DAMASCUS BARRELS. 429 



are placed on each other in numbers of six each; tliey are then 

 forged into one body or bar ; after which, if for the making of 

 wire-twist barrels, they are rolled down into rods of threc- 

 eightlis of an inch in breadth, and varying in thickness accord- 

 ing to the size of the barrel for which they are wanted ; if for 

 Damascus, invariably three-eighths of an inch square. When 

 about to be twisted into spirals for barrels, care must be taken 

 that the edges of the steel and iron shall he outermost, so that, 

 when the barrel is finished and browned, it shall have the 

 appearance of being welded of pieces the size of wires, the wdiole 

 length of the barrel." A little further on, our author remarks : 

 " The objection made to the wire-twist is that, owing to the iron 

 and steel being perfectly separate bodies, running through the 

 whole thickness of the barrel, there is a difficulty in welding 

 them perfectly, and of course there is a danger of its breaking 

 across at any trifling imperfection. This objection is certainly 

 well-grounded, as many barrels break in the proving. I have 

 myself seen a very strong barrel indeed broken across the knee 

 without the slightest difficulty, while to all appearances it was 

 perfectly sound. This is the reason why the manufacturers have 

 ceased to make them, except for the American trade.''^ 



It is a well-ascertained fact that every description of gun- 

 barrel made in England, that is deemed of a very inferior 

 quality, in fact too dangerous to be manufiictured into a gun at 

 home, is shipped to our country for sale. The knowledge of 

 this circumstance should make all Sportsmen rather chary in 

 the purchase of guns from the hands of those who, from igno- 

 rance or leant of principle, are ready to palm upon them any 

 kind of a weapon, no matter how inferior, no matter how dan- 

 gerous. 



DAMASCUS BARRELS 



" Are pretty to look at, but they possess no advantage over 

 the wire-twist barrels; if anything, they are inferior in strength 

 and tenacity. The twisting which the barrels go through be- 

 fore they are welded together, for the purpose of forming into 

 a barrel, instead of adding strength to the body of the metal, 

 rather loosens the texture, by tearing asunder the parallel 



