When Did The Fear Factor Start?

[Mike Stahle]

What year or decade did the “never shoot modern shells from a Damascus barreled shotgun start?

I had an interesting (to say the least) reaction from a 71 year old awhile back, not long after I purchased my parker GH #1 frame Damascus barreled shotgun.

His first question was “why would you ever buy a Damascus barreled shotgun? You can’t shoot them with anything other than black powder shells.”

Then a few weeks ago I mentioned to him I was now shooting plain jane wally-world shotgun shells out of her with excellent results. His reaction was as if he saw a ghost, or "I" was, or should be the ghost.

So what was it, the gun-rag writers back in the day, or just a lot of unfounded hearsay passed along at deer camp?

[Dean Romig]

The Big Scare was pretty much the brainchild of the firearms/auumnition manufacturers. A great way to sell unprecedented numbers of new shotguns was to put fear into the minds of those who had been holding onto their trusty Damascus barreled shotguns. Invent a new powder but let it be known that this new, modern, far superior powder was too powerful for their old guns.....

It seems to have been very effective for nearly a century.

[Roundsworth]

I have a 'fresh from the case' box of Winchester 'Super Speed' 12 gauge shells with the 'Do not use in Damascus or other twist steel barrels' warning. The box dates from the late 1930s and the load is 3-3/4 Dram EQ with 1-1/4 ounces of 6c shot.

[Richard Flanders]

Send them to me Mark!! My 1883 twist bbl hammer gun loves them.... I shot some of those at pheasants in N Dakota; they work great.

[VH20]

While I do buy into the theory that the warnings definitely helped sell new guns, we also have to give the shell manufacturers of the day a little leeway by remembering that there were quite a few cheap guns with twist barrels of inferior quality being imported into the country in those days. It would have been hard for them to describe how the average sportsman with no keen interest in maunufacturing techniques could distinguish the difference between quality barrels and inferior junk.

[Bruce Day]

I don't think the question is answerable. No one has found any smoking guns to the ammo manufacturers for the conspiracy theory and some of the damascus and fake damascus was inferior and dangerous.

The best thing that I can recommend is to join the PGCA, Jim and Mike, spread the real story and facts to others and urge others to not be swayed by unfounded opinions.

[VH20]

Bruce,

Just what in my statement suggests to you that I am swayed by unfounded opinions?

Jim

[Bruce Day]

Nothing at all. In fact I have no reason to believe that you are at all. I've never seen anything unreasonable from you.
I only mentioned you by name because I see you here, you are always reasonable and I'd like to see you join the PGCA. We always need good people.

PS I reviewed my original comment and saw that it could be taken in a way I did not intend, so I edited it. Better now?

[Gill Frye]

I recently tried to do a little trading that involved my DH damascus...the guy at the gun shop would hardly look at it once he saw the barrels....what really tickled me was he could have been looking at A1 special and it wouldn't have made any difference. I won't name the shop but he's a high end dealer in eastern North Carolina, needless to say I was surprised by how he acted.
Regards,
Gill

[Bruce Day]

A buyer of damascus guns can still get great deals from unknowing and uninformed sellers, so it works both ways.