doublegunshop.com - home Forums Thread Like Summary - Twist versus Laminated Steel barrels

1890 Quality Number 1 LC Smith. First year of production at the then "brand new" Hunter Arms Fulton, NY plant.


These are clearly "Twist" barrels (I shamelessly "snipped" this photography from a William Larkin Moore advert).

1891 Quality Number 1 LC Smith, 2nd year of production at the Fulton plant (& my most recent acquisition).

These are not like the "Twist" barrels seen above. My guess is that they are British Laminated Steel (as they have Birmingham Provisional Proof marks on them).

Both guns are "transitional" guns in that they still have features of the guns produced at the original (pre-Hunter Arms) Syracuse, NY L.C.Smith facility (different & more-pronounced breech-balls, the early stop-check extractors, much more-sculped action bases (with a more-pronounced & rounded boss on the bottom and sides of the guns) and the rounded screw heads (pins?) on the lock-plates (instead of the flat screw heads seen on the later guns).




I've heard people talk about how different the early "pre-1913" LC Smith guns were. I'd have to agree with that assertion. This is my first American double in a very long time and I'm pleased to say that I'm impressed with it. The later Elsies I've seen and handled didn't impress me nearly as much.

Drew, thank you very much for your reply answer. It inspired me to do some research which led me to a video that just made my day!

I have heard how Artificial intelligence is a threat to art, and after watching this video, I'd have to say that kind of thing has happened before.

The video shows a near-lost art that I find incredible. This is from a guy who sees "just touch the screen" as some kind of magic. Thank you again.

If I remember correctly, the laminated steel fared the best in that circa 1892 test, then fluid-compressed steel, then 2-bar Damascus.
Drew's comparison summary is spot on. Moreover, I think I saw a claim of 120k psi tensile strength for Winchester Proof Steel (that came out in 1930 I believe).