doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Has anyone ever had a damascus barrel blow up

The question over whether anyone has actually seen a Damscus barrel blow and whether these guns are safe to shoot is a question that is impossible to answer in the affirmative.
The naterial supplied during that era had virtually no quality control and metalurgical chemical composition supplied and mechanical properties supplied and the process was conducted by who knows how many barrel makers with no standardization process,record keeping and testing, hence the 'Proof House' for English guns but not those manufactured in the USA. A final possibly destructive test of the final process.
The American Sciety of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) was organized and produced Standards for Boilers which had been having frequent catastrophic failures with consequences. since then ASME has published many Standards in other fields of contruction with outstanding results.
https://www.asme.org/engineering-topics/articles/boilers/the-history-of-asmes-boiler-and-pressure
How does the ASME Code as it is known, make builders, suppliers and users comply? Simple, you can't get Insurance if you don't comply to ASME and Federal and State Regulators will fine non-compliance.
Makes for a very safe society. Even your fire extinguisher pressure retaining body is an ASME vessel.
So you can discuss, argue, denigrate those that don't agree and reference the Sherman Bell articles(be sure to read my rebuttal published in the DGJ) all you want but the simple fact is THAT one cannot prove that these guns are safe collectively. You can join a forum such as this and gain a warm fussy feeling from like minded individuals but you take your chances each time you use such guns.
That is your right but lets stop the endless process of trying to prove that this manufactruing process assures safe firearms becuase it simply can't be done to objective modern scientfic standards and processes.-Dick

CHUCK: where you been buddy? Bringing Sky to paradise this winter? Please let me know if you are coming to AZ!

Anyone know of any attempt to submit damascus, barrels or blades, to cryogenic treatment and see if the process improves the metal?

I blew up a 1889 Remington with twist barrels. Somehow, and don't ask me how, I had IMR PB on top of Pyrodex in the powder bottle. I even had "Pyrodex 94grs" written on the bottle. Anyways, shooting skeet on a windy day in the winter I said to a friend, " man, these sure do kick, gonna have to lower my charge". Because it was windy and was shooting Pyrodex [ doesn't smoke as much as BP ], I just assumed the load was a bit much. On station 2 on the doubles, the left barrel let go. Shell was sticking half way out the barrel in the chamber area. The barrel steel was gone along with a rip in my wind breaker between the elbow and wrist. A piece of skin about a 1/4" thick, 1" wide and 3" long was hanging down. I said, " this doesn't look good". Put a rag around it , had the wife drive me to emergency and 23 stiches latter was shooting again. The next week I finally figured out what I had done. Sent the shells to Tom Amhurst [sp] and he said they were at 22,000psi. Sent the barrels somewhere in Calif to be tested and all I heard was that they had a sharp step on the outside right at the end of the chambers and thought this contributed to the failure. So, will all Damascus barrels withstand 32,000psi - no. But then 22,000psi is more than any normal shotgun shell produces. I've still been shooting for 10 years or more since the accident twist, laminate, and pattern welded Damascus barrels SxS's with nitro powders. I've used Nito, Solo, PB, 700X, 800X, Red Dot, Select, and Promo, all without further problems. I feel any load with pressures below 8000psi are totally safe, or a occasional regular modern shell.

I started shooting around 1956 with a damascus hammer gun & then progressed to a Damascus Greener BLE. Both these guns were badly pitted and were fed a diet of whatever cartridges were available. Never a hint of problem with either. Over the years since then I have owned & used a variety of Damascus guns from Belgian to Boss & Co, with age came the sense to check their proof status/have them reproofed and of course use the appropriate cartridges. Again never a hint of problem and that's after 50+ years shooting.

22,000 psi is 10%+ above SAAMI proof pressure.

And the gun took 8 or 9 shells to blow.

Not bad.

This is another example of a case where the shooter had indications of something abnormal before the eventual failure.

Again, we can learn from such stories. Thanks for sharing Paul.

It seems to me that when the manufacturing process is discussed, it's primarily historical curiosity at this point. Can't a pressure vessel, regardless of age, be subject to current ASME testing standards if someone wanted to do that. Do we know if current gun barrel makers are insured based on ASME guidelines?

I wouldn't think it would be logical to conclude that all non damascus gun barrels are collectively safe because the method of manufacture may be known. I apologize if you have mentioned it already, would you happen to have the DGJ issue of your rebuttal.

the original question simply was simply has anyone actually had a damascus barrel blow-

that is not safety nor theoretical - the answer is yes or no


i agree- the are they safe issue will be debated ad nauseam

A good freind of mine and a well known collector shared this picture. The reason is always given as an obstruction or improperly seated wad.



Otherwise the answer to your question is no, not yet.