Dr. Drew:
Wall thickness and the absence of corrosion are non-negotiable items for me when it comes to using any braided steel barrel. But...if a gun is sound and has adequate minimum wall-thickness (say 25k and up), then I have no qualms about using it. I've owned and hunted with 3 Damascus doubles now (2 English, 1 American) and once I was satisfied as to the soundness of the tubes, I never gave it a second thought. Use adequate loads (8,000 psi and below) and observe the required care and cleaning regimens and you should be golden.
From (finally!) going through all the data you so generously provided, I have the following summary:
2Bar Crolle-type Damascus 54k Tensile strength
ANSI 1020 (early fluid steels) 61k
Krupp Fluid steel 85k
4140-type steels 95k
Winchester Nickel steel 100k
Winchester Proof steel 115k
(The Winchester Nickel steel was something of a revelation. No wonder those guns never wear out.)
What this summary does for me is that it confirms the immense level of protection (overkill, which largely results in excessive weight) built into most mass-produced firearms. If you use RST-type, low-pressure shells (which perform flawlessly for me in the uplands) you'll never even get close to the tensile limits of even a mediocre Damascus gun. If you happen to get an obstruction in the barrel, even the best fluid steel guns will likely bulge or burst, so don't sweat using a good Damascus barreled gun if you've done your homework.
Last edited by Lloyd3; 03/02/16 12:59 PM.
