Mat 19, 1881.] 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



3G7 



%mt\t Jf## and %un. 



AN ENCYCLOPEDIA OE GUNNERY. 



THROUGH the courtesy of Mr. Henry C. Squires, his 

 American agent, the Forest and Stream has received 

 advanced sheets of Mr. W, W. Greener's new book on gun- 

 nery. The volume is a large, quarto of nearly TOO pages, and 

 is illustrated with 343 woodcuts which arc substantial com- 

 plements of the descriptions in the text. 



Mr. Greener is known the world over as one of the fore- 

 most gun-makera of the clay ; he has brought to the task of 

 book-making the practical knowledge gained in a lifelong 

 study and experiment in perfecting the manufacture of fire- 

 arms. The result is a comprehensive encyclopedia of all 

 that pertains to the subject ; forming an invaluable book of 

 reference, which will take its place unchallenged at the head 

 of the literature of firearms. 



The opening chapters are devoted to a history of the gun 

 at different periods in the development of the arm. Much of 

 the material for these chapters was gathered from works in- 

 accessible to the general reader, while the frequent illustra- 

 tions have been drawn from all ayailable sources, being 

 copied from rare old books or original sketches of antique 

 arms preserved in European museums. 



Following this division of the work is an exposition of the 

 mechanism and principle of each of the different models of 

 breech-loading rifles, and the various styles of bullets em- 

 ployed in them ; and then the same method is pursued with 

 the shot-gun. 



Of special interest will be found the pages devoted to a 

 description of the successive stages of gunmaking as now 

 practiced in England. As this is a subject concerning which, 

 we have Teason to believe, very little is popularly known in 

 this country, we extract here the following passages, refer- 

 ring our readers to the book itself for the fall details : 



THE MAKING OF GtrS-BABRELS. 



In the earliest firearms the barrels were made of plain iron, 

 usually from one strip, which was bent, whilst hot, round a 

 mandril, and the two edges welded together. Later on two 

 pieces were used, one for the breech-end of the barrel, the 

 other for the fore-end, or muzzle-piece. In some old blun- 

 derbusses the breech-piece is of iron or steel, and the muzzle- 

 piece of brass or bell-metal. The cold-drawn steel barrels 

 made in 1865 and the few following years were far superior 

 to the plain iron and decarbonized steel barrels generally 

 used. These ba'rels were drawn out, whilst cold, from blocks 

 of steel, by pressing them with punches through orifices. 

 Next in quality comes the "solid fluid compressed steel" 

 barrel, as made by Sir J. Whitworth, which withstands heavy 

 charges better than any plain metal barrel now used ; but 

 they are very expensive, and not well liked, for they, in 

 common with other plain metal barrels, show no figure what- 

 ever when finished, but resemble in appearance a musket 

 barrel. The first notice we can find of iron or steel as used 

 conjointly as a metal for gun barrels is in the letters patent 

 of William Dupein (1798)." His method was to lay round a 

 rod of iron a strip of steel, then a coating of iron or "iron 

 and steel mixed." The whole was then welded together, and 

 the iron cores bored away so as to leave the barrel of steel, or 

 steel and iron, as required. A few years later, old horscnails 

 were greatly in vogue for the manufacture of gun-barrels. 

 The nails have always been made from the very best iron, 

 and are also considered to obtain some virtue from the con- 

 tact with the horse's hoof. The nails were welded together 

 into a straight or taper bar, which was lapped over a mandril 

 and welded into a tube. These barrels held a high reputation 

 at the commencement of the present century. They may 

 easily be distinguished, beiDg figured barrels ; the figure, 

 however, runs longitudinally with the barrel, the nails being 

 light, and dark lines at each weld. We believe that in 

 horseshoe nail stubs was the first successful attempt at a 

 figured barrel. In 1806 a J. Jones patented an improved 

 method of manufacturing gun-barrels. He made the barrels 

 by twisting a scelp with bevelled edges round a mandril, so 

 that the edges overlapped each other, and then welding to- 

 gether the edges of the scelp. Once introduced, the manu- 

 facture of twisted barrels increased rapidly in importance. 

