Is this barrel steel crystalized? safe? (Revelation Model 336) +PICTURES WARNING

[cpileri]

Is this barrel steel crystalized? (Revelation Model 336) +PICTURES WARNING

This shotgun is a Revelation Model 336, single-shot, bolt-action, 410 bore old enough to not have a serial number. I don't know the date of manufacture.

I believe it is one of the "hardware store" brands that corresponds to a (Savage)Stevens Model 951. But I am not too sure, though it looks like it in the Numrich parts book.

Up close, you can see hopefully that there are little lines running perpendicular to the bore axis. Although someone in the past tried to sand or steel wool the whole thing as seen in the receiver end and chamber end of the barrel, the rest of the length of the barrel has these lines evident.

Is this barrel safe to fire?

Do these lines represent the crystallization of the steel, as was suggested to me?

I hope these pictures come out. I don't own so don't have the shotgun in front of me but if I left something important out, pls let me know.
Thanks to the experts,
C-

 

[cpileri]

more pics

Here's the rest of the pictures:

 

[dfariswheel]

You cannot see crystallization of steel. Only lab tests and microscopic inspection of sectioned steel can detect it.

It's possible you have a Damascus steel barrel, but not likely in a bolt action gun.
I'd say it's just a gun that's seen hard use and rust which possibly someone attempted to sand off.

I'd take the gun to a gunsmith and have him inspect it and give a professional opinion on it's safety.

These old guns were cheap, bottom of the line guns when they were new, and these days, probably should be relegated to wall hangers.
Good, shooting guns are too cheap to risk shooting a questionable gun.

 

[Cesiumsponge]

Steels take some form of crystalline structure regardless, otherwise they'd be amorphous solids (ie glass).

It almost looks like that barrel was turned down from barstock with external flaws in it from the rolling process or similar but that'd be an odd thing to pass through QC. You would need to take it to a credible gunsmith with a background in metallurgy to get a good, solid opinion or report. A more general gunsmith that files sears and bakes gunkote probably wouldn't have as much credibility if you want a scientific analysis of the barrel.

 

[oletymer]

The gun was made for Western Auto by Stevens. The pictures look like surface rust pitting which will not affect the guns safety to use. The barrel is not damascus. I doubt it was sanded, the appearance looks like someone used navel jelly or other chemical rust remover.

 

[cpileri]

Thanks all.

i figured the best way would be to take it to a gunsmith. I just thought to check in here first.

it was also a chance to post a pic of a firearm that, at least by the paucity of hits on this forum using the search function, hasn't been talked about much. Maybe that's not too exciting in and of itself, but i like new things. I still need to do a full netsearch for info on this one, jst for my edification.

Thanks to all who replied.

More info always welcome!

C-