Purchasers should be fully acquainted with the fact that it is impossible to produce laminated steel barrels at a low figure: labour, high-priced, skilled labour, is always costly; and talent must be paid for in all parts of the world. The attainment of high class barrels at a low figure, as a rule, is an impossibility; and the maker who would pretend, promise, or undertake to make a laminated steel barrelled gun under 15l. to 20l. is an arrant deceiver: he could never profitably carry out such an intention, even if he possessed the ability to produce the article. For judgment, skill, and ability, as well as labour, are required to produce laminated steel barrels. Steel alone is not laminated; and that is another difficulty: fortunately there are not many persons capable of effecting it. My method of laminating steel is kept as much out of sight as possible, as a means of self-protection.
Stub Damascus is by many makers called “steel:” both first and second class stub; and any attempt to reason them out of the absurdity is a hopeless task. Many of the highest class makers still doggedly stick to stub Damascus, and insinuate underhandedly that the benefit of steel is doubtful: few do it openly; but I feel sorry to record the fact that prejudice on this point is still rampant.
On the superior shooting properties of steel barrels I will enlarge in another place.
The Exhibitions have told very beneficially on the future of Birmingham; the fact of standing highest in every competition will do (and has done) more to remove the prejudice entertained against Birmingham manufacture than aught beside. Sportsmen begin to understand the fact that it is better to order their guns direct from the manufacturer than from the mere salesman, who can only take his goods on trust, and warrants without knowing that he can justly do so. Any system that would identify the maker with his work would do all that is necessary to emancipate Birmingham from the stigma which prejudice has entailed upon her name; and from which I hope to see her rise rapidly yet. But I do not wish to see her rise on the reputation of London: would that all Birmingham guns were like those of London makers; or superior to them, if possible.
In addition to the serious evil of producing guns of such great inferiority in material, and dubbing such barrels “laminated steel,” a far more serious one is the practice of unscrupulously adding to such guns the names of makers who have spent the majority of their lives in obtaining a name for their manufacture; thus robbing them indirectly of what is dear to all honest men—reputation. Few are judges sufficiently qualified to detect a spurious gun of this description; and the name thus forged reflects unmerited discredit on a maker who would scorn to allow such an article to leave his manufactory: but as long as the standard of moral honesty is so low, both among merchants and manufacturers, such things will be. Men may excuse themselves for affixing the names of men and firms to inferior or worthless guns by the plea of having been ordered to do it by the exporters, but they are not the less doing a moral wrong, in thus aiding in a deception which profits them not. But such practices will continue, until the sense of right and wrong becomes more conscientious, and trade morality rises to a higher standard than at present.
I have every reason to believe, and have not the least hesitation in stating the fact, that not only is the epithet “laminated steel” added to guns the barrels of which do not contain a particle of steel, but that a far more serious misrepresentation and injury is perpetrated by affixing the words “William Greener’s Laminated Steel, indestructible by Gunpowder,” to many guns not even of middling fair quality, but the veriest rubbish ever manufactured. That this is a species of forgery there can be no doubt; yet the law of this country affords no remedy to effectually prevent and punish the rascality of offering for sale an article fraudulently professing to be what it is not, to the injury of the purchaser as well as the manufacturer whose good name is thus maligned. Forged “Greener’s” are to be found principally in the American markets; where batches of ten and twelve have been seen in various parts of the States, principally in the hands of “itinerant merchants.” They are, I believe, pretty plentifully produced in “Liege,” also; where, in fact, forgeries on all our principal makers are produced.
As the law provides no effectual remedy or punishment for such rascality, I now, in order to lessen it as much as possible, mark every gun leaving my manufactory with a “private mark” in addition to its number; and on reference to me, giving a description of the gun purchased “and its number,” information will be returned of the private mark, which will stamp the article as real or spurious. If the gun has no number reference is useless, as I number every gun that I send out, and the want is certain proof that it is a forgery. But with a view to lessen the evil as much as can be, I may here say that the best double gun, with case complete, that I can make will be freely given to any individual who will produce evidence which will enable me to expose all parties concerned in such nefarious dealing, and justify me in holding them up to public reprobation: which will be done as certainly as proof can be adduced.
There are ample fields of commerce in gunnery yet to be developed, were articles produced suitable for use, not for show or deception. Inferiority of manufacture combined with deception is the worst course ever adopted by any community. If Birmingham would repudiate such a course, and refuse to make worthless articles, attending more to quality than cheapness, the gun trade would be more prosperous than it ever has been.
Time is rapidly realising the recommendations I have put forth of the great benefit to be obtained, not only in steam boilers, but various other mechanical constructions, by the use of higher qualities of metals. We have now even “steel ships” as well as steel guns, giving double the strength, with half the weight; and if all manufacturers of high class machines adopted the same principles, an immense saving would be effected in the long run, from the absence of repairs alone, in addition to the greater durability of the machine.