The morning call., 1890-11-23
MAKING SHOTGUNS.
Labor Involved in the Manufact.
ure of Gun Barrels.

Few sportSmen realize the amount of labor
and expense required to manufacture shot
gun barrels that have a fancy figure and the
component parts of which are iron and steel,
welded together and known as stub twist"
Damascus" and Illuminated steel" These
barrels must be light, therefore thin and yet
sufficiently strong - conditions which can
only be obtained by an extraordinary ten
aclty of the material. In these combinations
this tenacity is secured by mixing and blend
Ing the iron and steel SO intimately together
that the peculiar properties of each, tough
ness and elasticity, are impaired to every
portion OF the mass, and the barrel thus re-
celves the degree Of softness and hardness
required.
This operation commences with what is
termed piling, which consists in arranging
iron and steel in layers, according to the
Inquire that may be desired. These layers
are securely welded together into COM
pact bar, which must be absolutely sound
and perfect in every weld, as the slightest
spot left unveiled or unsOund in this opera
ton Will be sure to cause total loss of the
barrel in the testing shops. The process
now consists in reducing the bar to such a
sized rod as may be required for a certain
weight of barrel. This rod is twisted SINH
Lar to rope, care being taken to have the
twisted rods are now placed side by. side,
being careful to have the inclination Of the
twist arranged in opposite directions.
The several rods are now welded together
with the same care and precision as in the
previous operation to insure perfectly sound
barrels. This is now termed ribbon, and
Is colled spirally around mandrel. This
spiral ribbon is now raised tC welding heat
and Jumped" by striking the end against the
anvil, thereby welding the edges firmly to-
gether. From there they are placed upon
welding mandrel, reheated, and welIed
from end to end. Much skill and care are
required in this operation to reduce tho out
side diameter to correct size, and at the same
time preserve the ealiber; and also maintain
the proper taper, the barrel being much
larger in weight at the breech than at the
muzzle. The fine figure that appears in the
figured barrel is dependent upon the correct
ness OF this and the previous welding opera
tions, for if hammered uneyenly, the figure
Itself will be correspondngly uneven.
Following comes the process of hammer
ing in almost cold state, whereby the
texture of the metal is condensed, closing
its pores and making it harder This
finishes the operation of barrel forging, nd
the barrel is now ready to be bored, turned
and finished upon lathes manufactured eX-
pressly for the purpose. The curly figure
that appears IN the Damascus, Bernard and
Illuminated barrels is obtained by varying
the pilEg, the white marks that appear in
the finished barrel being iron and the dark
STEEL the fine figure seen In the barrels of
the higli-priced guns being obtained by an
increased number of pieces In the operation
OF pling. This large number OF pieces
necessarily renders the operation Of securing
perfect Welding much more difficult, and the
liability of loss is, OF course, greater.
Many owners of guns imagine that the
curly figures of the barrels are simply
etched on the outside, when they are. in
Iact, the Visible proof of a superior strength,
both desirable and important to every
shooter who cares for his personal safety;
for If an iron barrel, no matter how strong
and thick, is defective and does not stand
the test, the defective part will splinter into
more or less small pieces, while the Damas-
Gus, Bernard and laminated will wear like
wooden fabric. Fine barrels are not, there
fore marked and twisted so neatly and
nicely that they may alone look beautiful,
but for the reason that great lightness COM
bined with greatest durability may be pro-
dured.
There is a great diversity of opinion in re-
gard to the relative merits of Damascus
and laminated barrels, but if there be the
same percentage of iron and steel placed in
each, there is no material difference in their
durability, as the hardness and strength
will be the sane in each, the only
preference being a choice in the figure,
Illuminated barrels having the preference.
owing to correct proportions Of steel and
iron to insure a proper degree of hardness
without brittlenfss. The various styles of
gum barrels made are twist, stub twist,
Illuminated steel, Damascus, decarboniZed
steel, Kirby steel ana Whiteworth. the Latter
two the most expensive The barrels for
both American and foreign guns are all
manufactured in Germany and England
Detroit Free Press.