Album: Laminated Steel

"THE SHOTGUN ENCYCLOPEDIA" by John Taylor - Damascus barrels are made by layering alternate strips of steel and iron then welding them together. The strips are then twisted until they resembled a screw, three of these wound strips are then welded together, wound around a steel mandrel, then welded and hammered into a barrel tube. Laminated steel barrels start with a BALL of steel and iron that is then hammered into long strips and twisted, then, like their Damascus cousin, wound around a mandrel, welded and hammered into a barrel tube.

LAMINATED BARRELS USED BY US MAKERS - Both c. 1880s Parker and Colt Patent Firearms catalogs have a quality gradation from Twist to "Laminated" to Damascus. The Parker Lam1 "Best Laminated" is a grade below the D3 "Fine Damascus" used on Quality G guns. Hunter Arms used Laminated Steel on Quality No. 1 guns 1892-1898. (See the 'Parker Damascus' and 'Colt and Remington Damascus' albums)