As I've mentioned here lately I've been reading all of Sherman Bell's articles about testing damascus barrels. He took a Smith damascus double and had a smith hone the barrels to nearly paper thin. He took 9 ounces from the weight off of the barrels. Then he shot them using extremely heavy proof loads. Nothing happened. He couldn't get them to go until he jammed an obstruction down there.

While I love my Parker guns, I'm not a Parker gun snob (not that my fellow Parker brothers are) and any fine double gun starts my heart a pump'n.

And does any fine pumpgun get your heart A Dublin?
 

---I must admit, I am remiss, I have not yet read that Sherman Bell research article. Steve, can you share with us where you read it please.

I shoot Tower birds at an area club, and several members have Parkers, Purdeys, a Churchill, several AH Fox guns, etc. Those friends, to the best of my knowledge, are not PGCA members, and they are fine first class gents with superb gunning manners, both at the stands, and also afield later with the dogs for the pick-up hunts. Both my GHE 12 and my PH 12 are 'working guns", and I have never felt any bit of "snobbery' when shooting as a partner with someone with a Purdey. A fine shot and a solid sportsman is a human characteristic (IMO) and not the grade of gun he uses, or make of car he chooses to drive.

You might also enjoy a visit to our brothers in doubledom- vis a vis the LC Smith Collectors Group- I just recently read a very information thread there about the scarcity of LC Smith hammerless doubles in 10 gauge, both with Damascus and also with Nitro proofed barrels. I came away with the understanding that like the Ithaca Flues 10 gauge guns, they were all chambered for 2 & 7/8" shells, and not the later 3 & 1/2" shells as regards the Ithaca NID series guns! A great bit of information, and we are fortunate to have such a nice relationship with the Smith boys!!:cool::cool:

I do not own an L.C. Smith shotgun. As I speak there is an OO for sale down town, but she is in very rough shape and needs a lot of work and is not cheap. There is a Trojan too, but they want an arm and a leg for it. I saw a very flaky Remington in a very flaky antique store last week. It is damascus and cheap. I didn't get a good look at it. If it is graded it might be mine. It'll need about two grand to make it right. If it is a DE, well, might be worth it.

However that Trojan is sticking its tongue into my ear. But I'm gun poor now. I'm still pretty excited about this GH of mine. Need to fix it and buy some shells and give her a whorl on the clays range.

You can never go wrong with a Trojan Parker
 

Steve- I have owned two Trojan 12 bores- and both were fine pheasant guns- perhaps a tad heavy, as the 12's were always on the no. 2 frame- but what is the condition and the "arm and leg" price. Speaking of Smiths- Cabela's Gun Library has many- and they have finally lowered the prices on some- especially the ones with issues= FYI