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Here are some photos of the gun, Gary

I guess the pad was added to give a longer LOP than the original 13-1/2, Gary

Thanks so much for the info. Very interesting. From what I’ve read at the turn of the century many hunters and shooters believed Damascus was better than fluid steel. Even sending Purdys back to the shop and having their fluid steel barrels replaced with Damascus ones. So there a parkers with both factory fluid and Damascus steel sets of barrels but many don’t know they exist.

Reportedly, Lord Walsingham (1843-1919) changed the Whitworth (fluid) steel barrels on some of his guns for Damascus, as the composite steel he deemed less prone to inducing a headache.

This, from Wikipedia, tells of the event that prompted the nobleman’s “changed mind” on gun barrels.

“On 30 August 1888, Lord Walsingham had a remarkable day shooting on Blubberhouses Moor, Yorkshire, when he killed 1070 grouse. The day started at 05:12 with the first of twenty drives, assisted by two teams of forty beaters, two loaders and four guns. During the sixteenth drive he shot 94 grouse in 21 minutes; a killing rate of one every 13 seconds. The last drive finished at 18:45 and his Lordship managed to shoot fourteen on the walk home.”

It’s amazing so much to learn. Some have knowledge about certain things, others aren’t aware of them. Getting back into this is certainly an education and learning experience.

That is some kind of shooting. No wonder he had a headache.

On one trip to Argentina for doves I figured up the fire rate after I left to come home. I averaged one shell fired per 15 seconds of shooting time, and I was holding back all I could stand. That was shooting an O/U too, not a jammamatic. No problems with headaches, but I was only shooting 7/8 oz. 20 gauge loads. I wasn't trapping the hulls, either. I was letting them hit the ground behind me.

Next trip I averaged over 1000 doves a day, in two three hour shifts each day. Knowing what the numbers of birds necessary to make a bag that size looks like I can hardly imagine how there could have been enough grouse in the countryside to accomplish that feat. Must've been an amazing sight.

No wonder you are such a good dove shot. Practice makes perfect.