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Originally Posted by mariusgmioc
... it is impossible to predict how metal aging has affected the steel.
Aged steel can become alarmingly brittle and crack under minimal stress. And gun barrel steel is quite well known of aging badly.
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Marius
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I read somewhere (Churchill?) that at the battle of Omdurman in 1898, many of the Mahdi's men wore rather old maille. It was noted that it had a bad habit of shattering when hit with a sabre or lance (or a bullet). Pre-industrial steel was rather variable before the mid 19c. Early primers as well as gunpowder residue were rather corrosive to barrels if not washed out quickly after use.