I apologize for my limited ability to clarify my earlier question.
What I am trying to examine is the parallel development of steel tubing for the bicycle markets with tubes for shotguns.
I imagine that the volumes of tube consumed by the explosion of cycling as cheap transportation (pre-automobile mass manufacturing) would have been a greater force in the development of tube products than shotgun barrels. Fluid steel tube manufacturing, gas pipe and what not, leading as hand hammered tube manufacture was being supplanted.
But I think seamless tubing came after laminate products, and therefore early cycling products may have been laminates.
I am probably wrong, but that's what I imagine as of now, and I sorta hope there is a beautiful Damascus tubed bicycle in a museum someplace that I might enjoy.
Any thoughts?