Album: Laminated Steel

"THE SCIENCE OF GUNNERY, AS APPLIED TO THE USE AND CONSTRUCTION OF FIRE-ARMS" 1841, may be W.W. Greener's description of his claim for inventing Laminated Steel "I have had as high as three-fourths of steel to one of iron, and where proper attention is paid to clipping of the steel to pieces, corresponding with the (horse-nail) stubs, and properly mixing the whole, welding (in an air furnace) and forging by the heavy hammer, reducing by a tilt ditto, and rolling down to the rod, a most excellent, tenacious, and dense body of iron is obtained; while, by cutting into lengths of 6 inches, bundling a number together, and re-welding them into a bar, you gain an increased density and tenacity, rendering it considerably more powerfully strong than any explosive fluid ever yet compounded could burst." "SHOOTING" By Baron Thomas de Grey Walsingham, Sir Ralph Payne-Gallwey, Lord Charles Lennox Kerr, Archibald John Stuart-Wortley, Gerald Lascelles, Simon Fraser Lovat 1886 "Best Silver Steel Damascus barrels contain over 70% of the finest steel, and it is the systematic twisting and arrangement of the iron and steel bars, as they are welded together and beaten into a flat ribbon before being coiled into the form of a tube, that give the beautiful figure or pattern observed in a first-class twist barrel." "Laminated steel barrels differ but slightly from those known as 'Damascus.' The former were first made by Mr. W. Greener (senior), of Birmingham, about 1850, and were composed of three parts steel and one part iron. At the present time the best English damascus, as well as laminated steel barrels, contain over 60% of the harder metal, and there is little perceptible difference between Damascus and a laminated Damascus barrel, as both are of very similar workmanship and materials."

"SPORT WITH GUN AND ROD IN AMERICAN WOODS AND WATERS" Alfred Marshall Mayer 1883 - "Laminated steel barrels are formed of ribbons composed of six parts of steel to four parts iron, and the only difference between laminated steel and Damascus barrels is that the ribbons composing the former are made of rods less twisted; but the ribbons are subjected to more hammering when on the mandrel, in order to get greater condensation and firm welding of the fibers of the two metals." "THE SHOTGUN ENCYCLOPEDIA" by John Taylor "Damascus or twist-steel 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 are a bit different. They 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 - Some c. 1870s Parker Hammer Lifter guns labeled "Twist" are clearly laminated steel. Others are marked "Laminated Steel." 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. (See the 'Parker Damascus' and 'Colt and Remington Damascus' albums)