doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com How many of you shoot twist guns regularly?

eeb,

Thanks for the welcome, a newbie here, and it's comforting to know the welcome mat is out. I was reading the posts, and didn't see any reference to this article, which I think is very relevant to the subject matter, and being a lover of Damascus and twist barreled sxs's, I just had to let fly with this depressed info that seems to be shunned by the "gun gurus". I detest the looks & bull I get at gun shows when I mention these tests and findings. What is it with the supposedly knowledgeable people on guns, that keep them so closed minded to this info, in particular.

thanks again,
binko

Just as perplexing to me is what originally caused all the bad press that damascus has received over the years? Were there a ton of damascus guns that failed, giving them a bad name? Or is it that people just think they will fail because they're old? I guess I don't understand the context of the whole issue.

Mark, CAREFUL, once you've given yourself over to the powers of the twist and damascus barrels you may never come back.

binko, oh boy, we have discussed the findings of Mr Bell till heck freezes over and back. He gets alot of air time on our wire. Welcome!

Tim, chalk my remarks up to being a newbie, and who would want to go back to the dull, drab look of ordinance steel, when you COULD be shooting a beautiful twist or Damascus pair of sticks...hey maybe that's the answer to how the bad press got started, gun maker's Sour Grapes. It sure has kind of kept prices on these beauties lower than they would be if everybody knew the truth.

binko

Bell's tests only proved they didn't blow...that time.

A long way from an actual proof test.

That's what I'm hoping.

jOe, evidently you missed the statement that they would have EASILY passed the standardized "Proof Test", which accompanies all new barrels, so as should be known to all, anytime you put one up to your shoulder, and pull the trigger, you temp fate. I guess you just got to have faith in our early gun-makers...which I do, more so than present day ones.

binko

I have faith...I shot a damascus barreled gun today.

In a "standardized proof test" as you call it the barrels don't have to blow to fail proof. After those guns were subjected to those high pressures would you make one of them your shooter ?

The fact that those old barrels held together in Bell's test only proves those particular barrels didn't blow "that time" that's all...should a Damascus barrel blow up in some guys face I suspect Bell could be facing some Democrat lawyer because of his published "tests".

"After those guns were subjected to those high pressures would you make one of them your shooter ?"


I sure would, especially with the vintage loads from Poly-Wads that I shoot, and I shoot them, because I like the low recoil and the break it gives my shoulder and the gun, on all of it's parts, from high pressure loads. Kill ratio is great also.

binko

Sherman Bell is a replay of the British test. Here is the English Proof House test, from the 1880's. The strongest barrel is damascus.



The bad mouthing of damascus started shortly after production ceased. Part of the effort to get people to buy new guns. By the 1950's it was just "common knowledge" that all damascus barrels were bombs waiting to explode.

Pete