So what do I want to know? With the above info what guns would you select, what guns would you stay away from, what guns are easier to keep running and maybe find parts for?

Any recommendations on gunsmiths that work on these old doubles?

What are some of the best places to buy an old Double? If you know of a gun shop that you trust please share.. or what online site typically have the most to look at.

What do you guys think about shooting Damascus guns?

From my research it seems like most of these old guns have short chambers. For fold crimp what would be max shell length? For roll crimp what would be max shell length? How to interpret a chamber casting to determine max shell dimensions? I have cast a few rifles that were not marked for caliber.

And lastly gun values. For example what is a reasonable price for a field grade Ithaca Flues 12 gauge original gun with little remaining finish, mechanically sound some pitting with great bores. $600 or $1200 dollars. Its not that I will ever sell the gun after buying it but I would like to get the most gun for my money is all. I dont want to buy a plain Ithaca with my $1500 when I could have bought a higher grade Fox for the same. As far as budget I would like to keep it below $1500 if possible.

Thank you for reading thru this terribly long post. I apologize for that but I wanted to be as thorough as possible.

And thanks in advance for your comments
Eddie.