Pete,
I have nothing scientific to tell you about Bakers, but I owned a 16ga that I really liked, shot well, and wish I could have kept,but I have decided to reduce my inventory and refine it some. It had steel barrels and I never gave the possiblity of a problem with them a thought. As to the damascus Baker barrels, I had an uncle who used a Baker all his life and when the Winchester Super XX shells arrived on the market he purchased 1&1/4 oz loads and never corrected the choice. He never had a problem with the gun at all. His grandson use it for the last 5 most recent years till about last season he broke the forarm iron so he now uses a stevens 311(to my relief). I guess it is retired now or i hope it is at least from the heavy use, but no problems with the barrels. Bakers are as good as any of the guns from that era in my humble opinion.
Keep up the good fight, there are many more days afield ahead I am certain!
Kurt
