oneounceload
Moderator
Purdey is making a new gun out of damascus - barrels AND action - very neat looking, but I'm sure I could buy a beach house for the price
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an alternative browser.
You should upgrade or use an alternative browser.
ammo for a damascus parker bros??
- Thread starter Topaz
- Start date
"Some folks do shoot selected Damascus barrelled shotguns with low pressure loads. A couple of years back, one of those optimists had their gun blow up on them at a major shoot. It proved fatal to both shotgun and shooter."
Where was that??? Was it a British gun?
I've got several old Remington SxSs. One old A grade 1894 has damascus barrels that I often shoot with modern ammo. I usually reload some low pressure loads myself, but can purchase a couple of varieties of low-recoil ammo that would fit the bill. This gun has had it's chambers lengthened to 2 3/4" before I purchased it. I've put at least 1,000 rounds through it.
One issue with Damascus has already been stated - there can be damage to the barrels that is not clearly visable. If a gun were put away for a long time with Black Powder residue in the bore, it is possible to have localized rusting that would be only pinholes in the bore, but could compromise the integrity of the barrels.
Another issue comes mainly from some of the British guns out there that have been used and refinished so many times that their barrel wall thickness has become dangerously thin. These can go kaboom just like any shotgun with barrel walls that are too thin, damascus or steel.
But that leaves the question - how did they get too thin??? The Brits didn't buy the whole "not safe to shoot smokeless powder" story and just kept on shooting their damascus guns the past hundred years or so. A refinish every 10-20 years or so of hard shooting and the gun is back looking good as new. If they had to polish out some spots - so be it. If the barrels get too thin - it's time to rebarrel or resleeve the gun. Unfortunaltey, some unscrupolous dealers also have sold these guns, especially on the export market, without making proper repairs or notifying the buyer.
Sound Damascus barrels are every bit as strong (or stronger) than the steel barrels of their time. There have been modern enthusiasts who have tested damascus barrels to breaking point and they have performed admirably (one test I recall is from the Finding Out for Myself column in the Double Gun Journal about 10 years ago).
There is a working hypothesis that the warnings about smokeless powder were actually started by the gun manufacturers to help sell guns with steel barrels, as they had recently become easier to produce/less expensive than the highly labor intensive damascus barrels.
It's hard to describe the beauty of a damascus barrel unless you've examined a fine conditioned speciman up close. It truely is a thing of beauty, so how else were the gun manufacturers going to get their customers to purchase the much plainer looking and cheaper to manufacture steel barrels?
DISCLAIMER: The info contained in this post is worth what you paid for it - absolutely nothing. I don't recommend shooting any old guns, Damascus or not. Just send those old guns to me so that I can properly dispose of them myself. If you are dumb enough to blow up a gun in your face it is your own damn fault.
Where was that??? Was it a British gun?
I've got several old Remington SxSs. One old A grade 1894 has damascus barrels that I often shoot with modern ammo. I usually reload some low pressure loads myself, but can purchase a couple of varieties of low-recoil ammo that would fit the bill. This gun has had it's chambers lengthened to 2 3/4" before I purchased it. I've put at least 1,000 rounds through it.
One issue with Damascus has already been stated - there can be damage to the barrels that is not clearly visable. If a gun were put away for a long time with Black Powder residue in the bore, it is possible to have localized rusting that would be only pinholes in the bore, but could compromise the integrity of the barrels.
Another issue comes mainly from some of the British guns out there that have been used and refinished so many times that their barrel wall thickness has become dangerously thin. These can go kaboom just like any shotgun with barrel walls that are too thin, damascus or steel.
But that leaves the question - how did they get too thin??? The Brits didn't buy the whole "not safe to shoot smokeless powder" story and just kept on shooting their damascus guns the past hundred years or so. A refinish every 10-20 years or so of hard shooting and the gun is back looking good as new. If they had to polish out some spots - so be it. If the barrels get too thin - it's time to rebarrel or resleeve the gun. Unfortunaltey, some unscrupolous dealers also have sold these guns, especially on the export market, without making proper repairs or notifying the buyer.
Sound Damascus barrels are every bit as strong (or stronger) than the steel barrels of their time. There have been modern enthusiasts who have tested damascus barrels to breaking point and they have performed admirably (one test I recall is from the Finding Out for Myself column in the Double Gun Journal about 10 years ago).
There is a working hypothesis that the warnings about smokeless powder were actually started by the gun manufacturers to help sell guns with steel barrels, as they had recently become easier to produce/less expensive than the highly labor intensive damascus barrels.
It's hard to describe the beauty of a damascus barrel unless you've examined a fine conditioned speciman up close. It truely is a thing of beauty, so how else were the gun manufacturers going to get their customers to purchase the much plainer looking and cheaper to manufacture steel barrels?
DISCLAIMER: The info contained in this post is worth what you paid for it - absolutely nothing. I don't recommend shooting any old guns, Damascus or not. Just send those old guns to me so that I can properly dispose of them myself. If you are dumb enough to blow up a gun in your face it is your own damn fault.