Picked up a WH Baker Batavia Damascus a while back and dug it out to clean it up and look it over. After cleaning the barrels and do some measuring I found the barrels didn't appear to be messed with as they were both Full Choke and 30" in length. There was very minor pitting at the breach end for about 4 inches. So far so good as the gun locked up tight. Then I checked the muzzles and much to my surprise the barrels "appear" t be straight rifled which exntends a few inches down from the muzzles toward the breach. I stuck a finger in the muzzle but I cannot "feel" any rifling yet is appears to be there and is pretty consistent in both barrels. I tried to take pics of it but was unsuccessful. Even cleaned it a second time with patches, lead remover and a bronze brush just to make sure it wasn't just a weird pattern in the fouling. But is didn't make a difference, there was no change.
This gun was built sometime between 1906 and about 1916 I believe and has Damascus barrels..
Has anyone seen this on a Batavia before, is it possible or is it just an optical illusion from over 100 years of shooting? I have handed the gun to others and asked them to look down the muzzles and tell me what they see and all said the same thing "it looks like it has very shallow straight rifling". But like me when they try to feel it they can't.
Would be interested if folks thoughts....
Thanks,
WBLDon
