doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Eureka - it can be done!

EDIT: An e-mail received from Steve Culver


I've welded up a damascus gun barrel and test fired it!!

Admittedly, it is a short barrel; only 3 � inches. My intention was to make a 5 inch barrel. Due to more extreme forging than I had done before to close the welds, I compressed this tube more than the others that I had tried. Too, there was a slag inclusion at the muzzle end of the tube that just didn't look nice. So, I sawed � inch off of the tube. Still, my barrel making process is proven and I only need to start with more material to make a longer barrel. My target bore diameter was .50 caliber. I pretty much hit that, with the final bore dimension being .509". A .490 round ball and a .015" patch fit the bore nicely. I wanted the finished outside dimension of the barrel to be 1 inch. This tube is .977; so I'm close there too.

The machining of a forged tube is a complicated process. The forged bore is not perfectly straight, so it requires that you begin with tapered reamers and then step drill the bore with larger and larger drill bits until you finally get the bore straight end to end. It also requires that you continually go back and turn the outside of the tube to keep it aligned with the bore, then re-face the ends of the tube square. This too reduces the length of the finished barrel.

I've attached a picture of the barrel. It has only a light etch to display the damascus pattern. I will etch and finish the barrel near completion of the project that I will be using it on.



I video documented the entire proof firing sequence, so there is documentation that I have succeeded in making a functional damascus barrel. Below is a link to the video, on my YouTube channel.

http://www.youtube.com/user/SteveCulverMS1?feature=mhee

Steve Culver
President-Kansas Custom Knifemaker's Association
Culver Knives
Meriden, KS
www.culverart.com

It looks great!So when can we expect to see tubes being offered to the market? I have a customer dying for one for a bore rifle build.

Congratulations, it's very well done and a difficult job I am sure. I will look forward to learning more ( I'll check out YouTube).

I can well imagine that it's a difficult process. It looks great.

Congrats!! Too many folks accept "It can't be done!" without trying. It seems perfectly reasonable to me that, with the proper learning curve, damascus tubes can be made in modern times. After all, we have far better materials, tools, and techniques than the guys did 100+ years ago. I do understand that that 'ole learning curve may be rather demanding. Well done to tackle and overcome.

DDA

That is really great looking work!
Congrats.

Doctor,

I am amazed at all that you do, Medical practitioner, missionary, gun researcher, bird hunter and now barrel forging.

That forging is really nice and obviously the result of much study......and perseverance.

Tip of my hat to you.

Wow! That is impressive.

In Greener's book he says it takes three men to do the forging. Did you have help?

Wonderful work,
Curl

Nice.....I'd like to see some of the hammering.

Isn't this going to be the first Damascus barreled gun you've owned ?

I'm sorry for the confusion gentlemen. I posted the full e-mail from Steve and HE MADE THE BARREL.

Steve Culver
President-Kansas Custom Knifemaker's Association
Culver Knives
Meriden, KS
www.culverart.com