doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com please tell me this isnt real...

I would be surprised is someone would accept the task of putting tubes in a Damascus barrel. That's the reality, and saying so might be a soft lead-in to a more involved discussion.

Mike Orlen won't do it. He told me that Damascus barrels are not strong enough to hold the threading. I only asked him out of curiosity regarding the possibility so I didn't bother to ask him his thoughts on shooting damascus barrels in general.

Tell him it can be done, but only with damascus choke tubes. Tell him that dissimilar metals can cause serious problems. Keep a straight face, and let us know what he says in reply.

SRH

Agree with LeFusil. If the gun's not collectible, and especially if he's going to use it for quail or other mostly short range shooting, just open the chokes. I have a NID 20ga Field Grade, pretty nice shape, marked 2 and 4 (M/F). Previous owner opened it to C/M. If I were a 100% original only guy, I suppose that would bother me. But I'm not, and while the gun is nice, it's certainly not nice enough to be collectible. And I prefer the chokes as they are to what the factory provided.

The advent of the choke was the beginning of the downfall of shotgunning. Tell him if he can't leave the gun alone, remove them entirely and shoot as nature intended.

Damascus barrels can not be easily turned down on a lathe I have read somewhere. The different types of metal tend to tear out instead of cut or shear well. So I think that getting a good clean thread to cut and hold in the barrels may be very difficult. I guess you can find someone to do the job but the chance for a good outcome does not sound good to me. Easier to open the chokes unless the gun is a real collectors item. They made a hundred thousand Ithaca's so unless it is a rare or high grade gun opening the chokes will just make it more versatile.

Thinking back there was an article in Shooting Sportsman a few issues ago about a barrel striker who was making barrels using old Damascus blanks and all the problems encountered in taking a rough blank and striking it down to size and then finishing it into a set of barrels. He is one of the last people still able to complete the job. He almost become some type of Zen barrel whisperer. His work was beautiful and in much demand to those who have accumulated the few remaining blanks to work with.

So, you really think shotgunning has fallen to a lower level than that which it occupied prior to choke boring?

SRH

I loved your advice about it not being feasible because of problems with corrosion between dissimilar metals Stan. That gave me my chuckle for the day!

For what it's worth, here is a Damascus hammer gun with Briley chokes:

http://www.willoughbymccabe.com/d.php?gid=890

Teague will install chokes on Damascus barrels apparently as well. Probably not worth it on a low grade gun obviously.

"We can even fit multi chokes to Damascus barreled guns."

http://www.teaguechokes.com/teague-multi-chokes

All of these things you "Can't do with Damascus" are likely as Old wife Tale as "If you Shoot it it'll Unwind".