doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Low pressure shells in damascus bbls.

First I want to thank all the gentlemen who took the time to answer my first question regarding my LeFever. I am new to this site and have read many posts answered by experienced and deeply knowledgable people. I has seen ads about low pressure shells but had not really looked into them. Now I have a case of 16's on the way as they're not significantly more expensive than over-the-counters; just cheap insurance.

I have often passed on damascus barrelled guns as not practical shooters. I have read debates and articles both ways on nitro loads in damascus guns in good condition. As a teenager I used to regularly shoot a 10 ga. double damascus gun proofed for nitro with some heavy loads.

Are the low pressure shells, i.e. RST, suitable for use in damascus barrels? I don't shoot enough to justify a loading set up so I'm not interested in making my own black powder shells. And I'm not interested in shooting a 10 ga. anymore either.

First thing to understand is that all these fine old doubles are on average 75 years plus old. They need to be checked by a gunsmith that is use to working on old doubles. He can give you an expert opinion on which gun is safe to shoot. Twist, steel and damascus can all be shot, if in good safe condition. Pay just a few dollars to make sure.

Low pressure shells are recommended to keep stress low on the action, barrels and wood. A thin stock should be treated kindly just as the rest of the gun. RST makes excellent shells and should be safe to use after you have your gun checked out. A hand is a terrible thing to loose.

why not shoot black powder? republic metallic cartridge company offer wonderful bp ammo.

Well, this topic comes up about every 4 or 5 weeks. If you do a search, you will find a ton of advice. To directly answer your question, maybe. If the gun is in good condition, has been checked by a competent gunsmith who knows how to measure barrel walls and you keep the loads down to a reasonable level for both pressure and recoil, then the gun can be safely fired. The RST ammunition is a fine product. It is safe in any gun that can safely be shot.

Pete