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Joined: Feb 2008
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Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Feb 2008
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DrBob,
Get out your CD of back issues of the LACA newsletters and read Buck Hamlin's articles in the February, May, and September 1999 issues. What he did with a heavily pitted set of Damascus L.C. Smith barrels that already had the right tube blown from an obstruction is pretty amazing. I think, after reading this, that you will be able to shoot those RST loads without flinching after your barrels are determined to have adequate wall thickness.
Probably the best thing we all can do to save our digits and eyeballs is to visually check for stuck wads or other bore obstructions every time we reload. This is a lot easier for us than those who shoot pumps and semi-autos. Check and double-check if you fall in mud or snow. Even storage can cause problems. Several years ago, I grabbed my "garage gun", a cheap Stevens break open single shot, and quickly loaded and ran outside to dispatch a garden raiding groundhog. Fortunately, Mr. Groundhog had already suspected something and retired to his hole. I took the gun back into the garage and decided to check for rust in the bore since it hadn't been cleaned in a while. Mud dauber wasps had built a nest about half way down the bore that was about 6 inches long and as hard as a brick. I think that may have been more problematic than a few pits in the bore.
A true sign of mental illness is any gun owner who would vote for an Anti-Gunner like Joe Biden.
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Joined: Feb 2006
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Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Feb 2006
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Joined: Jan 2006
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Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 15,457 Likes: 88 |
It pays to watch for Mud Dawbers... Just my two cents, if the bores have never been honed and are the original bores with pitting, removing the pitts is going to do what? It is not going to make it any safer with honed bores and less metal now. Shoot it with low pressure low velocity loads, like stated, RST's. Only a dentist knows for sure...
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Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 262 Likes: 4
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 262 Likes: 4 |
There are a lot us shooting or have shot damascus and twist guns with moderate pitting and worse. How many of them have you read about on here blowing up? Pitted bores are not nice to look at, they bother most people much more than any threat they pose. I believe when Sherman Bell tried to see if any wallhangers would blow up he took 15 random junkers, some severely pitted and put Remington proof loads in them, near 19000 psi if I remember correctly, none blew up. If you like the gun and the wall thickness is deemed good, shoot and enjoy it. If you have wall thickness to spare get them cleaned up if you want.
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Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 11,471 Likes: 489
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 11,471 Likes: 489 |
I just checked and found that the March 1999 issue of the LACA newsletter also had an article from Buck Hamlin on the progressive attempts at blowing up a heavily pitted L. C. Smith Damascus barrel.
As with the Sherman Bells tests, one or two barrels that survive excessive loads does not prove that they all would pass. As nhcrowshooter points out, we are not getting any reports here of people blowing up their Damacscus doubles. Does this mean they are holding out because of embarrassment, or that they have blown off their fingers and cannot type?
Probably the greatest threat, and one we do commonly see and read about is having guns go off face, or having 100 year old wood getting damaged from loads that produce higher pressures than they were designed to handle even when brand new.
A true sign of mental illness is any gun owner who would vote for an Anti-Gunner like Joe Biden.
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Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 2,814 Likes: 2
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 2,814 Likes: 2 |
Hey Parrot! I had the same thing happen with a Russky back door gun...Baikal...12 bore & 6.5 Swede..Ran out to shoot a coyote in the pasture, fired the rifle bbl, when I went to reload, checked the 12 barrel..Mud Dobbers... YIKEs, might have blowed my head off, then you wouldnt have to argue with me anymore....
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Joined: May 2011
Posts: 1,207 Likes: 19
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 1,207 Likes: 19 |
... I have shot every Damascus gun I have owned with appropriate loads depending on my evaluation of the barrels - that is to say, I shoot RST exclusively these days but had shot AA's quite a lot before. I think the accepted minimum wall thickness of a 12 gauge barrel is .0025" for the forward 2/3 of the barrels tapering thicker to the breech to be nothing less than .0090" at the front of the chamber where 'forcing cone' begins. I have never had a single problem or issue and I never expect to because I don't take chances. And some of my Damascus guns are pretty well pitted in the first 1/3 (from the breech). Please correct me if I am wrong, but should the accepted minimum wall thicknesses you state have one fewer zero to the right of the decimal, i.e.: " a 12 gauge barrel is .025" for the forward 2/3 of the barrels tapering thicker to the breech to be nothing less than .090" at the front of the chamber
b/c 0.009 - nine-thousandths - is a couple or three hair-thicknesses and looking at the chamber-ends of my barrels show they are more than that. Regardless, this thread http://www.picturetrail.com/sfx/album/view/17546456 remains required viewing.
Last edited by Dave in Maine; 03/04/12 02:02 PM.
fiery, dependable, occasionally transcendent
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Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 580
Sidelock
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OP
Sidelock
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 580 |
I appreciate the input. I don't have a thickness gauge. We were planning to bring the gun to the NE SxS in June. Jon Hosford is usually there. I may pick up a gauge and get him to show me how to use it, as I am not particulaly mechanically adept. I should probably have one anyways. From what I have read, pitting is not, in itself, a cause of barrels bursting. On further thought, honing it out to make it uniformly no thicker than the deepest pit would only serve to weaken the entire barrels.
Last edited by DrBob; 03/04/12 02:13 PM.
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Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 3,966 Likes: 96
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 3,966 Likes: 96 |
On further thought, honing it out to make it uniformly no thicker than the deepest pit would only serve to weaken the entire barrels. Now you've got it, Bob. Why further weaken the entire tube!
John McCain is my war hero.
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Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 11,471 Likes: 489
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 11,471 Likes: 489 |
Hey L.D., I'll bet we could both find a way to argue even if we both blew our heads off.
A true sign of mental illness is any gun owner who would vote for an Anti-Gunner like Joe Biden.
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