescent Model 0 Hammer Double in 1897.
The Club Hammerless was in the 1900 Sears catalog (Crescent Model 1896 side lever Bored For Nitro Powder with blued decarbonized steel barrel. In 1902 it was listed with rolled steel blued barrel...the best grade of Wilsons steel.
The 1902 Sears catalog also listed the 16 gauge Automatic Ejector Single Gun, a Crescent No. 8 Bored For Nitro Powder with Decarbonized Armory Steel Barrel.
In 1904 Crescent resumed the manufacture of hammerless doubles with the introduction of the Model 6 sidelock hammerless double, initially only with Armory Steel barrels; but Damascus No. 8 and Twist No. 7 models were quickly added. It appears that the bulk of the Twist and Damascus barrel shotguns were sold through Sears, Roebuck & Co. catalogs.
The Berkshire Hammerless No. 6 with Armory Steel blued barrels was listed in the 1912 Sears catalog for $11.90
https://archive.org/stream/catalogno12400sear#page/892/mode/2up The Empire Hammerless listing in the 1925 Union Hardware & Metal Co. catalog specified Decarbonized Blued Steel Barrels.
Composition analysis by Optical Emission Spectroscopy (OES) of a c. 1925 Crescent Fire Arms Genuine Armory Steel barrel with the LLH mark showed it to be Rephosphorized AISI 1040 Carbon Steel with a measured Tensile Strength of 104,000 psi. This is similar to modern AISI 4140 gun barrel steel.
H & D Folsom Arms Co. Catalogue No. 35 (1930-31) listing for the New Empire (Crescent No. 9) states the barrels are Fine Decarbonized High Pressure Steel Proof Testing with loads considerably heavier than standard loaded shells.
This
MIGHT reflect the strength and composition of the post-1920s LLH Fluid Steel tubes used by many of the U.S. makers.
