Real Damascus or printed?

[Jwoody]

Forgive me if this is a stupid question. I am working on my "new" Bannerman shotgun and  reading about Damascus barrels. I was trying to decide what was the proper finish for the barrel. Bluing, browning, . I have finished electrolysis to remove rust and am happy with the results. I'm confused though. Where the fore stock rubbed the bottom of the barrel, there is no grain in the barrel, almost like worn through paint. (See pictures) I looked inside the barrel, and I'll be the first to say it's not easy to look at, but I don't see graining inside either, so is it really a Damascus barrel, or just treated to look like one, and what is the proper finish for the barrel and receiver? Learning lots from this forum, thank you ahead of time!

[Herbert]

Bannermans  list there barrels as being twist steel for grade E,for No 2500 and upwards also plain steel for grade E No 2500 and upwarsds ( may be a misprint, for  one grade is almost certainly D grade)A and B grades were suplyed with  finest Damascus, crade C made with quality   3 blade Damascus,no mention of etched Damascus pattern on plain steel barrels is mentioned but it would not suprise me if they were made

[Jwoody]

How do you tell what grade it was built as? I'm in the 13,000 serial number range

[Herbert]

Can not help you here as I have only seen two Bannerman Spencer guns and booth were British proofed and marked by a British retailer,they were booth heavely engraved and top end wood used but this may have been done in England as one had a nitro proofed fluid steel barrel with no Bannerman marks on it,most likley a English barrel fitted on special order when the engraving was done,the other barrel was a high grade Damascus barrel that was Bannerman marked.Booth guns had Bannerman adress on the action as well as the retailers name but no grade mark any were,somone who is more famular with these guns may be able to shed some light on weather the grades were marked on the guns or the special features of each grade was the only way to tell the diffrence

[Snakeeater]

Marcot (page 279) reprinted the price list for the Spencer Model 1887 describing the grades as, viz:

Grade D, $45, made of the best forged steel, case-hardened breech block, Damascus barrel, blued receiver, Italian walnut stock, pistol-grip, rubber butt plate.

Grade C, $60, made of the best forged steel, case-hardened system, 3 lame Damascus barrel, Persian walnut stock, pistol-grip, checkered, rubber butt plate.

Grade B, $80, made of the best forged steel, case-hardened and engraved system, 4 lame Turkish Damascus barrel, Persian walnut stock, selected for strength and beauty, pistol-grip, checkered, rubber butt plate.

Grade A, $100, made of best forged steel, very finely engraved case-hardened system, 6 lame Turkish Damascus barrel: stock, best seasoned Persian walnut, carefully selected from the heart of the tree for strength and beauty, pistol-grip, checkered, rubber butt plate.

[My note: "3 lame" and "4 lame" refers to the number of twisted rods used in making the barrel, with the cheapest Damascus barrel (single iron-stub Damascus) made from a single twisted bar. Fine Damascus barrels, as manufactured by the Belgians, are made from between four and six twisted rods, but three were sufficient to produce a very fine figure – W.W. Greener (1907)].

Later, on page 288, Marcot provides an advert for the Model 1900 "Take Down" wherein provides a description of Bannerman's cheapest gun, Grade E, listed at $25, and describes it, viz: "It is made of the best forged steel, with fine twist barrel. European makers of this grade call them "Twist Damascus" Made of steel and iron, welded and twisted together, giving great strength, and when the bronzing acid is put on the twisted steel figure becomes the lighter shade and the iron the darker, giving the barrel a beautiful appearance which is not to be found in any plain steel barrel. The stock is American walnut with pistol-grip—oil finished. Frame and mechanism are case hardened, making it wear longer and giving that beautiful mottled color seen in first class work."