 Scelp or plain rods were first twisted, afterward the horse- 

 shoe nail stubs were twisted iu the same manner, and the 

 introduction of Damascus barrels followed shortly afterward. 

 The manufacture of barrels from scrap iron with tilt hammers 

 was in its prime about 1845, when John Clive, the noted 

 barrel-maker, kept a mill in Birmingham, turning out large 

 quantities of barrels weekly, by which he achieved a good 

 reputation and a considerable fortune. 



The iron for the manufacture of gun-barrels was formerly 

 made from scrap and old horseshoe-nail stubs. In preparing 

 the metal for the old-fashioned laminated steel barrels, a 

 number of scraps were collected of various proportions, the 

 clippings of saws, steel pens and scraps of best iron. The 

 modern way is to make the whole from new metal, aB fol- 

 lews : Pig-iron obtained from a mixture of the best ores is 

 placed in a furnace, melted and cleaned from all dross by pud- 

 dling — the dross, being much lighter than the iron, rises to the 

 surface, and is skimmed off. When sufficiently cleansed the 

 drawplates of the furnace are lowered, the heat reduced there- 

 by, and the liquid iron while cooling gathered and worked 

 into blooms of about 1 cwt. each. The puddler takes the 

 bloom with a par of tongs, runs with it to the tilt-hammer 

 and hands it over to the shingler, who by dexterously turn- 

 ing the metal under the hammer forms it into a square block 

 and passes it to the roller; it is then passed through the va- 

 rious rolls until of the required size, and drawn out into a 

 bar of about, ten feet in length. The hammering under the 

 heavy tilt condenses the metal, and causes the dross and 

 scale to fly off. The rolling increases its ductility and 

 tenacity by donating the fibres. The steel is prepared in 

 the same way from the best Swedish pigs, but the metal is 

 considerably improved by the hammering and rolling, be- 

 coming much more tenacious and elastic in proportion than 

 the iron. 



Thebars are cut into equal lengths, laid together and fas- 

 tened into faggots ; these faggots are heated in the draught 

 furnace, welded under the tilt hammer, and the block of 

 metal is re-heated and hammered for the manufacture of the 

 best barrels, to condense the fibre of the metal and increase 

 the specific gravity. After being hammered the biocks are 

 rolled out into bars ; these bars are again cut into equal 



*Tha Gun and its Development: with kotos on Shooting, by W. 

 W. Greoner, author of "Modem Breech-Loadfira," "Choke-Bore 

 Grins," efe- Ulnst i ^ 1 1 j Gulpm & Oo. ; London, 



Paris and J5ew York, 1881, ' 



lengths, laid and fastened into faggots, heated in the fur- 

 nace, and welded together and rollecTinto thin narrow strips, 

 In the above processes the ends of the bloom, or extremities 

 of the rods, are cut off and thrown aside, being less dense 

 and consequently useless for gun-iron. 



The iron is now again cutoff into equal lengths and laid 

 together and fastened into faggots, heated and welded and 

 drawn out as before describedTand rolled into rods of the 

 sizes required by the welder. The faggots are each heated 

 seven times during the process of manufacture of the melal 

 for the best barrels. The proportionate amounts of the dif 

 fcrcnt descriptions of metal in a barrel determine its quality. 

 The old-fasbioned laminated steel was composed of nearly 

 three parts of steel; best English Damascus and modern 

 laminated steel contain over 60 per cent, of steel; and our 

 new Bilver-sfcel Damascus contains nearly 75 per cent, of the 

 best worked steel. The amount of steel "is determined upon 

 before making the metal into faggots for the last time; if for 

 scelp barrels the strips of iron are twice the thickness of the 

 steel, the faggots being formed of alternate layers of iron 

 and steel. In single iron Damascus barrels the proportion of 

 iron used is not much less than the steel, but the metal for 

 these common barrels does not pass through quite so many 

 processes as that for the best barrels, and, although far su- 

 perior in quality to ordinary iron, its tenacity and specific 

 gravity is not so great as that of the very best gun-iron. 

