Thought I'd add some infro from this interesting Witten steel thread here, and thanks to Bro. Raimey for his contributions
http://www.doublegunshop.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=445562&page=1The Journal of the Iron and Steel Institute, Volume 31, Issue 2,
1881“Application of Solid Steel to the Manufacture of Small Arms, Projectiles, and Ordnance”
https://books.google.com/books?id=BCJDAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA456&lpgCanon barrel composition
Witten is listed as “Cast Steel in Crucibles” – 3 samples
Siemens-Martin is Open Hearth process – 3 samples
Bessemer – 5 samples
Nobel is M. Nobel (Alfred's brother) of the Tjef Works in Perm, Russia using the Terrenoire process with silicide of manganese. Terre Noire process was developed by
Compagnie des Fonderies et Forges de Terre Noire, La Voulte et Bessages near St. Etienne
Bofors Co. of Karlskoga, Sweden (later owned by Alfred Nobel) also with silicide of manganese
……….
Witten……...…
Bessemer…...
Siemens…..….
Bofors……..
NobelC_____.43 - .47_____.15 - .55____.5-.55______.4 - .5_____.12
Mn____.4__________.17 - .48____.12 - .22____.36 - .61___.53
S______.035 - .045__<.01 - .015__<.01_______<.01 - .02___.02
P______.057 - .08___.016 - .042__.014 - .024__.04 - .045__.11
AISI… High P 1044…………………...............…………..1044………1108
Siemens is similar to AISI 1050, but with about 1/2 of the AISI standard Manganese content.
By 1890 the steel producers were obviously attempting to manipulate carbon content, along with manganese
The Mechanical and Other Properties of Iron and Steel in Connection with Their Chemical Composition,
1891https://books.google.com/books?id=-c8xAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA30&dqFor
ordnance material generally a harder and stronger kind of steel is used, although some prefer a
mild steel for guns:
Terre Noire: .12% carbon;
Cammell: .14 - .19%;
Vickers: .24 - .27%;
Trubia (Spain): .23 - .33%.
Harder steels:
Firth: .34 - .4% carbon;
Whitworth: .3 - .42%;
Bofors: .35 - .45% (cast without blowholes);
Witten: .47%;
Krupp: .45 - .71%;
Terre Noire: .5 - .88% (cast without blowholes).
“A modern gun being built up of different parts which have to fulfil different duties must not be made of one and the same steel unless different mechanical properties are obtained by different processes of hardening, tempering, &c.”
Barrels for small arms:Solingen .13%
Terre Noire .3%
Spanish .43%
Witten .47%
St. Chamond .49%
Firminy .57%
Unieux .60%
Gun Steelshttps://books.google.com/books?id=-c8xAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA196&dq……..
Witten…..
Whitworth…....
Vickers…...…
Krupp….…...
Krupp…...…
BoforsC____.47______.30 - .42_____ .24 - .27___.46 - .52____ .60 - .71___.40 - .45
Mn___.41______.24 - .31_____.22 - .23___ .07 - .13____.16 - .18___ .54 - .61
P_____.08____________________________<.01________<.01______ .02 - .05
AISI__(High P) 1044_________________________________________1042 - 1044
Bridge and chain steels were reported to be .2 - .25% carbon. Chain has been listed as a source for steel in pattern welded barrels.
And other news
In the 1902 Sears catalog, the Crescent New White Powder Wonder “Bored For Nitro Powder” is listed with “Wilson’s Welded Steel”.
In the same catalog, under the “Our Line Of Imported Double Barrel Shotguns” shows a ‘Greener Action’ with ‘Wilson's Best Damascus Finish’ and the T. Barker gun with ‘Wilson's Royal Damascus Finish’.
There are also single barrel Long Range Winner, (Crescent) New White Powder Wonder, 36” and 40” (Crescent) Single Barrel Shotgun, and Colton Fire Arms Model 1902 double all listed with ‘Wilson's Welded Steel’.
The 1908 catalog did not list any guns with ‘Wilson’s Steel’.
I just scored a 'Wilson's Welded Steel' barrel which I will ask METL to composition analyze, along with a Krupp Essen chunk
courtesy of Dennis Potter, and a Twist and Crolle barrel. I suspect Wilson's will be plain 'ol Crescent decarbonized steel by another name but it might be interesting.
A c. 1910 Meriden Fire Arms “Armory Steel” barrel was Bessemer Rephosphorized Carbon Steel sorta between AISI 1211 & 1016 and had a tensile strength of 71,500 psi.
