I am moving ahead on my project of making a single shot break action. I have cut the monoblock and receiver body. I have flip flopped on the chambering, but have decided to go light for the first one. .204 ruger will be the first and if everything works out, I will follow up with 6mm Rem. for the second barrel.

I make knives professionaly...10 years now, and was looking over a suppliers site. I noticed a new product that made my heart skip. It is from Damasteel AB........damascene barrel blanks!! Both in stainless and 4140/4130 carbon steel. I LOVE damscus barrels, and understand the safety concerns with them. I am also intimately familiar with damasteel and the process in making it. I can see a clear picture of my SS with damascus octagon barrel with integral rib and a color case hardened receiver.....makes me pretty weak just thinking about it

This product is made useing powdered metalurgy, which yields a tougher version of the grade of steel over conventional methods. It gets pretty deep in explanation beyond that, but the point is there are none of the issues associated with the old damascus barrels. The damasteel is a solid bar with no welding to produce the damascene pattern.

I am going to be the first kid on my block with a damascus barrel!!! :-)

BTW, the site link is www.damasteel.biz

Go for it !! Supply photos also please .

Bailey,

Thanks for the info on the barrel blanks.
Do you know how large they go up to?

I went to the web site, but didn't find any info.

Garrett

Garrett,

I sent an e-mail to the US distributor for Damasteel. As soon as I receive information from him, I will pass it on.

Mehulkandar (sp?) posted information on these barrels about a year or so back. I think the barrels are made in Germany. I'll see if I can find the link. I thought they looked fabulous, but was waiting to see if anyone could tell me how they shot.

Found it! here and here (German)

Ok, I found a site that has the barrel blank prices and sizes listed. It is a British business, so it is all in metric. 25.4mm to the inch will allow you to convert.

Problem is that when I did the math for a 30mm diameter blank, it came to $950!! Maybe me rethinks barrel......

I find it pretty rediculous for it to be so high. The steels are not exotic ( 4140 and 4340), and they are just blanks, not even bored, profiled or even turned. They are still with mill scale. I can't see them moving many of them at those prices, so maybe the price will drop in the future.

The site link is www.crandart.co.uk

If I'm reading this site right, the longest length billet is 500mm or roughly 19 1/2" for what I consider quite high prices.

IF (and this is a major question) they work well for barrels (that is cut and machine well, hold up for a reasonable amount of rounds down barrel, are strong enough AND are ACCURATE when cut properly) they would make some great looking pistol barrels that, while high, are not that big a percentage of the cost of a good pistol. OTOH, if this sites prices are more or less the standard, then they would add significantly to the cost of many custom rifles. What, figure $1300 for the steel and machining, plus the cutter would have to add a significant amount for "insurance" to replace the blank if something went wrong.

I'd like to hear what the US distributor for damasteel has to say.

on the english site they list barrel blank lengths to a meter and more.

rough cost is $40.00 / inch for a 30mm diam blank..... and up

the $40.00 /inch cost is for 25 mm blank
(1 inch)

the 30mm is about $56.00 / inch

I got prices a while back and had to pass. I had a project that might justify the cost but at the end of the day, the patterns are not quite close enough to true damascus to work. It looks more like zebra metal.

Anyone aware of anyone in the US that has made a barrel out of this steel?

I agree that damascus barrels are beautiful. A well made damascus barrel; even made the old way is as strong as a fluid steel barrel depending on the steels used to make it. That said, there are some weaknesses in old damascus due to crevice corrosion & soft steels used. I always thought about taking one of the old, pretty, twist steel barrels & lining it with a modern steel liner for the best of both. I've lined some old barrels but not damascus yet.