Drew: Thank you for that. I remember going through most (if not all) of the above articles several years ago (now 20-plus?) and mentally summarizing said data for my own satisfaction (before finally going off to shoot my then laminated-steel 20-bore). Trying to digest it all again takes serious concentration (as the data continues to be all over the map, with the reference points being very hard to pin down). Best I can do to summarize is to state that the 1891 Proof House tests had the very best Silver Steel Damascus tubes going to 4,200 grains of shot and powder before any "rejecting bulge" appeared. By comparison, the twist barrels went to only 2,400 grains of shot and powder. Now... what that means as far as comparative pressures is anyone's guess (I'm fairly certain I found something to convince me then that... everything would be allright, but damned if I can remember exactly what that was now). After much pondering, I seem to remember a translated (from German) table summarizing the respective failure pressures of Krupp "Fluss" Steel to the other steel (and damascus) tubes of the period (the middle 1890s?). That table had a later addendum (possibly from Winchester?) also showing Winchester's Nickel Steel and then Winchester's 1930 Proof steel. I distinctly now remember the burst-strength numbers being in the mid-60,000 to lower 70,000 psi range for both early steel and damascus tubes, 90,000 psi for Krupp "Fluss" steel, 110,000 psi for the later Winchester Nickel Steel, and then finally a claimed 130,000 psi(!) for the 1930 Winchester Proof steel.
Last edited by Lloyd3; 05/13/22 11:28 AM.
