Quick and dirty metal id
If you touch the metal item to a running bench grinder wheel, you can get a quick and rough estimate of the iron/carbon content of the item. There are pictures available on the web that allow you to estimate the metal you have. If you take a known modern pipe and the test piece and inspect the "feathers", you can tell whether your find is more like a pipe or a gun barrel.
http://www.weldingwire.com/applications/DocumentLibraryManager/upload/METAL ID.pdf
Hope this helps.
HH,
John Morton
If you touch the metal item to a running bench grinder wheel, you can get a quick and rough estimate of the iron/carbon content of the item. There are pictures available on the web that allow you to estimate the metal you have. If you take a known modern pipe and the test piece and inspect the "feathers", you can tell whether your find is more like a pipe or a gun barrel.
http://www.weldingwire.com/applications/DocumentLibraryManager/upload/METAL ID.pdf
Hope this helps.
HH,
John Morton