 In best Damascus barrels the iron and steel are mixed 

 together systematically. Our silver-steel Damascus is 

 mixed in a different manner to that of Damascus, the 

 exact proportions of iron and steel being used, as have been 

 found by experiment, to give the greatest strength with 

 the finest figure. The tenacity, durability and beautiful 

 figure Of the barrels depend almost entirely on the propor- 

 tions and arrangement of the steel and iron, the desiderata 

 bemg the placing of the iron in the best position to give the 

 reguiar and fine figure in the finished barrel. 



Too large an amount of carbon in gun-iron is more detri- 

 mental than a scarcity, for where carbou has onco been it is 

 impossible to entirely eradicate it, and although it may be 

 extracted to as great an extent as possible, it leaves a residue 

 that possesses an affinity to re-absorb carbon fully equal to 

 the original quantity ; thus steel, however manufactured, 

 cannot by any process yet discovered be re-converted to iron 

 of the same nature it was originally. It will then be appar- 

 ent that barrels composed wholly of steel are altogether un- 

 suitable for shot guns. We show the fallacy of so manu- 

 facturing shot barrels, and describe the process when treating 

 of the manufacture of rifle barrels. 



In twisting the rods care is taken to keep the edges of the 

 iron and steel strips to the outside, for it is the twisting of 

 the different metals that gives the various figures in the fin- 

 ished barrel. The steel being hard resists the acids, and re 

 tains a white or light brown hue, whilst the iron, or softer 

 metal, is so acted upon by the acid as to be changed into a, 

 dark brown or black color. 



The best barrels must be made from the best, and therefore 

 from the '/»(«/. .U7/c».w'iv, nU.nl. and iron tlult cam, he produced. 

 Owing to the difficulty of obtaining good scrap iron and steel 

 —the importation of old horse-nails from the Continent has 

 long been discontinued — it lias been found necessary to man- 

 ufacture gun-barrel iron from new metal. Barrels so manu- 

 factured are much superior to those made from scrap metal, 

 and are almost entirely free from grays. Indeed, before the 

 introduction of the new mode of making gun-iron, it was a 

 most difficult matter to obtain English barrels free from 

 grays, as the scrap metal could not be collected without its 

 having a certain percentage of Bessemer steel amongst it, 

 which, owing to its non-adhesiveness, is most difficult to 

 thoroughly weld and amalgamate with the other metals, and 

 consequently most disastrous to the successful manufacture 

 of gun-barrels. The rods of metal as now prepared are ex- 

 tremely tenacious, and capable of withstanding an enormous 

 strain. The average strength of rod six-sixteenths by 

 five sixteenths by twelve inches long, containing 1.40625 

 cubic inches of iron, is equal to a tension of over 16,000 

 lbs. 



We may add that it takes 18 lbs. of prepared gun-iron to 

 weld an ordinary pair of 12-gauge barrels, which, when fin- 

 ished, weigh, with the ribs, lumps and loops, but little over 

 4 lbs. After bearing in mind this fact, and considering the 

 great expense and loss of expensive steel and iron ai tending 

 the manufacture of the metal, and the cost of welding of best 

 barrels, it will no longer be a matter of wonderment that 

 best guns are expensive to produce. 



BARREL WELDING. 



The square rods of prepared iron are first twisted to give 

 the Damascus figure. The rods are about four feet long, and 

 are placed in the forge fire until about eighteen inches of the 

 rod is brought to a red heat, whea one end ' is thrust into a 

 square hole in a block made fast to a frame, and the other 

 end fixed into a movable head at the other end of the frame; 

 a rotary motion is then given to the movable head ; the rod, 

 being square, cannot turn round with the head, so is twisted 

 in itself. The rod iB carefully watched while twisting, and 

 should one part commence to twist more rapidly than 

 another, a man is ready with a pair of tongs to hold that 

 part of the rod, so that it is preventing from twisting. This 

 process is repeated until the whole rod is perfectly twisted, 

 and a regular figure in the barrel insured. 



