I'm no expert on this but I have read enough in the past two years to make me cry about all the great deals I passed up on Damascus guns. From what I gather, SAAMI U.S. factory loads are lower pressure than Nitro proof loads and if either did not exceed the yield strength of the barrels, no damage has been done to them. Nor is it likely. Now that does not mean the gun has not been stressed beyond its' design limits, and it may be off face because the frame is sprung or the locking surfaces are pounded. Perhaps the wood is beginning to crack at the head. But unless the barrels deteriorate due to pitting or physical damage, the same loads are unlikely to blow them. So if the gun with lengthened chambers passed European proof, came to the U.S. and had SAAMI loads fired through it, and is still tight and undamaged with lever right, I see no reason to pass on it. Some of us don't even know what has been fired in our own guns. I have a friend who routinely fired 3" mags in his fathers' Ithaca Flues 2-3/4" 20 ga. and still has eyes and fingers. Another friend accidently fired 3" heavy turkey loads in his twist bbl. H Lefever with no problem. I once bought a grade 2 L.C. Smith at a poorly lit gun show and swore it was fluid steel. Got home and inspected it in sunlight and then fired some max. dram equiv. shells. No problem. A second closer look under the forend showed it was reblued Damascus. Of course, I fired no more factory loads in it, but I'm sure those couple shots did no harm. Any of these guns may have been ruined if fired with low pressure loads with a plug of snow or a stuck wad in the bbls. And the gun you yourself accept just because the chambers are unaltered may have been similarly abused. European shooters also have access to 3" shells and some are also fools. Just inspect your gun carefully before you plunk down your money. I lost a few bucks on the L.C. because I stripped the reblue and blacked it to show the Damascus pattern. But at least I can sleep knowing I didn't potentially blind someone.
