Thinking about going Damascus

[Stepmac]

Originally Posted by Stan Hoover

90% of my shooting is with Damascus, twist or Laminate barrels, it just has to be respected, as any gun should be.
And they’re beautiful, what’s not to like.

For 20+ years I read the articles in Double Gun Mag written by Sherman Bell wherein he described over loading damascus barrels, trying to get them to blow up. He was very detailed in his studies. He over loaded damascus shotgun barrels of many makers and they did not blow up. He even honed some L.C. Smith barrels to paper thin and even then they would not let go. Therefore I shoot damascus/twist shotguns confidently. I also think they look neat.

[Stepmac]

Originally Posted by Stan Hoover

90% of my shooting is with Damascus, twist or Laminate barrels, it just has to be respected, as any gun should be.
And they’re beautiful, what’s not to like.

I'm an old man. I have been warned all of my life to avoid damascus or twist barrels to the point that I never saw anyone shooting one. No one would go near any of those old tubes. Then I read Sherman Bell's DGJ writings and I began to change my mind. I bought a Parker GH (a decade ago). Nice engraving, but not too much of it, wonderful wood. I shot it with RST first and then switched to standard target loads. Today I own a damascus LC Smith, a Parker and a W.C. Scott is supposed to be in the mail. Truthfully I prefer damascus. I like the way it looks and old guns sing to me. Moreover I have never heard of a single damascus or twist barrel letting go. I know that some did years ago, but today? If it is happening, I have not heard about it.

[Harold Pickens]

Thanks for that load Keith, I filed it in my reloading notebook. Unfortunately, have only a little over 1 pound International left. I use it for 3/4 oz 16 ga loads in 21/2" cheddite hulls and DR16 wad.

[Dean Romig]

DelGrego, when he worked on the Parker project at Remington in Ilion, said he remembered seeing two or three 55 gallon drums of Damascus barrels that were destined for scrap.

I shoot Damascus and Laminated barrels most of the time without even a remote thought of their safety. If I have checked them for wall thickness and pits I am convinced they are safe for me to shoot again and again.

I have a nice 1898 DH that was made with beautiful F/F Titanic Steel barrels but I love the beauty of Damascus so I bought a nice set of IC/IMOD Damascus barrels and had Russ Bickel fit them to my gun.

I shoot either set as often as I like.




.

[Drew Hause]

At the risk of repeating myself (again ), but so is Harry
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1...hIiY62Hx4/edit

I always warn the rest of the squad shooting skeet at Ben Avery that they better stand back 'cause "these old barrels may blow at any time".
Doesn't help my shooting but seems to negatively influence theirs'

[Dean Romig]

Originally Posted by Drew Hause

I always warn the rest of the squad shooting skeet at Ben Avery that they better stand back 'cause "these old barrels may blow at any time".
Doesn't help my shooting but seems to negatively influence theirs'

.

[Dean Romig]

Originally Posted by Harry Gietler

Every so offen I read about People who have ''Pet Rattlesnake's'' or some other poisonous reptile, the guy says ''He's a good old Snake'', than Wham,
the guy makes the ''OBITUARY'' list. He never taught the snake would bite him! Shooting those Twist & Damascus barrels is the same thing. One day ''BOOM'',
HELL, what's a couple of missing fingers. BY the way , I like Damascus pattern barrels the way they look. To bad you can't put those pattern's on Tough Steel Barrels.

Harry

Yup- Different strokes Harry.





.

[Mike Franzen]

Is there any research confirming Twist or Damascus is inherently unsafe to shoot? Seems there is a multitude of people shooting them, myself included. A barrel burst can occur in fluid steel too. I wonder if there is any data, say over the last 20 years on the number of blown barrels broken down by what steel they are made of.

[Mills]

I am living proof Damascus is safe with adequate wall thickness

[Dean Romig]

No Mike, there has been no (scientific) research confirming Twist or Damascus is/are inherantly unsafe to shoot. Anyone who states so is simply expressing an opinion or repeating the opinion of others. In the Double Gun Journal Sherman Bell conducted his own tests in order to discover 'burst' or 'rupture' pressures . No, his teste weren't ultra scientific but he used pressure sensing instruments and measured walls and exterrior measurements after each set of shots fired at increasing chamber pressures. Sure, some barrels ruptured or became deformed but these exceeded 31,000 psi.





.