All these posts are interesting, and I see that the LC Smiths are also mentioned here. No mention of the Fox or Ithaca guns yet, perhaps later. I have used a friend's 10 Stoeger double for geese in past years, but not since steel shot. Perhaps this is why the main topic has been both turkey hunting and then clays. I can only imagine what a tight fisted load of No. 8 chilled shot from a 10 gauge would do to a clay target at close range- decimated!!
A friend has a very old Damascus barrel 10 gauge LC Smith- very ornate pattern to the barrels, engraved and the side plates are "stepped" at the rear apex on both sides. It is a hammerless with double triggers, fine wood- but his gunsmith cautioned against shooting it as it has the first design bottom barrel lug, with squared corners. He said those were prone to stress cracking, even with the black powder loads of that time.
I understand his opinion, as a tool maker, we learn first off that a radius moves stress, but a 90% corner traps it. Could I get a read on this from BFT please??
