I have read some copies of letters written by one of the arms factories set up by the Confederacy during the 1861-65 era for the purpose of making revolvers. As I recall this was one of the factories making Copies of the Colt model 1851. They were Begging for "Steel". They were they said prepared to make revolvers in some quantity. They could make the barrels & frames from iron, but "Had" to have Steel for the cylinders. They had tried Twisted Iron & it would still not contain the pressures But they Has to have Steel for the cylinders.
Apparently steel has been in existence in some form for at least that long. Problem was there was simply none to be obtained "In The South"
I believe that Genuine Colts of this period did have Steel Cylinders.
In "The Gun" 1834 W Greener mentions both Twist & Damascus barrels being made of a mixture of steel & iron so steel itself had been around for awhile prior to "Steel Shotgun Barrels" being made.
