Wrought, or Forged Iron had a very low carbon content making it much weaker than steel. But wrought iron was very malleable, a property that lends itself to forge welding. The layers, or laminations, in the wrought iron also gave it more strength than if it were only a single layer. These qualities of wrought iron gave blacksmiths a perfect metal for making gun barrels. Cast Iron differs from wrought iron.
Cast iron is iron that is heated to a liquid state and then poured into a mold.
The mold is lined with sand and a small mix of clay to hold the sand in shape. A finished casting has a rough surface because of the sand texture it was poured against. Oftentimes, people mistake cast metal for forged metal but a quick examination of the surface will differentiate the two. Many ornamental iron fences, window and door grills, and other decorative ironwork pieces are cast. Cast iron is poured at a foundry, not a blacksmith shop.