doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Damascus small bore upland guns

Thanks Pete;
A few things worthy of note I think.
1st; for those not familar with it Oval was an early DuPont "Progressive" powder developed for the higher velocity type loads with heavy shot charges. It was noted in the article in this incident it was used in an "Underload".
2nd; the max pressure for all loads is between 1-1½ inches from breech & are within a 1K psi range of one another.
3rd; The maximum pressure variation occurs at about the 4" point where there is about a 1½K psi varition, with the highs & lows being reversed having crossed @ around the 2½" point.
4th; By the 10" point all are well below 4K psi & falling.
A few conclusions, shotgun bbls are designed by their makers to account for the pressure peak falling within the chamber, both black powder & smokeless powder guns, though with the switch to smokeless many guns were increased in their "Breech" thicknesses, even during the damascus days.
Personally on my damascus guns which are deemed in a condition to shoot at all, I am quite comfortable with 12ga loads in the 7-8K psi range & for 16 & 20 ga in the 8-9K psi range, and consequently use a powder designed for the wt range of shot for the gauge being used.
To take a powder designed for 1¼oz or heavier (12ga) loads & load it to extreme low pressures with only an ounce of shot is asking for failures.
I am aware many will state their success with such loads, my experience differences, namely in a duck swamp with temps in the low 20's. Once cured me of the habit.

Hello Marklart:

As you can see from the volume of responses, there are many of us that use damascus subgauges for upland hunting. The only one I (can afford) to own is a petite 5.25 lb. Cashmore 16 ga. sidelock with nitro proved barrels. It is a joy to shoot all day with 7/8oz loads at about 8,500 f-lbs for target, and I up it to 1oz loads at slightly higher pressure for hunting everything up to sharptails and wild pheasant.

It is a gun that has been kept in top condition since assembly in 1925 (the barrels were struck much earlier, but apparently fitted to a receiver for the first time well into the 20th century), and I have no hesitations using it afield. Keep your eye out and I'm sure you can find a gem somewhere but expect to spend at least $1K.

Ben

Thank you Ben, I would love to see pics of your gun. A 5.25lb 16b. Wow! What a wand.

I certainly didn't expect the number and breadth of responses to this topic. Very informative and educational. Thanks everyone!