I have seen barrels pass proof with walls down to 12 thou.

A lot of lightweight guns by Boss, Dickson and others that i have seen were originally made with barrels as thin as 18 thou.


Thin walls will matter more where they are thin. Most guns are thinnest in the section 3-to-8 inches from the muzzles.

Walls or 20 thou will outlast most owners, just don't go bashing them on tractors more often than you need to!

A good pair of sound but thin barrels made that way for a lightweight gun are a different proposition to a pair of originally heavy 19th century barrels that have been repeatedly honed to remove rust and pits. Look at overall condition and regularity as well as minimum thickness.

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