I have been collecting Damascus guns, let's see, my first Damascus Lefever was about 1957, when I was 11 years old. I just shot my first smokeless load out of my Grade 1 Damascus hammer gun at the 2007 Southern Side by Side, the first smokeless load I have ever fired out of a composite barrel gun without inserts. I loaded black powder for 50 years, read Sherman Bell's research, waited a couple of years, and bit the bullet. It was a great 50 years, however, with dozens of great guns shot and cleaned, from 20 gauge to 8 gauge. I'm not much for selling Parkers or Lefevers, so I still have most of the Damascus guns I've fooled with over the years. I was slow to convert, but now I know what the pressure characteristics are of both black and smokeless powders, thanks to Sherman. I own a wall thickness gauge and a couple of bore micrometers thanks to Manson and Tony, and a cabinet full of machinist's measuring tools, thanks to Linda's Dad. I am no long afraid. Even before Sherman, I was a bit suspicious of the Damascus warnings when I saw a ten gauge Damascus Purdey hammer pigeon gun at a Richmond gun show that had British nitro proof marks for 3 1/2" shells, proved at 4 tons as I recall. If there was ever a gun that I'm sorry I passed up, that was the one.
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