When finished twisting, the rod will be round, except the 

 squares at each end where held in the block and head, and 

 the four foot rod will have become shortened to about three 

 feet three inches, and have about eight turns to the inch. It 

 is this twisting of the rods that makes the difference between 

 a best barrel and a common one. All Damascus barrels 

 must be made of twisted rods, whilst plain twist or scelp 

 barrels are made from plain straight rods or ribands. It is 

 the twists in the rods that cause the figure to appear in the 

 barrels, and all iron so twisted is called Damascus — from 

 Damascus, where a similar process was first practiced for the 

 manufacture of the far-famed Damascus sword-Wades. It 

 gives increased strength and tenacity to the metal by render- 

 ing the fibres more dense. 



The rod prepared, it is either joined to other rods or coiled 

 and welded into a barrel singly. Laminated steel barrels are 

 twisted, and the rods welded in the same manner as the stub 

 Damascus, but the rods are composed of superior metals con- 

 taining a larger percentage of steel. In laminated Steel and 

 stub Damascus barrels it is not usual to use more than three 

 rods in their manufacture. Pine Damascus barrels, as manu- 

 factured by the Belgians, are occasionally made from four or 

 six rods together, but three is sufficient to give a very line 

 figure. 



The true English Damascus barrels are manufactured usu- 

 ally from three twisted rods prepared in the same way as 

 described for the manufacture of stub Damascus, but the 

 rods are composed of a superior iron of a finer quality in the 



figure or streaks, which have to be very decided, white and 

 black, as described in iron-making. 



The rods having been twisted, and the required number 

 welded together, they are sent to the iron mill and rolled at 

 a red heat into riband?, which have both edges bevelled the 

 same way. There are usually two ribands required for each 

 barrel, one riband or strip to form the breech-end, and 

 another, slightly thinner, to form the fore or muzzle part, of 

 the barrel. 



Upon receiving the ribunds of twisted iron, the welder 

 first proceeds to twist them into a spiral form. This is done 

 upon a machine of simple construction, and consists simply 

 of two iron bars, one fixed and the other loose ; in the latter 

 there is a notch "or slot to receive one end of the ribbon. 

 When inserted, the bar is turned round by a winch-handle. 

 The fixed bar prevents the riband from going round, so that 

 it is bent and twisted over the movable rod like the pieces of 

 leather round a whipstock. The loose bar is unshipped, the 

 spiral removed, and the same process repeated with another 

 riband. 



The ribands are usually twisted cold, but the breech-euds, 

 if heavy, have to be brought to red heat before it is possible 

 to twist them, no cogs being used. When very heavy bar- 

 rels are required, three ribands are used — one for the breech- 

 end, one for the centre, and one for the muzzle piece. 



The ends of the ribands, after being twisted into spirals, 

 are drawn out taper and coiled round with the spiral until 

 the extremity is lost. 



The coiled riband is then heated, a steel mandril is inserted 

 in the muzzle end, and the coil is then well hammered. 

 Three men are required — one to hold and turn the coil upon 

 the grooved anvil, and two to strike. The foreman, or the 

 one who holds the coil, has also a small hammer with which 

 he si rikes the coil, to show the others in which place to 

 strike. 



When the muzzle or fore-coil has been heated, jumped up 

 and hammered until thoroughly welded, the breech-end or 

 coil, usually about si x inches long, is joined to it. The 

 breech-coil is first welded in the same manner, and a piece is 

 cut out of each coil j the 1 wo ribands are welded together and 

 the twi ■ c ills are joi tied info one, and form a barrel. The two 

 i ii,l' beii g joined, aild ftU the welds made perfect, the barrels 



barrels are then hammered until they are black or nearly cold, 

 which finishes the process. 



This hammering grea'lj increases the density and tenacity 

 of the metal, and the wear of the barrel depends in a great 

 measure upon its being properly performed. 



