doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com How many of you shoot Damascus barrel guns

despite the dire warnings that it's unsafe to shoot modern loads in Damascus barrels. With which I agree, depending on your definition of "modern." There seems to be a feeling they're safe with BP, which I don't believe...I think they're safe if otherwise in good shape with BP pressures.Lower BP pressures.

I have three Damascus barreled guns. My Joseph Lang was built in 1866 and re-barreled by James Woodward around 1872, my J&W Tolley was built around 1887 and my Parker in 1891. I shoot all three of them with low-pressure smokeless loads, either RST or my reloads which have been pressure tested by Tom Armbrust.

I'm comfortable shooting them with these loads. In fact I've put over 3,000 cartridges through the Lang in the 3 1/2 years that I've owned it, about 500 RST's and somewhere North of 2,500 reloads.

If the barrels check out in good condition with adequate wall thickness I have no concern about shooting Damascus barrels with appropriate ammunition.

I have shot my Damascus Guns for 20 years. If you will read some of the DGJ articles that have compared BP with Smokeless, particularly the slower powders such as 7625 and Pb, you will find that BP cartridge pressures were actually higher than the
moderate loads that we shoot.
All of these danger tales were started in the 1950's by cartridge company lawyers putting warnings on their boxes.
Kinda similar to Frogs causing warts , if you believe that one also.

I could not agree more with Flychamps.
A gunsmith gave me a really cheaply made Belgian 12 ga hammer gun with Damascus barrels.2 1/2" chambers
I have tried to blow the barrels up as an exhibit for my Hunter Safety Classes with no success.
Even with a 2 3/4" hunting shell and a 20 ga shell dropped in first after five attempts, no obvious damage to the barrels.
The mud in muzzle worked well, split back for 4 inches.
Flychamps is on target
Mike

I shoot 5 damascus barrelled BP muzzleloading double shotguns, A damascus barrelled Joseph Lang BP muzzleloading double rifle(circa 1825), an 1890 Westley Richards double shotgun w/nitro (RST) and an 1872 Alex Henry .450 BPE double rifle (nitro for black).

Oops, forgot my 1897 William Evans double shotgun (RST)

I often shoot a 12 ga. damascus Remington 1900. My light loads use #7625 powder and 1 0z. of shot. No problems.

I sometime use it on preserve birds.

JERRY

I shoot 1oz loads with 2-1/2 drams of black powder in my 16 gauge damascus guns.


Best,

Mike

I shoot tons of Damascus guns and they operate fine. Further, the data recorded in DGJ indicates that English best quality Damascus met or exceeded fluid steel equals of age, wall thickness and quality.

Rst shells are great, as are the even better B&P sub sounds.

The one area I disregard is that I never shoot black powder. Even in non-nitro proofed guns, low pressure smokeless is preferred for consistency, low pressure, reduced recoil, etc.

I find the inverse is the problem with vintage guns; that being that non-Damascus guns are not treated with respect. Shooting modern high pressure loads through vintage fluid steel guns is an often ignored hazard.

90% of my guns are damascus and they get shot an awful lot. I do reload and keep pressures reasonable. But I'm not paranoid about loading lower than BP. Like any gun, if the barrels are in good shape they'll take a lot more pressure than we're ever going to give them. My favorite 12 gauge powders are IMR 7625 and PB for one ounce or heavier.I use Clays for 7/8 oz loads, per Sherman Bell. Though I shoot black powder in my flintlock rifles I really don't care for it in my shotguns--it's hot, dirty, and heavier recoil. Besides, with BP a quick second shot is often hypothetical.

I strongly agree with Rookhawk above when he cautions about the careless loading of older fluid steel guns. With a damascus gun we automatically know to be cautious but it's way too easy to assume all fluid steel is bank vault strong. Far from it--early fluid steel was very variable in strength and the same caution needs to be accorded it as damascus.

All the guns I shoot regularly are have Damascus or twist barrels. My Lefever "H" (1898 Mfg) has over 11000 rounds through it, of my shooting. Couple years ago it broke a hammer, fixed by Mr. Buck Hamlin, and is back in service. The reason Amarillo Mike shoots Black powder in his 16's is so that no one can see how many birds he misses for the smoke...