Western Arms Co. single. Decarbonized Steel.

Warpspasm · Jul 1, 2020

A friend of mine just found an old shotgun in his late mother's closet. It's a Western Arms Co. single shot, serial number 72925. The barrel is stamped DECARBONIZED STEEL. I told him not to shoot it until I found out more about it. I know you shouldn't fire modern ammo through Damascus steel barrels, but I've never heard of Decarbonized steel. My gut tells it's probably not safe. I'm sure one of you shot gunners will know all about it. I imagine he would also like to know the value of this shotgun, so if you can give me a ballpark idea on that I'd appreciate it.

Thanks.

Arcamm · Jul 1, 2020

Copied this from another forum:

Decarbonized steel is another name for Bessemer steel. Siemens-Martin "Open Hearth" fluid steel and Whitworth's Fluid-compressed Steel were adaptations of the Bessemer process; with higher carbon content, tensile strength, and fewer voids and inclusions.

“Fire-Arms Manufacture” 1880, U.S. Dept. of Interior, Census Office
The earliest use of decarbonized steel for gun-barrels is generally credited to the Remingtons, [E. Remington & Sons] who made steel barrels for North & Savage, of Middletown, Connecticut, and for the Ames Manufacturing Company of Chicopee, Massachusetts as early as 1846. About 1848 Thomas Warner, at the Whitneyville works, incurred so much loss in the skelp-welding of [Twist] barrels that he voluntarily substituted steel drilled barrels in his contract, making them of decarbonized steel...The use of soft cast-steel [very low carbon steel] was begun at Harper's Ferry about 1849. After 1873, all small-arms barrels turned out at the national armory at Springfield were made of decarbonized…Bessemer steel until 1878, and afterward Siemens-Martin steel.

It is assumed the "Remington Steel" used on the A Grade Hammerless Model of 1894 starting in 1897, K Grade (Model 1900) Hammerless, and Model of 1894 Hammerless Grade “F.E.” Trap Gun (introduced in 1906) was similar to Marlin “Special Rolled Steel” and Winchester “Rolled Steel” - all "cold rolled" Decarbonized steel.
The April 1897 Remington catalog stated “Remington blued steel barrels are manufactured in our own works” and the Sears catalog No. 112 c. 1902 states the K Grade has “fine Decarbonized steel barrels”.
Pre-WWI Crescent "Armory Steel" was Decarbonized steel.
"Parker Steel" used on Parker Grade 1 PH & NH after 1917 was Decarbonized Resulphurized Rephosphorized AISI 1109 Low Carbon Steel

The tensile strength of the "cold rolled" Decarbonized barrels would be similar to AISI 1020 Low Carbon Steel, of which many pre- and immediately post-WWI U.S. maker's barrels were made.

Doctor_M · Jul 1, 2020

Decarburization (or decarbonization) is a process in metallurgy where carbon is reduced by heating to temperatures above 700 °C. The metal reacts with oxygen and hydrogen. The removal of carbon removes the hard carbide phase in steel processing and results in a "softening" of the metal.

It might be safe for black powder loads, but to me, I would call that one a wall hanger. Value isn't much... maybe $100 to $150 max.

Doctor_M · Jul 1, 2020

If your friend wanted to take it out for a walk, I would suggest getting some chamber inserts. I have a number of older Damascus steel guns that I would never fire a modern 12 ga round in; but with a chamber adapter, they will handle a .410 very safely... good way to breath a little new life into an old gun.

Western Arms Co. single. Decarbonized Steel.

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