I thought that the "Damascus Roulette" group had disappeared. Sherman Bell's articles, along with Doc Drew's posts here, pretty much answer that question.
We have seen examples of Damascus and Twist barrels that have blown up. We have also seen plenty of examples of Fluid Steel barrels that have blown up. The reasons they blew up have been varied. Some have blown due to overloads or bore obstructions. Some have blown due to dents, pitting, or being honed thin. Some have blown due to hidden defects within the metal.
The debate continues, and it will continue long after Ed is gone. There are still Skeet Clubs and shooting venues that won't permit shooting of Damascus guns for "Liability" reasons. And every so often, we will continue to hear or read about a Damascus, Twist, or Fluid Steel barrel that blows up for some reason or other. However, there is no comparison between the research done by Sherman Bell (or Buck Hamlin for that matter) and what Doc Drew has posted here. Sherman Bell conducted a series of tests to confirm or disprove what had been written and stated as fact about Damascus barrels for years. He performed actual destructive testing using loads of increasing pressure until his test barrels failed in dramatic fashion. He tested both Damascus and Fluid Steel barrels from the same gun maker using the same increasing loads. He worked with Tom Armbrust so the pressures produced by his loads were a known quantity. He personally analyzed the results, and recognized and stated the limitations of his testing, i.e., the limited sample size, etc.
Mr. Bell then continued testing to learn even more, and published the results in several detailed articles in the Double Gun Journal. The Preacher, on the other hand, has not done any of this sort of destructive testing, and has admitted that he only owns one Damascus barreled L. C. Smith OE grade with thin, pitted barrels. What he Copies and Pastes as Threads and Posts here is the work and research of other people... including Sherman Bell. Regurgitating the work done by others is no great revelation.
Since the recent death of the Damascus researcher Peter Mikalajunas, known here as PeteM, even his Damascus website and Damascus video links have been replaced with a blunt warning that you will blow your hand off if you shoot your Damascus barreled gun. The links to Pete's excellent website and copyrighted video is now redirected to
https://gunlawsuits.org/glossary/damascus-barrels/www.damascus-barrels.comhttp://www.damascus-barrels.com/Movie.htmlI still wish there was some way we could contact Pete's family to see if the contents of his website and his Damascus video was stored on a disc or hard drive, and could somehow be permanently archived in the FAQ forum here. It's a shame to see all of that knowledge lost forever.
Like the current debate with the Covid19 vaccines... there will continue to be believers and skeptics. I got the Moderna vaccine, and I shoot Damascus barreled guns with low pressure smokeless loads. No problem with either so far. I only wish I knew about Sherman Bell's results when I passed on great deals on a Damascus B Grade Lefever and a Damascus A Grade Harrington and Richardson (and many other nice Damascus guns), because I thought they were only good for wall hangers.
