Russ

With all due respect, I believe that you are again confusing Belgian barrels that were labeled “laminated steel” with the higher quality British barrels that also had the same name. Belgian laminated steel barrels were nothing more than plain twist barrels and should not be compared or likened to the British laminated steel. British barrels that were labeled laminated steel were, by law, required to have a minimum of 60 % steel in the composite. High quality British laminated steel barrels did NOT look like twist barrels or have a twist pattern.. If you read Greener carefully, you will find that the barrels that came out on top in the 1888 trials were three blade (or iron) laminated steel----not twist. If you further read Greener on this subject, he describes the three blade laminated steel barrels as similar to three blade Damascus but assembled in a slightly different manner such that a herringbone pattern was produced on the barrels. They were probably assembled with the twisted ropes forming the ribands all having the same twist direction whereas normal crolle Damascus is made with the ropes having alternating twist directions. John Brindle's multi-part article on Damascus barrels in early issues of the DGJ also addresses the increased strength of Damascus compared to plain twist for welded pattern barrels

Oscar