doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Steel barrels introduction

In 1865 some steel shotgun barrels were produced by a cold drawn process but because of manufacturing and cost problems they were not competitive and their manufacture was discontinued.
Sir Joseph Whitworth patented his fluid compressed steel process in 1874. These dates bracket the time frame in which the first English shotguns were made with steel barrels.
It is interesting to note that adoption of steel barrels was slowed because "Gentlemen" could not differentiate between common steel used in musket barrels and fluid compressed steel! This was likely the reason why Sir Joseph insisted that barrels of his manufacture bear his name and the "Wheatsheaf" trade mark.

I was browsing older threads and came across the above. In case anyone is interested I thought I'd add a note.
I have the remains of Horsley gun #1890 which, other than the barrels, is in horrible condition having been re-actioned in an extremely crude manner. In its heyday it was a classic Horsley bar in wood hammer gun with side cam mechanical extractors. Despite its demise, the barrels are in good condition and are similarly engraved "Steel" on the under side of the rib. I believe this is an 1871 gun based on David Baker's list of SNs.
Just some more data for those interested.

Perhaps one day I'll bring it back from the dead but it would definitely not be an economically viable proposition.

Jeremy

when did krupp start producing fluid steel shotgun barrels?

The earliest shotgun non-pattern welded barrel steel would have been Bessemer/Decarbonized followed by Siemens
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1dnRLZgcuHfx7uFOHvHCUGnGFiLiset-DTTEK8OtPYVA/edit

thank you for sharing this wonderful info here...

Yes; thanks for posting that. Very interesting and informative.
Jeremy

1876-- read the book "The House of Krupp"- great details on steel making in Europe pre and post WW1.

Another question for the sages on the board on this topic:
I'm trying to pin down the type and age of steel in a FN Sidelock I recently picked up. The underside of the barrels are "acier special a haute resistance" - which I take to be Cockerill special steel circa 1909 and thereafter. Does anyone know if that is correct - was acier special the same as acier special a haute resistance? I'm googling around in spirals on this one. On a slightly divergent note the gun is SN 179 and originally 2 3/4 with chopper lump (demi-bloc) barrels. I've yet to find SN data so I'm not sure of the date of manufacture but guessed in the 1920s.
thanks
Jeremy

Fabrique-Nationale-Herstal used Cockerill steel exclusively.
Some Browning patent very early versions of the A5 shipped to the U.S. between 1903 and 1909 are marked "Cockerill Steel" and "Special Steel" began to appear on A5 barrels in the mid-1930s. The Superposed, introduced in 1928 had "Special Steel" starting about 1948.
It would be comparable to Siemens-Martin or Krupp Fluss Stahl, possibly AISI 1040. Unfortunately I've never seen a composition analysis, which likely changed over time. Browning still uses the "Special Steel" name, but I have no idea as to the composition.