Recreation, September, 1898
https://books.google.com/books?id=d4oXAQAAMAAJ&pg=RA2-PA216&lpgSTRENGTH OF BLUE BARRELS.
A writer in RECREATION claimed that blued barrels, such as used on some of the cheaper American guns, are as strong as the imported twist barrels. My observations teach me this is a mistake. Anyone who is familiar with gun making knows the cheap blue barrels are all made from a good grade of rolled iron, which is bored at the factories where used. The grain of the metal must necessarily run lengthwise, and consequently will not stand the bursting strain which the same metal would stand if the grain ran in a spiral course. Besides, the twist barrels are made of the best Norway iron and steel, welded together in spiral form.
Again, the writer referred to says twist barrels are no longer made. This is a mistake. All barrel makers make them, although the old stub-and-twist, which were made of old horseshoe nails, are no longer made. I have it from so good an authority as Mr. Josette, of Pagnoul & Josette, the barrel makers of Liege, Belgium, that the twist or Damascus barrel will stand a much greater strain than the decarbonized steel (iron) barrel.
Anyone who frequents the Northwestern duck fields will see that many more cheap blue barrels than twist are burst with the heavy loads used for ducks.
I pin my faith to an Ithaca twist duck gun, and feel safe with 4 drams of Dupont's smokeless.Northwest, St. Paul, Minn.
Maybe not
Bessemer, Decarbonized or “Plain” Gun Barrel Steel reported tensile strength was about 63,000 psi.
Marlin Model 1898 Slide Action Shotgun “Special Rolled Steel” was reported to be 66,000 psi
I tested 2 decarbonized specimens: 66,000 psi and 71,500 psi
My Twist samples averaged 53,300 psi; Crolle 54,700 psi