HC barrel finish for a 1770s...

[rich pierce]

Well, the topic lives on!

What about actual period evidence? Some/maybe most of the best-preserved colonial period longrifles are those captured by the British and taken back as souvenirs of war. This is obviously a small sampling. But these guns were preserved, for the most part (exceptions exist) as they were when captured. They did not receive another 20-60 years of field use. One of the Oerter rifles captured by England is bright in barrel and lock finish.

I re-rifled several original barrels that were browned, all right - above the wood. Below the wood they were not. Tarnished, yes. Browned - not. A clear line where the external surfaces got “browned” by exposure to elements for decades.

Few people come at a topic without a bias. I’ll make the wild guess that some of the most passionate supporters of “of course they were browned” have one or more black powder rifles with browned barrels and zero with barrels in the white.

In the end, some keep exploring and learning, and others are content with what they are certain of, often quoting what experts wrote 20, 30, 40, maybe 50 years ago.

 

[Rudyard]

Wow, let's make more assumptions, shall we?

As we are getting way off the thread topic, I will not engage with you any more... (Presses ignore button)

I knew Lynton Mackenzie when he was in the UK and an active member of the MLAGB ,then after he got lured to New Orlean's . Then he did' Friendship' shoots along with the other worthies mentioned before the 'Gunmakers Hall' got built we had great' jam?' sessions in an dusty empty booth Lewis Sancez did a carving design talk & Lyton talked about Engraveing . He did'nt like the English curiously naive game engraveing. often found. But I stood up for that style, Birds with flowers & a fence Cross eyed lions ect . A young Mike Lee had a booth close to George Shumways . Thats going back.
' Old' Rudyard
PS as to the actual debate Ime not Ama dent either way if they want it white they get it .if brown they get that . But that's mostly your long rifle sorts . Ive never focused on them, made enough though . Once made a Lancaster style Wilson UK made export rifle for De Witt Bailey .Talk about 'Coals to New Castle 'Don't know where it got to ' Cositrike' might know ?.
R

 

[brazosland]

Rich,

Do you have any pics of a modern iron barrel in final finished form?

Curious what level of polish it would have and how it would “grey” with use and reasonable care.. compared to the modern steel that we all have experience with now.

 

[rich pierce]

Rich,

Do you have any pics of a modern iron barrel in final finished form?

Curious what level of polish it would have and how it would “grey” with use and reasonable care.. compared to the modern steel that we all have experience with now.

Brazos, do you mean what does a wrought iron barrel look like in final finished form? Exactly like mild steel without magnification. In fact most tests of whether a piece of “iron” is wrought or mild steel are destructive. Either a spark test or a cut 3/4 of the way through a rod then bend it till it breaks. If wrought it will show some layer splitting. If mild, it will just break off.

I see descriptions of properties of wrought iron that don’t line up with my experience.

1) First repeated piece of “common knowledge” that doesn’t match my experience : Wrought iron is so soft you can cut it with a knife. Not sure how wrought iron nails could be that soft and work. Same with horseshoes. Guess they didn’t last long back then? It’s just the same to file and hacksaw as mild modern steel.

2) Second piece of “common knowledge” that doesn’t match my experience: Wrought iron resists rusting much better than modern barrels. Hmmm, not sure why barrels needed freshing of the rifling so often. Oops look at #1. I guess it’s because it was so soft! Joking aside, all that pitting we see on wrought iron barrels is from corrosion. Soldiers were required to “keep their barrels bright.” That says it tarnished.

We hear a lot about not wanting any “shine.” This drives the desire of many today for iron mounted rifles, for walnut-stained garb, and browned barrels. This is a modern view of camouflage that many who love times long-gone embrace. It’s what we were taught in all the outdoor magazines. Yet Native Americans wanted red cloth, vermilion, trade silver, and so on. I don’t see “olive drab” or “camouflage cloth” in trade lists. These things are modern approaches. Did they sometimes disguise for hunting and stealth warfare? Yes. But for battle? Less.

My views; others vary and I hope they do what they want, not what I think is best in such areas.