Quote:
|
All barrels have the initial "hole" gun drilled through the bore, even hammer forged barrels BUT the hammer forging process WOULD probably make the best barrels in regard to consistently centered bores IMHO
|
Hammer forged barrels vary in manufacturing processes. Some start out as a spud approximately 6"-8" long that is hammered and formed around a mandrel until it is the length of the finished barrel, the metal is heated by the hammers and is quite malleable buring the process. Others start out as a tube and are hammered down onto a mandrel. Some barrels are even chambered during the hammer forging process.
Quote:
|
About 1970 started the use of cold hammer forged barrels and almost all are made that way now.
|
Hammer forging was invented in Germany about the time of WW2 and used extensively there. In contrast, here in the US we used broach cutting for barrel making at that time, which was slower and much more equipment intensive. It wasn't until the 1950s that hammer forged barrels started showing up in European sporting arms here in the US (FN, Husquvarna and Sako were first, I believe).