Thinking about going Damascus

[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.





.

[Drew Hause]

There has been original research measuring the tensile strength of a variety of pattern welded tubes, several contributed by PGCA members
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1...hfDxmrNAU/edit

There were possibly 40 pattern welded tubes donated to 'Zircon' without apparent follow through.

There ARE failure analyses, including Ron Graham's report of Sherman Bells ruptured GH Damascus barrels and VH Vulcan Steel barrels, and the PCGA has a copyrighted and unpublished formal metallurgical failure analysis of those barrels.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1...K7G9IBs4g/edit

And no "orange lace" from mythical internal corrosion in these freshly cut tubes ready for tensile testing and composition analysis



And this from Mike George, Technical Editor, “ShootingUK”
http://www.shootinguk.co.uk/answers/...us-steel-13767
“In the USA there is one chap who is active on websites who believes that all Damascus steel barrels are so dangerous they should be destroyed.”
http://www.randywakeman.com/WhyYouSh...cusBarrels.htm
“But then you are likely to get piffle like this from a nation that does not have gun barrel proof legislation.”
(Piffle: “pseudo-scientific trivial nonsense, baloney”)

The Birmingham Proof House routinely proves pattern welded barrels. I have no information on the failure rate.

[Dean Romig]

Thanks Drew. I knew you’d come on and set me (all of us) straight.
Always good to hear from your expertise.





.