I don't presently own a Damascus-barreled shotgun (a situation I hope to someday rectify, yet-again) but...the three braided-steel guns I've owned and shot regularly (so-far) seemed to have a perceptibly softer report than my fluid-steel guns. I don't shoot very many targets, so this is primarily hunting situations. I am well-aware of how certain environmental conditions (i.e., a coating of fresh and soft snow) can tend to muffle sounds and in some cases I'm sure this was a contributing factor. The loads being used may also be a component for at-least the first gun (I was hand-loading then). Since that first gun (a Lefever G grade), however, I have consistently used RST loads in all my fine guns, both Damascus and fluid-steel. In my humble opinion, there was a sound component missing when I was shooting damascus guns. A fairly high-pitched "ringing" immediately after the shot which I now associate with fluid steel.
