Posted by SGT on December 8, 2006, 7:02 pm, in reply to "Re: Belgium barrels"
Unless you see a foreign barrel suppliers stamp on the a set of fluid steel tubes, one cannot conslusively say those tubes were imported. Fluid steel barrel tubes were also produced in the USA (as early as the mid-1890s, John Houchins published an article on Smith guns and fluid steel barrels in the DGJ; you might want to check that out); and it is thought Hunter had at least some of their trademarked steels produced specifically for them, although I can't say for sure as regards barrels marked Armour steel. All the early makers purchased raw barrel tubes with their assigned steel quality "monkers" from suppliers; these tubes supposedly made to the makers specifications. Damascus and Twist barrels always came from Europe (some were made in the US, but never in large commercial quanities); but fluid steel tubes were both imported and produced domestically, so unless there is a foreign trade mark (Krupp/Whitworth) or foreign suppliers mark we can never know the source for sure. On lower grade guns, suppliers/markers marks were most often removed in the carding process. Also, these early makers were always looking for deals; so they would often purchase barrel stock thru distress sales (maker in bankruptcy/going out of business, etc). To illustrate this point, I am aware of one Ideal grade made with Krupp barrels (never cataloged); however, Hunter had overstamped the Krupp trademark with "London Steel" their barrel quality moniker for the Ideal Grade. All this just keep collecting interesting.