A testament to Damascus

Parker Bachelder (Brad's Profile) · 12-30-2010, 08:54 AM

I just purchased an N.R. Davis 10 guage hammer gun. Serial #27. 30 inch barrels choked modified and full. 3 inch chambers. Very fine patterned English Twist barrels. The gun is sound but has ample rust, grime and duct tape.
For the past 50 years the owner, a goose hunter, has fired factory Nitro Mag. loads. For the past 20 years, Nitro Mag. 3 " steel shot. I asked him if he had ever had any problems shooting modern ammo ? He said that one time he bought those long 10 ga. shells 3 1/2 " and the gun would not close, so he exchanged them. He said that a lot of people told him not to shoot the gun, but it worked so well that he continued.
To compound the stress he has never, ever cleaned the barrels. It took a lot of effort to remove the years of plastic build up but the bores are perfect.
These barrels withstood years of pounding. Given the amount of plastic buildup, short forcing cones, full choke, and 3" Nitro Mag. steel shot, the presures had to be off the chart. The barrels survived without a single hick-up. I am confident that fluid steel would not have faired as well.
Financially the gun is not worth restoring, but I will do it anyway, the Gun deserves it.
My confidence is with composite barrels.

Brad

Bill Murphy · 12-30-2010, 12:08 PM

The first generation N.R. Davis hammer guns are high quality pieces. Too bad yours is not easily restorable.

Drew Hause · 12-30-2010, 02:23 PM

Experts on Guns and Shooting George Teasdale Teasdale-Buckell 1900
http://books.google.com/books?id=4xRmHkr7Lp8C

On the subject of steel v. Damascus, Mr Stephen Grant is very clear, and much prefers Damascus for hard working guns. He related an anecdote of one of his patrons, whose keeper stupidly put a 12-bore cartridge into his master’s gun without knowing that he had previously inserted a 20-case, which had stuffed up the barrel. Fortunately, no burst occurred, but a big bulge, which, however, Mr Grant hammered down, and the gun is now as good as ever.

Richard Flanders · 12-31-2010, 08:53 PM

Wow Drew. That is impressive. No blown barrel from that!? Unbelievable. You'd think it would totally petal the barrel into a piece of art good for only a lamp stand from then on.

C. Aaron Beck · 01-01-2011, 09:11 AM

Who makes 3" 10 ga steel shot? I didnt think there was ever a market for that so the ammo companies never tried to make it.

J.B. Books · 01-02-2011, 05:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by C. Aaron Beck

Who makes 3" 10 ga steel shot? I didnt think there was ever a market for that so the ammo companies never tried to make it.

Maybe Brad can clarify. If he was using 3" steel shot loads then I suspect the gun was equipped with chamber mates or the like and he was shooting 12ga 3" steel shot shells. 10 gauge 2 7/8" factory loads went by the wayside in the 70's long before steel shot was mandated. I don't think there was ever a factory steel shot short ten load.

C. Aaron Beck · 01-02-2011, 10:30 PM

Those were my guesses as well, however the validity of extreme pressure claims seem to pertain to the specifics of the loads used. Thus I was asking for more clarity. If I could shoot steel from my damascus 10 ga with short chambers, I probably would. But, there are a lot of factors involved, not the least of which is complete unavailability of suitable factory ammo. With all due respect to Brad, that post read to the opposite extreme of the "damascus is junk" nonsense but with similar (possibly innaccurate) anectdotal information which generally devalues the position that Damascus barrels can be safe to shoot with smokeless loads of safe pressures in safe guns blah blah blah

Parker Bachelder (Brad's Profile) · 01-03-2011, 07:56 AM

Sorry for the typo I meant 3 1/2 not 3. Winchester drylocks measure 2.92 crimped, federal premiums measure 3.05 crimped.
I do not suggest shooting any load in any chamber that is not correct.

Drew Hause · 01-03-2011, 08:41 AM

Not sure of the gun maker, but a bulge in 10g damascus twist (one iron crolle-twist laminate) barrel after having the chamber reamed to 3 1/2" and an application of steel shot loads

Richard Flanders · 01-09-2011, 01:40 PM

So, our guy was shooting 3-1/2" modern shells in 2-7/8" chambers with short forcing cones with no problems. Impressive indeed.... but... not me. Never. And I'd guess not anyone else with knowledge on the issue on this forum either. Hats off to the old guy for still having a left hand and two eyes and functioning hearing... I'd be curious to see a list of the barrel wall thicknesses from breech to muzzle at some interval of around 2-3 inches.