Sherman Bell tests in which DGJs

[Harry Collins]

King,

I'll try to look them up for you. In summery he took a 1900 GH #2 Frame with Damascus barrels and fed it increasing pressure loads until the barrels released/exploded. They became unwrapped at the breach along a line from the extractor pin hole and the doll head extension hole at about 30,000+ psi. The other barrel held together at that pressure but let go at about 31,400 psi. I sent Sherman Bell a 1900 VH #2 frame and the results were the same.

I started shooting Damascus with smokeless after an article in Guns and Ammo by Ross Seigfried some time in the late 1980's. After much trepidation and caution I now shoot any modern load at reasonable velocity and shot load. Let's say a 12 gauge load of 1oz at 1200 psi or 1 1/8 oz at 1180 fps. I shoot an 1881 lifter Parker with Twist barrels with off the shelf 1 oz loads at sporting clays weekly and have for some years without incident. The short and long of it in my humble opinion is that if a Parker has not been messed with it is safe to shoot any shell of reasonable velocity and weight.