Found another neat on-line book with a perspective other than Greener's
Shooting Simplified By James Dalziel Dougall 1865
http://books.google.com/books?id=BkACAAAAQAAJ&dq=w+greener+barrel+patentsA variety of iron termed “silver steel” is preferable to all others.
(Unfortunately there is no description of the production process)
It will at once be seen that the necessary time taken by three workmen in this cold-hammering process very much enhances the value of fine barrels. It is in this part of the process that the continental workmen are deficient…We have great faith in English pluck and muscle. No foreigner strikes a blow upon the anvil like your English workmen…
p. 18 There are various kinds of flaws in barrels, such as “cracks”, “sand holes”, and what are technically termed “grays.” They are those little specks in the iron…from rust showing more upon them than upon the smoother surface.
(What follows is a discussion of the various barrel flaws)
