What you are looking for is an absolute assurance that what you are shooting won't blow up in your hands. You won't get that, statistically or otherwise. There is risk in life, but you try to manage those risks. With damascus barrels you manage the risk by shooting lower pressure, lighter loads, after you have satisfied yourself the barrels are sound. Also, I think people are fooling themselves if they think shooting modern guns has no risk attached to them. We think that since they are new they are failsafe. Wrong. Most of the bad things in life that hurt are of our own doing anyway, so always look down your barrels for the stuck wad. That will get you before an overcharge, more than likely. Bell's article are not an absolute, and he says that, but they are an aid in managing the risks in shooting composite barreled guns. That's all.
