It’s hard to imagine that much shooting compared to our meager limits and shooting opportunities her in CA.

This amount of shooting might explain why the Brits sent their guns back to the factory to be refinished each year. On this side of the pond I have found Parkers and other makes lovingly taken care of with the checkering barely visible, shiney receivers and breach.

Very true. We walk and carry a lot, shoot very very little...

https://books.google.com/books?id=4x...g=PA175&source
“On August 30 (1888), when I killed 1,070 grouse to my own gun in the day, I shot with four breechloaders. No.1, a gun made in 1866 by Purdey, subsequently converted from pin-fire to central principle, to which new barrels were made last year. Nos. 2 and 3, a pair of central fire breechloaders, made also by Purdey, about 1870, for which I have likewise had new barrels. No. 4, a new gun made by Purdey this year to match the two mentioned above, but with Whitworth steel instead of Damascus barrels. The guns are all 12 bore, with cylinder 30 in. barrels, not choked.”
“My cartridges were loaded by Johnson, of Swaffham; those used in the down-wind drives containing 3 1/8 drs. Hall’s Field B powder to 1 1/8 ozs. No. 5 Derby shot; those used in the up-wind drives (where the birds, of course, came slower) had 3 drs. only of the same powder, with the same shot; not hardened shot in either case.”
“I find I never go out shooting without learning something. If I had the day again, I should cut off the extra eighth of an ounce of shot, not on account of recoil or discomfort of kind – from which I never suffer, although always using black powder – but because I failed to get as much penetration at long distances as I do with an ounce only. I distinctly remember firing three barrels at one bird, striking well in the body every time, but killing dead only with the last shot; the powder seemed to burn too slow.”
“Another thing I learned was that Whitworth steel barrels are not desirable for a heavy day’s shooting. The explosion in them makes quite a different sound from that given off by Damascus barrels: there is more ring about it, and I can imagine that this might prove a serious annoyance to anyone who minds the noise of shooting. I have no recollection myself of ever having had a headache from gun-firing. Moreover, the Whitworth barrels become hot much more rapidly than the Damascus; and this is a serious drawback, especially to a man who shoots without gloves. I can well imagine that they last much longer, and are in many ways suited for ordinary light work; but am now replacing them with Damascus, as in all my other guns.”

WOW very interesting. Lots to learn. Never say never, never say always about Parker Guns...

Drew:

Good research. Your quote is from a written account of the man himself. It appears that my source, a secondary one, was wrong about Lord Walsingham suffering a headache from the Whitworth (fluid steel) barrels.

I suppose that it is unlikely, anyway, that a resolute and urbane Victorian sportsman would be complaining, after a triumphal day afield, about something as trite as a headache. His reason for the change to Damascus was more practical.