doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Crown Steel Tubes

Circa 1900, several U.S. of A. makers offered double barreled guns with "Crown Steel". From some of the pre-1900 Sears & Roebuck catalogues and other ads, the 1st offerings may have been as early as 1894/1895. Whiteley Steel Company of Muncie, Indiana was incorported on December 20th, 1897 and they used the traded name "Crown Steel" on tool steel and possibly steel for auto, which was a mixture of imported ingots or imported ingots. But I think they were a little late to the party. Another option is the Crown and Cumberland Steel Company of Maryland. Does anyone have any info on the "Crown Steel" tubes. Interesting how other steel offerings were blue steel, Rolled Steel(Winchester), Crown Steel, Ordnance Steel, Krupp steel, Whitworth Steel, etc. with the component percentages being a secret.

Kind Regards,

Raimey
rse

Hunter Arms used "Crown Steel" from Sanderson Bros. Steel, Syracuse on No. 2 grade guns starting in 1895, then from Crucible Steel on Trap Grade guns after 1913

On Lefever guns the SB&Co (Sanderson Steel) a Sheffield, England, company, stamp many times also had a diamond or rhombus shaped stamped near the SB&Co stamp. This may not have been a Sanderson trade mark as it has also been found on barrels marked LLH. SB&Co appears in the Syracuse city directories of the 1880's.

In the 1880's English exports in the gun trade to the USA started a steady decline. SB&Co had the foresight to set up a plant here. This allowed them to avoid the disastrous fate that would hit other British firms with the McKinley tariff of 1890.

Here is a history of the company.
http://www.sandersonsteel.com/200_years.htm

I do not know any Lefever guns with "Crown Steel" on the barrels, but there is always the exception when it comes to Lefevers.

Pete

Sanderson Steel was started in England in 1776. Sanderson Bros. Steel Co. started their 'Syracuse Works' in 1886, and supplied Nitro and Crown fluid steel barrels to Hunter Arms starting in 1895, Armor in 1898, and Royal in 1901. Halcomb Steel Co. opened in 1905, and L.C. Smith was on the Board of Directors. Halcomb supplied London steel for 0 grades and Royal steel for the hammer guns starting in 1907. Crucible Steel Co. bought Sanderson Bros in 1900, and Halcomb in 1911. Parker Peerless steel may have come from Crucible also.

Bro. Walt set us right regarding SB&Co about a year ago. These are 1906 12g 00 'Armour' steel barrels with the 'C' for Crucible Steel.
S. Buckley & Co appears in the Syracuse city directories in the 1880s, and their mark has been found on Ithaca barrels also. No idea as yet what the ? 'P' is.

Thanks fellas. I believe Ithaca tubes had such a stamp.(looks like Drew answer a few seconds earlier)

1892 - "Sanderson Brothers Steel Company, Syracuse, Onondaga, Established in 1876; 11 heating furnaces, 3 forge fires, 2 annealing furnaces, 2 steel cementing furnaces, 10 hammers, 3 trains of rolls, (9,10, and 12-inch,) and one 30-pot and for 12-pot crucible steel-melting furnaces; product, hammered and rolled crucible steel of every description, shear steel, and blister steel; specialty, the finest quality of tool steel; annual capacity, 5,000 net tons. Brand, “Sanderson Bros. & Co.” C.H. Halcomb, President and Treasurer; W.F. Belknap, Secretary." Notice who the Secretary is/was????

Somne time prior to 1908, Sanderson Brothers Steel Company had been absorbed by the Crucible Steel Company of America, Pittsburg. Many of the names/stamps are really for a type of steel/brand with a certain percentage of elements at a specific point in time.

I'd guess the "P" to be for Pittsburg as Sanderson Brothers(Syrause) may have had a patented process that Crucible used in its Pittsburg facility.

Kind Regards,

Raimey
rse

P as in Pittsburgh PA.?? (The very old spelling of P-burgh was without the letter H). I am a bit confused guys. Pete and others talks of Sanderson Brothers Steel Co. as SB&Co. Revdocdrew and Harry Howland mention SB&Co. as S. Buckley and Co. I am thinking these are two different companies. If so their marks should be different?? What am I missing?

Raimey: Where did you find "Sanderson Bros. & Co."?

Here's a 1910 F grade hammer gun with ROYAL STEEL stamped over S.B. & Co C

Raimey:

Interesting. I grew up in Cumberland, and still pass the Steel Company a few times a week. Were tubes actually made in Cumberland? Any more info on steel from Cumberland used in gun making? Thanks.

Syracuse City Directories....

1879-1880


1884-1885


1885-1886


1889-1890


No mention of a S. Buckley & Co. as an incorporated company, a steel company, etc. There are some Buckley's in Syracuse, most listed as laborers, widows, saloon keepers, etc.

Pete

Drew:

I've found them listed in the "Directory to Iron & Steel Works in the United States:Embracing..." by the American Iron & Steel Association from the 1880s thru to the early 1900s:

1884 listing - http://books.google.com/books?id=V141AAA...yracuse&lr= . They had the brand/tradename "Sanderson Bros. & Co." and it is a stretch, but the stamp could have easily been truncated to "SB&Co.".

Some 1907 info on the metal guys at Sanderson Brothers & Company/Crucible Steel Company of America: http://books.google.com/books?id=xVUYAAA...yracuse&lr= .

Kind Regards,

Raimey
rse