... 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.
