George Steel,
I should have began by saying "welcome" anyway. Anyone who is trying to think for themselves is already a fine individual in my book. And rather rare, these days.
On the barrel testing thing again, I wish I could find the Birmingham proof house data that I think was posted by Drew Hause way back. As I recall, it was from 1892 or so, and in their testing it was actually laminated steel that came out in top at that time, followed by higher grade fluid steels like Whitworth, and closely behind by the better Damascus types. The cheapest Stub Twist types did the worst, but even at that, they ALL withstood proof pressures well in excess of the kind of lite loads guys use in these guns.
Drew please insert that page of Birmingham Proof House data if it was indeed you, and you have it handy.
I think all these guns need to to scutinized before shooting. But if visual and hand feel show no fissures...and the bores aren't either badly pitted or [perhaps even worse] aggressively honed...then I say fire away with lite loads.
BTW, for my one 2-3/4 chamber Damascus Lefever I dont even use RST's...I use Fiocchi "trainer loads." Cheaper and nearly as lite. (As tested by the aforementioned Tom Armbrust).
- Nudge
