I have known several of those Belgian JABC "Clunkers" in pretty sad condition with pitted bores & loose & off face as well which digested High Brass shells without a belch. They were not shot a lot, but when they were they weren't babied. No I don't espouse to this practise, just know it took place. The main difference in a twist bbl'd H Lefever & a twist bbl'd W Richards, JABC, may not be so much in actual strength of the bbl as just in general fit & finish & attention paid to detail. 100 years later the H Lefever still fits up nice & tight while the W Richards is apt to rattle like a tin can full of rocks, & have other p[roblemd as well. With a little common sense as to loads, either will not likely "Blow Up". I believe it was law that the exported tubes had to be given the provisional proof, though the mark was most often obliterated in finishing up the bbls. At least some of the American makers did indeed proof their bbls, very similar to the "Official" British proof houses.
