Thanks for this interesting thread. I think most of you agree RST provides shells to support low pressure and low recoil loads for vintage guns. Have any of you looked at the warning on the inside box flap? "...use only in modern shotguns (not Damacus twist barrels, etc.)..."

The guys at RST are great to deal with, but for some reason they include the warning.

Ken

its because of legal issues again is the reason the warning is on the box..charlie

A V with Vulcan barrels isn't a modern shotgun either.

The myth does still exist. The knowledgeble classic gun trade knows better, but the "folks" don't. If I showed up a a turkey shoot here in N. GA with my Parker or Ithaca damacus barreled shotgun, there would be folks there to tell me I should not shoot it. Before I knew the facts I passed up so many opportunities. Know I can only think.....:banghead::banghead::banghead:

30 years ago, Captain Earl Ashenfelder (of Susquehanna River fame) was selling a few of his guns and asked us to stop by. One of his guns for sale was a Baker Batavia Leader 12 ga. Damascus. I took a pass because of the barrels but Earl said," Skipper, I guarantee, that gun has fired at least 10,000 rounds of Super X shells at ducks on the flats"! I kick myself. Mostly because Earl has passed now and it would have made a wonderful momento....

I remember reading those Bell articles. The thing that stood out to me was in order to cause a failure he had to lodge a 20 gauge shell in a 12 gauge barrel and then fire the gun causing it to blow. When I got my first damsacus gun I still held my breath and said a prayer before I pulled the trigger.

The terms Damascus, Twist, Laminated Steel are simply names for different types of composite Barrels. No one can make a definitive statement as to the shootablilty of composites. The key to shootability is the quality of manufacture and materials used.
During the hardware store gun era, a large number of Doubles were imported with very poor quality Twist, Laminated and Faux pattern Barrels. These guns were cheap and did not hold up to much use. I suspect that these poor quality composite Barrels were prone to failure and may have greatly contributed to the universal condemnation of Damascus.
The composite Barrels used by the major manufacturers were the highest quality available and very costly.
Every set needs to be inspected prior to use, however great confidence can be taken in unmolested "High Quality" composite barrels.

Brad

Barrel thickness and condition being equal, are the Parker Twist, Plain Twist, Stub Twist and Laminated barrels "generally" as strong as the Damascus barrels or should greater care be used in selecting pressure and velocity for those, ?

David

We have not performed destructive testing to chart specific hardness or steel composition. The gauges that we use are machinability, dent raising, striking, polishing, and contrast at initial etching. Higher grade steel is more difficult to machine and shows less contrast at etch. Softer steel is easily machined and shows bold contrast at etch.
Based on these observations I would rate in descending order: Laminated, Damascus, stub twist, plain twist, Parker twist.

Brad

This is a very interesting thread.