I really enjoy these “conversations” Bill. Collaboration is great and will help us to get to the point where we can do any barrel with the same method and get consistent results. That’s the goal. Dale obviously got there and I know we can too.
The higher grade Damascus is the most difficult to do consistently, in my experience, with the exception of Bernard. I have a 20 bore set that I have tried to do three times an never got what I was looking for. I put the barrels away for years. But when I feel that I am where I need to be, I’ll try those barrels again. That will be my test.
I don’t have a lot of time to experiment with the process now since I am still working. But I am planning to retire in June and then I am going to devote a lot of my time to Damascus. I’m moving back to the family home in Pawling, NY and will have my grouse and woodduck hunting minutes away. I am so looking forward to that.
The first gun I am going to work on when I retire is a hammer Parker that was given to me by Austin Hogan. He was a friend and a great man with incredible knowledge. I am going to recut the checkering with mullered borders (I have been checkering since I was fourteen years old) and then refinish the stock and do the twist barrels. I call the gun my Austin gun. I’ll hunt ducks with that gun and think of Austin.
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