In his article on the forging of rifle barrels, Jacques Benmussa not only explains how these objects are made, but also demonstrates them.
"Manufacturing methods varied from one shop to another, depending on the experience of the blacksmiths and the tools available. In some cases, it took sixty chaudes and three hours to forge an infantry rifle barrel; it took thirty chaudes to forge a musket rifle barrel (shorter) and one hour and forty-five minutes of labor. Working on a barrel generally required 2 craftsmen: a worker held one end of the mandrel, and the master blacksmith shaped and welded the barrel iron around the mandrel. The master smith used 2-pound hammers and the assistant smith wielded 8- and 5-pound hammers, striking alternately, one to weld the blade the other to tighten the pores of the metal."
