Thinking about going Damascus

[Stepmac]

Originally Posted by Dean Romig

No Mike, there has been no (scientific) research confirming Twist or Damascus is/are inherantly unsafe to shoot. Anyone who states so is simply expressing an opinion or repeating the opinion of others. In the Double Gun Journal Sherman Bell conducted his own tests in order to discover 'burst' or 'rupture' pressures . No, his teste weren't ultra scientific but he used pressure sensing instruments and measured walls and exterrior measurements after each set of shots fired at increasing chamber pressures. Sure, some barrels ruptured or became deformed but these exceeded 31,000 psi.

Those Remington proof loads measured 18,000 psi which is way more than even the most powerful modern shotgun shells. Most are 12,000 psi. Lite loads are around 10,000 psi....I think. If I'm wrong I'm sure one of you shotshell gurus can correct me.





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I enjoyed Sherman Bell's articles in DGJ and read them over and over. He had a hard time to get damascus barrels to let go. He honed a set of L.C.Smith barrels to "paper thin" and loaded them with Remington proof shells and they still wouldn't explode. The only sure way to get damascus barrels to let go was to put an obstruction in the bore. Any shotgun barrel will explode if you do that.