I'm working on B&Wing a set of old Parker barrels that are marked "fine damascus steel". Now that they have been stripped and rusted, boiled and etched about 4 times the only parts that are showing any pattern at all are the chamber areas and the top and bottom ribs.

What's up with that?

There are no signs of any pattern on the rest of the barrels. It's like steel barrels were welded on the chambers. In the areas that are showing pattern, it is very vivid.

I don't get it.

What does the brain trust here say?

My first guess is that they have been sleeved, using the monoblock and original top/bottom ribs.

Sleeving of the barrels is one possible explanation for the problems that you have encountered.Recommend that You check to see if the origional damascus barrels have have been sleeved? If they have been sleeved,it is highly likely that the origional damascus ribs were removed and reused.Net result will be damascus pattern on the breech end of the barrels[for approx 3-4 inches] and the ribs with a uniform brown on the tubes.

Could you please post ultra close up pics? or send by jpg attachment to revdoc2@cox.net

Roy you describe them exactly. Only the ribs and breeches are patterned. So now what? Do I just rust them completely black or do I do them with the damascus breeches and black tubes? My thinking would be all black. So just how can I tell if they have been sleeved?

Yes Drew I will send pics tomorrow. I will also research the year of this gun so we have a better point of reference.

Just my humble opinion--letting the damascus pattern show on sleeved barrels is very attractive. Keith Kearcher finished sleeved barrels this way and I thought them to be far nicer than had they been entirely blacked.

My guess is you are not even working on a Parker as they didn't say 'fine Damascus Steel'.

Hmmm....I kinda like that idea Joe.

Maybe not "fine" . I don't have them in front of me, but they are marked Damascus.

I am considering sleeving a Damascus Parker with cut off barrels. I will leave the chambers in Damascus finish and blue the rest. If I can find Damascus tubes, I will sleeve in full length Damascus.

Eightbore

Not to hijack thread and you may already know this.

Peter dyson gunmakers sell damascus tubes.
http://www.peterdyson.co.uk/acatalog/ORIGINAL_DAMASCUS_BARRELS.html

Best
H&H

So just how do they sleeve barrels? I always thought it just a barrel insert.

Should these barrels be brown or black?

Here you go
http://www.picturetrail.com/sfx/album/view/20580224

Thanks Drew that was just what I needed. I understand much better now. Thats exactly what I have here.

In the very last picture, isn't the guy who sleeved those the same who is torching all those guns on the auction sites?

And apparently has a backyard Proof House

The ONLY thing that "proof" mark means is that the gun didn't blow up with that particular charge. Proofing such as this is totally worthless--even dangerous! To even insinuate that this gun has gone through proof as it is commonly understood is nearly criminal!

You should have a competent gunsmith closely examine this gun before firing a single shot.

Who is best in the U.S. doing this work?

Has anyone had this done recently and what was the outcome?

I have a Parker 16ga on an O frame that I would like to sleeve to 28ga.

thank you
Patrick

Patrick,
I did a 20g to 28g sleeve conversion on a LC Smith. Kirk Merrington mentored me. I believe he's your man. I think he's done more than one of these. He's in Texas.

I think you'll find that you'll need a bit of space between the muzzles when regulating. This is because of the wider spacing of larger gauges at the breach.

Patrick - Would Teague liners be a better way to go for you?

If Teague would even do such a job lining from 16 ga to 28 ga would make for a very front-heavy Parker.

Maybe Tony would make sub-gauge barrel sets for our Parker hammer guns...

Thank you Chuck, I will get in touch with him and see if the cost justifies doing this.

Patrick

DAM - Why would sleeving result in a lighter gun, unless the new tubes were worked down into some sort of tapered, funky contour?

No. Three grand plus is ridiculous to make a shooter. To lose every dollar of collector value is too much to sacrifice.

My 16 gauge has a blown tube just ahead of the forend so I either need to fix it or sell it. No collector value in my gun.

Pat

So how would sleeving effect value? Providing it was done properly.

Tudurgs, I think you misunderstood my statement (unless I wasn't completely clear) I meant to imply just the opposite - that such a procedure would surely add a great deal of weight to the barrels. Incidently, I specifically said "lining" not "sleeving" - two entirely different procedures.

I understand the difference. Sleeved barrels will start with 16 gauge outside dimensions at the chamber end, and, if they are going to end up lighter than lined barrels, the only way that can happen is to taper them dramatically, which I suspect would look weird

Many barrels I've looked at actually had 2 distinct tapers, then the last half was straight with no taper to the muzzle. The 2 tapers were somewhat blended.

I think some filing could blend a reduced barrel gauge nicely to a larger breach.