doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Damascus Pits

Yes as far as the description of the pits, they are so tiny they look like pin pricks. No true holes. Come to think of it, they did become more noticeable after I gave them my end of season wire brush-out with Hoppe's #9. There very well could have been there all along with some oil obscuring them. I am pretty confident the gun has not been shot 300 times since its 1974 reproof.

I am cleaning them as I would steel barrels. Are there any special cleaning measures or precautions I should employ for Damascus?

The sage of the sOuth is correct that it is impossible to know the wall thickness, or evidence of active corrosion, at the bottom of pits. The wall thickness gauge pin can not reach the bottom, and obviously the medial barrel surface of a double gun barrel can not be evaluated.

We do however have excellent tools to see every mm of our barrels.
The Hawkeye� Pro Hardy Direct Borescope would be the $1500 or so standard.
http://www.gradientlens.com/Rigid-Borescopes/Hawkeye-Pro-Hardy.aspx#6861-overview

Lyman sells a rigid digital scope
https://www.amazon.com/Lyman-Products-Borecam-Digital-Borescope/dp/B00URUE84W

And there are flexible digital scopes for $13 to $130

This one is $38 and highly rated
https://www.amazon.com/Endoscope-Depstec...R1VCH5FEAX7YM71

Really no gOOd excuse for not knowing the condition of our vintage barrel bores

re: cleaning I would avoid the stainless steel Tornado brush; they are available in brass
https://www.amazon.com/Pro-Shot-12-Gauge...BRN5HZE89BMD9JR

And on the subject of pits and NDT.
The advantage of radiography is that is might show a defect within the barrel wall, invisible on inspection. The problem is that magnified spot images also show pits (the lucent areas) and it can't be know definitively if the defect is ON the barrel wall or IN the barrel wall.
MPI would be negative if there was no microscopic defect/crack to the surface.

Owen, seems no one is addressing you original question. No, there is nothing you could have done to create pitting in a short time. You just uncovered it. Generally, light to moderate pitting has no influence on the safety of the gun, assuming proper ammunition is being used.

I shoot a number of damascus guns and don't vary their cleaning from fluid steel barreled ones. I will say a favorite cleaning tool of mine has become a bronze bristle brush wrapped with part of a Big 45 Frontier Metal Cleaner pad and spun with a drill back and forth through the bore. Does an incredible job of quickly removing lead or plastic.

Joe, Thanks for the cleaning insights. I have precisely the arrangement you describe with the Metal Cleaner pad and bronze bristle for spinning in a drill (picked up the idea from this Forum) for use in steel barrels, but was hesitant to use it in the Damascus barrels. Hopefully there is no downside to spinning it in Damascus.

Sorry for the obtuseness and I'll try again.

Proper evaluation of vintage barrels (steel or Damascus) require direct visualization of the bore. I agree the pits were present on purchase and would have been seen with a bore scope.

"Light to moderate pitting" in the chamber or just past the forcing cones is a different issue than pits in the distal 1/3 of the barrel

Typical superficial pits just past the forcing cone



These erosions would be of concern



Can't know if someone doesn't look, using the proper equipment.


Owen: composition analysis of pattern welded barrels show them to be wrought iron and low carbon, low alloy "mild" steel with a Brinell Hardness level of about 100; much softer than stainless steel and even a bit less than Phosphor Bronze
http://www.aertesting.com/uploads/3/3/5/8/3358290/bhn_of_various_materials.pdf

Hoppe's 9 has a Phosphor bronze brush.

I'd stick with copper and the Big 45 product. It is reported to be "a proprietary alloy containing stainless steel, nickel silver, monel (a corrosion resistant nickel based alloy), and zinc" but is likely mostly (soft) zinc.

Besides not being able to spell and barely being able to express a coherent thought, you still haven't backed up your original assertion with any kind of reasoning. So, to confirm things....according to you, the mere fact of being 100 years old means a gun is inherently unsafe and should not be used.

Better send me one of those useless Scott Premiers that may be hiding in your safe. Useless old things taking up space that might be better utilized storing a nice semi-auto with a scope on it.

Dr. Drew, My pits are much smaller and less numerous than the two photos depict. The barrels are mirror smooth up to the 1" area with pits. However, they are in about the middle of the barrel, a poor location. I understand the scope is the best way to see them and evaluate depth. I think I will grab one of those scopes and have a look...

Great idea Owen, and please post images, and the inches from the breech, in follow-up!
or send full size jpg attachments to revdoc2@cox.net

I believe David Williamson has images obtained with the inexpensive digital camera which he might be kind enough to post.

Interesting subject here. I've reversed my personal opinion on Damascus barrels & pitting several times during my period(s) of ownership and use of them. As much as I truly love them (as the "art" they very-much are), I'd be deeply disturbed if my use resulted in so-many additional "pinholes" in such short-order. I'm not sure I could continue to use such a firearm w/o considerable distress on my part.