doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com How many of you shoot Damascus barrel guns

which part? I shoot only game guns. I own nothing proofed over 1&1/8" oz. They all get fed the same. A heavier proofed old gun would indeed get a higher payload, but it would still be low pressure, but not as low a lighter load.

The old boys shot some boomers, with guns and through pattern welded barrels designed for them.

The American Field January, 1879 Jamaica Plank Rd., L.I., New York "Brooklyn Gun Club vs. Philadelphia Gun Club"
Only two Parker guns on the grounds. Mr. T.E. Broadway of the Brooklyners used a Parker 10 ga. with close choke weighing 9 1/2lbs shooting 4 1/2 drachms of DuPont's Diamond Grade and 1 1/4 oz of Tatham's soft shot. For the Philly club, Mr. H.A. Burroughs shot a Parker 12 bore with medium choke weighing but 7lb 14oz. He shot 4 drachms of Hazard's Electric Powder and 1 1/4oz of chilled #7 in the left barrel and #8 in the right. UMC's new paper shells were said to be the choice of most to carry their loads. W&C Scott was the choice for most shooters with a pair of Remingtons and a Moore and a Williams and Powell. I regret to say the New Yorkers took the contest 100-93 though the birds were a good lot, and many being white, were difficult to hit while close to the snow.

American Field, Chicago, Ill., Jan. 14, 1888
LaFayette, Ind. Editor American Field.
The Erb-Bogardus match, so long talked of, took place here Jan. 4, at 1 o'clock p. m. The shooting was at 100 live birds each, Hurlingham rules, for $250 a side. Capt. Bogardus used a twelve-bore Scott & Sons gun weighing seven pounds fourteen ounces, and shot four drams of Wood powder in the right barrel and four drams of black powder in the left barrel, using No. 7 and No. 8 shot.
(This is presumably the same gun he used in the 1883 competition with Doc Carver, who shot a hammerless 12b Greener 7 lbs 12 oz.)
Mr. Erb used a Lefever twelve-bore weighing seven pounds fourteen ounces, loaded with 3 l/2 drams of King's Quick Shot powder in both barrels and No. 7 shot.

Outing: Sport, Adventure, Travel, Fiction 1889
Al. Bandle, of Cincinnati, on Christmas Day defeated the famous shot, Captain A. H. Bogardus, by killing 100 live birds straight to the Captain's equally remarkable record of 95. Bogardus shot a 12-gauge L.C. Smith gun, hammerless, 7 lbs. 12 oz. weight and shot 4 drams American wood powder in his first barrel, 1 1/4 oz. No. 8 shot in first and 1 1/4 oz. No. 7 in second, backed up with 3 1/4 drams Laflin and Rand Orange Lightning powder. Bandle shot the same make of gun, 10 gauge, and used, first barrel, 4 drams wood powder, second, 4 drams Laflin and Rand "F. F. F. extra" powder, No. 7 shot.

Great stuff Drew. I don't know what those pressures were and I guess someone could duplicate the loads so that Armbruster could pressure test them but I will bet a bunch they weren't 7 K psi.!

Jan. 2 1897
http://www.la84foundation.org/SportsLibrary/SportingLife/1897/VOL_28_NO_15/SL2815017.pdf
Charles Grimm defeats Doc Carver in Chicago for the �Cast Iron Metal�
Grimm used a 12-bore L. C. Smith gun, 7 3/4 pounds, 3 3/4 drams Schultze, 1 1/4 ounce No. 7 shot, in U. M. C. Trap shell.
Carver used a 12-bore Cashmore gun, 8 pounds weight, 4 drams of Carver powder, 1 1/4 No. 7 shot, in U. M. C. Trap shell.

Carver was a big guy, 6'4" and over 250# but wow!

Great names for some of the powders.

Orange lightning.... King's quick shot ... Hazard's Electric....

I dunno whether "ZombieMax" even comes close. Doubt it.

"What are you shooting?"
"Orange lightning."

Hi Pete,
.118 is actually pretty thick. Anything over .90 in that area are generally safe to shoot. Of course, anything can happen. I have shot damascus guns with as little as .75 2 1/2 inches from the breech.

Great discussion and reassuring. I plan to take my Francotte (1891) damascus on a bird hunt in mid-February. I have shot several hundred low pressure rounds through this gun. I have used factory Fiocchi Trainer loads (7/8 ounce, 1200 fps) which the company rep said show 6500-7500 PSI. Also handloads from a Parker Collectors Association member's EXCEL file. Typically Sr 7625 and Clays at down in the 5000-6000 psi range. The Francotte is BP proofed, but I have always shot nitro. Love the damascus barrels! The only thing I don't like is that the prices of damascus guns have really gone up!

Good notes here about the early steel barrels...

Thanks for your information, and thanks Sherman Bell!

I consider both smokeless powder, and fluid steel barrels, to be a passing fad.




- Nudge

You guys are 6 years behind...