very good news re strength of damascus steel...

however, please remember that barrel steel is only part of a gun...keep in mind that many older guns do not have bolting systems that will stand up to the pounding of modern, 10,000 psi plus ammo...and, 100 year old wood is much dryer and more fragile than when the gun was new...so, as always, keep your loads light and your screws tight...

and lets preserve these old guns we love so much...

keep it simple and keep it safe...