Thank you for all of the kind complements on my damascus barrel!! I decided that I had better sign up for this forum and respond to all of your messages.
As both a Master Bladesmith and a Master Gunsmith, figuring out how to make damascus barrels is something that I have wanted to accomplish for a long time. This barrel is destined to be used on a project that I am currently building.
I definitely intend to make more barrels. I plan to start working with more complicated patterns. I have been working with just a simple damascus pattern, because I have ruined so much damascus learning how to weld it into a barrel. Now that I am confident in my barrel welding process, I am willing to spend more time making the damascus that I will use. I videoed the process of making this barrel, as I did all of my failed attempts. I have HOURS of video of me ruining perfectly good damascus steel!!!
I haven't had anyone helping me with the physical labor of making barrels. I've got a hydraulic forging press and a 50lb. Little-Giant trip-hammer to assist in the work.
I build my own propane forges for use in my shop. I have a large forge that I use for welding big billets of damascus. I found it unsuitable for welding barrels, because I couldn't localize the heat in the barrel tube. Finally wound up designing and building a special forge just for barrel welding. It is very small and can heat just a couple of inches of the tube.
I feel that modern steels can actually be a hindrance for damascus barrel making. From what I can ascertain, the iron element in the old barrels was wrought iron. The steel element's content was very basic; just iron and carbon. This combination of metals would be relatively easy to weld. Our modern steels include alloys that narrow the temperature range for forge welding and also create a very tenacious forge scale that has to be mitigated to make a weld. So, modern steels are more difficult to weld and present a higher risk of slag entrapment in the welds. Because of the alloys, modern steels are often tougher at heat and move under the hammer with more difficulty. So, moving the metal to close the welds requires more effort.
The "meandering" forged bore is something to deal with for sure. But, not an overwhelming issue. Just takes some creative machining. As with any forging, getting it finished requires examining it and figuring out what you need to do to bring it to final dimensions.
Welding the damascus to a solid rod leaves the possibility that the solid rod itself (and so the bore) will no longer be straight after forging. When the tube and the solid rod are hot, they can both be bent. I would not be happy with any portion of the solid rod remaining in the bore once the barrel was finished. Most especially at the muzzle were it could be seen. This would require a very small rod, so that it can be completely bored out. The likelihood of the small rod bending would be significant. I prefer to forge the tube with an open bore. That way, I can see how the boring process is going and I'm not working blind.
I see no reason that damascus barrels could not be factory made. I already have visions of production machinery that could do the job.
Great photos of the Proof House and demonstration barrels!!! I hope to be able to visit Birmingham and also the firearms museums of Belgium some day.
Thanks Again!!!