When the barrels are for breech-loaders, the flats are form- 

 ed on the undersides of the breech-ends, and when for muz- 

 zle-loaders (he bars are forged on. If an octagon barrel is 

 required it is forged in this form upon a properly-shaped an- 

 vil ; and in rifles the barrels are welded from thicker ribands, 



Ribs are forged from rods twisted in the same manner as 

 for the manufacture of Damascus iron. They are then 

 forged to the required shape upon a grooved anvil. Plain 

 iron ribs are used for very common guns, in which case they 

 sire rolled for the gun to the required shape. 



We have now described the process of barrel welding, as 

 practiced al St. Marv'sWoiks under personal supervision. 

 The same method is generally followed by the other barrel- 

 makers of Birmingham and neighborhood, who manufacture 

 for the London aud country trade. 



We will now proceed to describe the method practiced in 

 Birmingham for the manufacture of medium and common 

 grade barrels, and without which this work would be incom- 

 plete. 



Ttie iron is twisted in much the same way as that already 

 described, but steam-power is used to turn the winch instead 

 of hand-power. The forge-fires are blown by a steam fan, 

 instead of the old-fashioned bellows, and the welding is done 

 by one man instead of three.. This is accomplished by hav- 

 ing a tilt hammer close to the forge regulated to give sharp, 

 quick, short blows, aud capable of being thrown in and out 

 of gear with the foot. The welder is also provided with an 

 anvil, swages, mandrils, etc. When he removes the coil 

 from the fire, he has only to knock in a mandril, straighten 

 the coil on the anvil, jump it close by striking it on the floor 

 in the usual manner, and place it under the tilt, re-heating 

 the coil, i e,pmn.ting the process until the barrel is properly 

 finished. The appearance of barrels so welded is not so good 

 as that or those hammered by hand, but tbey are strong and 

 sound, and on account of less care and labor being bestowed 

 on their production, they are cheaper than hand-forged bar- 

 rels. 



The famous Belgian Damascus barrels, in which the figure 

 is very minute, arc made of thirtv-two alternate bars of iron 

 aud steel rolled into a sheet 3-10lhs of an inch thick, which 

 is then split by a machine into square rods. These rods are 

 then twisted as described already, but to such an extent that 

 the threads resemble, a very flue screw, there being not in- 

 frcquontlv eighteen turns to the inch. Six of these rods are 

 then rolled together to make the riband, and the result is tho 

 extremely minute figure; aud the overtwisting, it is claimed 

 by our author, reduces the strength of the metal, just as a 

 hemp rope is rradered useless by overtwisting. The barrel- 

 welders of Belgium are chiefly located at or near Liege. 

 Other continental places where "good barrels are made are 

 St. Etienne in France, Brescia in Italy, and Suhl in Prussia. 



Passing through the successive steps in the preparation of 

 the gun-barrel, we come at length to the proving of them. 

 This is obligatory upon the manufacturer in London, Bir- 

 mingham and Liege. 



MODE OF PEOVTNG. 



A description of the modus operandi of proving gun-barrels 



may be interesting to sportsmen aud gunmakers in those 

 countries iu which no proof-house exists. The system of 

 proving at both the Birmingham and London proof -houses 

 are identical. Each ban-el passes through the proof-house 

 with a number attached to it, so that the name of the owner 

 or maker is not known to the workmen, who therefore have 

 no opportunity, if they were so willed, of spoiling the article 

 from spite or malice against the maker. Before "the? barrel is 

 sent iuto the loading-room it is gauged by plu^s and stamped 

 with a number. The workman whose duty it is to stamp the 

 barrels stands at a bench upon which fifty or sixfv numbered 

 steel punches are arranged in order. Corresponding to these 

 are numbered gauging-plugs, varying in size from" that of a 

 pea up to two inches, ibiviug ascertained the exact bore of 

 the barrel by means of one of these plugs, he takes up a 

 punch, bearing a similar number to the plug, aud stamps that 

 number upon the barrel — say seventeen. The man whose 

 duty it is to load the barrel, seeing the number, is able, to 

 judge of the proper amount of loading to put in it, Leaving 

 this room and following a short tramway, along which the 

 barrels are conveyed, we oome to the " Loading-Room." 



