Chamber adapters?

B

Bill DeShivs

New member
A friend has "Grampas's" old damascus 12 ga. double, and he insists he wants to shoot it-against my advice.
Would .410 or 20 ga. chamber adapters be safe to use? My only experience with damascus barrels has been instructing people not to shoot the guns.
Thanks.
 
Why not just use black powder shells? Midway is sold out of 2 1/2" 12ga BP shells right now, but they can probably be found elsewhere.

http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/?productNumber=397621

My gut says a chamber adapter would probably be ok, but I wouldn't bet a nice old shotgun and my face on gut instinct.

Are 2.5" 12ga chamber adapters common? I don't think I've ever seen one. S&B still makes 2.5" .410, so if you could find a .410 adapter it could work... at least once.:)
 
The specific answer is......"It depends" There are many damascus barrel doubles being shot today with light loads. A VERY good check by a competent smith well-versed in these guns is mandatory. There is also an option called "sleeving", done to either damascus or just old out of proof guns where they can put a seamless liner - either in the original bore or in another. That's an expensive fix.

One thing that might work - would be to call Briley and ask about a set of full-length tubes doing what you were thinking - dropping down a gauge size or two
 
While most chamber adaptors are proofed to the smokeless .410/etc levels, that doesn't help the rest of the barrel(s) of those old guns.

Many old gun lovers have been using full-length adaptors, ala Briley, to shoot & enjoy these old guns with modern loads in complete safety.
(Presuming the action's tight on the face, etc)

.
 
You've gotten good advice ....and not that you haven't already ...but you need to remind him ...it is his hands and eyes behind that receiver when he pulls the trigger ( and most of us have a fondness for our fingers being attached / and being able to see )....( and Stuff Happens ! )...

Its good advice to have the gun checked and probably sleeved .....in my opinion ...if he or she really wants to shoot it.
 
Main problem with Damascus is...

the interior joint surfaces on the welded twist rods, they can be either solid and can take the pressure (which is over what the barrels are proofed, too) or they can be "swiss"cheese and let go.

It best to find a QUALITY smith that can do a examination (maybe even x-ray)
then re-proof for use.

The other alternative is the "Teaque" method of re-lining, BUT expensive.
This will allow use of the original gauge of shotgun to be used.

If close to the Griffin & Howe shop in the NJ/NY area, they maybe able to make a determination and I think they send to England for re-proofing.

Best to contact them.
 
Get a pair of sleeves with screw-in chokes and you'll have a versatile gun that grandpa would be proud of.
 
I believe that if you check, most of the chamber adapters say not to be used in damascus barrels. My Chambermates are not for use in damascus barrels.
 
I see. He just wants to shoot it a couple of times. The gun is not worth full length sleeves. I do understand about damascus, and I wouldn't shoot it on a bet-but explaining that to a non gun person is very difficult.
I'll tell him to dump the shot out of a couple of field loads, cut the shells short, and shoot them as blanks.
Thank you all for the help!
 
I have an old N.R. Davis and sons damascus, the story behind it was my Father-in-Law came to visit and asked me why his shells weren't opening up like everyone elses in the duck blind, I asked him what he was firing and he said 3" magnums, I thought he had gotten another gun but he said he was firing them out of the old double barrel, Talk about proof loads, and he fired twenty two of them that day. He ended up buying a new gun and I bought the old double off him, had to replace the hinge pin, it was so loose you could almost shoot around corners, I hunted small game for twenty five years with that gun, it's a natural pointer to me, course all I ever fired in it were AA's or Uplands, still proud to own it...................stegmaier
 
Bill, perhaps your friend could borrow some Companion-type tubes, shoot the gun for a day, and then hang it on the wall.
 
I machined a pair of inserts for my old Davis in 38 357 they slip right in the chambers, and I load #8 shot in the cartridges, their fun to use on pass shooting starlings, and they dont throw a bad pattern not very dense though, I dont see a problem having a pair made in .410, and using light 2 1/2'' shells, the adaptor should contain most of the pressure, after that it's kind of free sailing down the barrel, and the chokes should take over at the end the same way that the 38/357 shot loads in my double..............stegmaier
 
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