My great Grampa's double needs new Barrels...

[catnthehatt]

Yup, it's a Belgian SXS.
Is the action still tight?
If so, NO SWEAT!! You can by black powder kent ammo from Ellwopod Epps in Ontario, or load black powder loads yourself.
I shoot a pile of SXS guns with black powder loads in complete safety!
Cat

 

[gabrielguitars]

I really do not know why people are so dang scared of shooting Damascus-barreled guns, they are very stong! I also very much disagree that not having a brand name on the barrels indicates lower quality. In Belgium, the majority of the guns were guild guns, and were and are great quality. These were made by the same people that would make just the barrels to be sent to the big names to finish and charge huge money for. I have shot many, many Damascus shotties, and not once with black powder, but always standard target-level loads, never a problem. Read Sherman Bell's articles in the Double Gun Journal and then talk to me, after you've picked up your jaw from the floor. The pressures needed to take apart his old Damascus Parker were modern rifle levels. Quality and condition are always the determining factors, not metal style.

 

[catnthehatt]

Greener is once again building Damascus barrelled guns, fro0m what I have read.
I have several Damascus barrelled shotguns that are actually proofed for nitro powder, that were originally proofed for smokelss. The difference?? None, except for the proof testing, nothing was done to the guns themselves.
Cat

 

[Claybuster]

I really do not know why people are so dang scared of shooting Damascus-barreled guns, they are very stong! I also very much disagree that not having a brand name on the barrels indicates lower quality. In Belgium, the majority of the guns were guild guns, and were and are great quality. These were made by the same people that would make just the barrels to be sent to the big names to finish and charge huge money for. I have shot many, many Damascus shotties, and not once with black powder, but always standard target-level loads, never a problem. Read Sherman Bell's articles in the Double Gun Journal and then talk to me, after you've picked up your jaw from the floor. The pressures needed to take apart his old Damascus Parker were modern rifle levels. Quality and condition are always the determining factors, not metal style.

I've read Bell's article. His Parker's didn't come apart until the 28,000-30,000PSI range as I recall. But Bell used barrels that were in good condition from a maker known for its quality and you can't always depend on the same when buying just any damascus gun.

I'm not as confident in Belgian guns. The quality of the barrels varies from excellent to not so good. In the intervening years and they may have have been bored out to clear rust, had chambers lengthened, shot with heavy loads or otherwise abused and are no longer in proof. This isn't necessarily a criticism of damascus as I've seen older fluid steel barrels with poorly lengthened chambers and wall thicknesses well below minimums.

I have no fear of damascus barrels providing they carry nitro proofs, are examined and measured by a knowledgeable smith and are well above minimum wall thicknesses.