Ray, it is hard to tell by the titles of Bell's articles which ones are the tests of composite barrels. Someone will be along soon to give you the references. Yes, they are all in the Double Gun and Single Shot Journal. I edited my last post to indicate that I have, in fact, been shooting composite barrelled guns for a half a century, but with smokeless powder about two years. I am, as I said, a convert to Sherman Bell's research. Mr. Jerry Smith, who is pictured in The Parker Story, and referred to by his "real name", Mister Damascus, in the caption, has shot Damascus Parkers and other composite guns since an BH Grade Damascus Parker was worth about $100. Jerry and I lived within sight of each other's houses in Damascus, Maryland, for more than thirty years and knew each other even before this through Parker collecting. However, although he always teased the rest of us about shooting those dangerous fluid steel guns, I stuck to my guns and shot only black powder in my Damascus guns while he shot everything up to pigeon loads in his. In our pigeon club, Damascus guns are shot on a regular basis and I have never seen a black powder shell used. I don't think any of our members have shot at a pigeon with a shell that contains less than 1 1/4 ounces of shot. No one has ever blown up a composite barrel at one of our shoots.
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