Shooting them?

[Setter Man]

The only way to know is to have a good barrel man who has evaluated a lot of Damascus barrels measure the wall thickness and determine the depth of the any pitting. In other words, get a well informed opinion. Do not rely on a local hack gunsmith unless he really knows Damascus barrels otherwise he’s going to give you the usual CYA rhetoric about them not being safe.

The fact that they have been cut is probably not a concern because of the lower pressure at the muzzle. The determining factor is at the end of the chamber through the forcing cones where pressure is the greatest.

[Drew Hause]

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1...vwLYc-kGA/edit

Let's assume the barrel is deeply pitted (or has been honed) and the wall thickness is dangerously thin. You tie the barrel in an old tire and remotely take 10 shots with low pressure RSTs; but the pressure generated is above the yield strength of the barrel wall. Each shot produces "low cycle fatigue" plastic deformation of the steel, which may not be measurable when checking for barrel bulging with a micrometer. With shot #11 the barrel bursts, sending a chunk of shrapnel toward the head of your hunting companion...or grandchild. And you own that shrapnel. Why take the risk?

[78CJ]

Originally Posted by Drew Hause

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1...vwLYc-kGA/edit

Let's assume the barrel is deeply pitted (or has been honed) and the wall thickness is dangerously thin. You tie the barrel in an old tire and remotely take 10 shots with low pressure RSTs; but the pressure generated is above the yield strength of the barrel wall. Each shot produces "low cycle fatigue" plastic deformation of the steel, which may not be measurable when checking for barrel bulging with a micrometer. With shot #11 the barrel bursts, sending a chunk of shrapnel toward the head of your hunting companion...or grandchild. And you own that shrapnel. Why take the risk?

Agree, and certainty understand. That was the basis of my question. I fully understand the minimum thickness and from PM discussions sounds as if that's necessary no matter what. Sort of just thinking out loud on the test firing and enjoy the discussion on it. I get the sort of bending a piece of metal until it breaks scenario. I would suppose minimum thickness allow for enough initial resistance to prevent fatigue.

Trying to become knowledgeable on the subject before I have grandkids!

[mobirdhunter]

When you take your gun in to the smith, be sure that he doesn't measure outside diameter and inside diameter only to get the minimum. This method will NOT tell you if the barrels are thin in strategic spots. I had a smith (that I supposed would have known that not all shotgun bores are concentric due to the striking and regulation process) measure my barrels this way. I got an OK to shoot from the smith, but did my own thickness measurements when I got the gun home and found spots where the thickness was about .013"

[Drew Hause]

Yep. Eccentricity happens.