Could not the wall of a barrel act as a spring? Yes they flex .
Springs fail,at some point,depends on the certified alloy/temper.
You wont know wher this point is,but...
This is where your minimum wall thickness comes in to play.
The stiffer the better in an old gun.

Quality maker,good wall thickness,plus low pressure cream puff loads,equals no problemo.

Last edited by yobyllib; 05/30/10 05:51 PM.