Ken61
Those SAC barrels turned out very nice, and I personally prefer a black and white finish on Twist and Damascus barrels; but for whatever it's worth, the nearest to new condition Grade O "New Twist" SAC gun I've seen to date featured a brown and white finish on its New Twist tubes. For sake of discussion here, there was an article in the DGJ years ago that was a story about a gentleman who worked at both Syracuse Arms and Ithaca Gun Company. In the article were pictures of tools he had used etc.; but the most interesting artifact to me was a copy of a hand-written note on which he had noted the barrel browning formula for finishing Syracuse Arms Company barrels. Not being a chemist, the period terms used to concoct the mixture were Greek to me; as some of the names provided were things I'd never heard of before or since. I can't recall if Walt Snyder or James Tyson may have written that article, and it's been 10 years or more since it was published; but if you're motivated to do so, might be interesting to dig out that article and give that formula a try as you continue experimentation with Damascus barrel finishing.
