Personally I’m fine with articles like these planting seeds of doubt or reinforce old beliefs about Damascus barrels. It makes them much more affordable.

But, it makes unscrupulous people blue over them!!

Perhaps that is the case. Certainly there are dam barrels that have been blued for one reason or another. I’m always a bit excited when I see a dam barreled gun in a local gun shop. It usually doesn’t take long to get to the “damascus barrels are dangerous” speech from who ever is behind the counter.

Given Mr. Roster status and position in the industry, perhaps his position in the context and space limitations of a "periodical" article is the only one he can take. And we all agree that having someone in the know inspect a set of composite barrels is always wise before using them.

When it comes to sporting media like Shooting Sportsman, one must keep these things in mind:

1) The Shooting Sportsman audience is MUCH larger than the Damascus gun market.
2) The advertisers in SS make guns with fluid steel barrels.
3) These advertisers PAY for space in SS.
4) Mr. Roster wants to keep his job.
5) A cautionary story about Damascus barrels helps sell more of those fluid steel barreled guns.
6) Mr. Roster's publisher is happy.

Thus ends our lesson in sporting media economics.

Bingo- We have a winner!!

It's all about the physics involving pressure. It doesn't matter if it's Damascus barrels, fluid steel barrels or a piece of PVC pipe. When you boil it down shotgun barrels are nothing more than a piece of pipe, either they will be able to safely hold a given pressure or they will yield & fail if they have been exposed to pressures over their yield strength. It only makes sense to keep the pressures as low as possible no matter what kind of material the barrels are made from. It all comes down to any given set of barrels, their individual condition and what they can handle for pressure. IMO a good rule of thumb is to inspect each barrel closely for condition with the emphasis on safety and then keep the pressures the lowest you can to get the job done safely & effectively.

Tom Roster is for the most part is correct about not confusing pressure with recoil. Recoil is affected by a different set of physics and the two shouldn't be confused with each other.

If my Damascus barrels blow up and kill me on a covey rise, then I died well.

I'm either living proof of the hoax or the luckiest man alive

Shooting Sportsman is the "Magazine of Wingshooting and Fine Guns." I would have hoped for a better approach to the article. This is the second time in about a year Mr. Roster has confused the issue on Damascus barrels.

Ken

Some older gun guys who have been at it for their whole lives still cling to old ways, methods, opinions, and wives’ tales...





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