No trying to be cantankerous here, but if the purpose of taking it to him was for him to evaluate the barrels mostly, would it not have been prudent to tell him beforehand that you wanted to bring a gun with damascus barrels to him for evaluation, in order to determine if it is safe to use? It would seem that, had you told him that, he would've saved you the trip. I do understand that hindsight is 20/20, however.
I have learned in farming, messing with high performance boats, and these old double guns, to do my homework before taking the ride, or packing up the gun and sending it off. By homework I mean determining beforehand who is the best and most knowledgeable in the field of expertise needed. I once sent a brand new set of barrels to be fitted to an action of a doublegun I already had. I mean, these barrels were straight from the factory, a file or stone had never touched the hook. I quickly decided on a 'smith to do the work, based on hearsay about his abilities. He absolutely botched the job, requiring the barrels to have the hook welded before they could be properly fitted. Had I done my homework and asked him for references on people for whom he had done this specific job, I would have saved myself many dollars and much angst.
I agree with Chantry that it may well be a liability issue for some 'smiths. If they're getting all the work they need without that extra risk, I can't fault them for the stand they take, even though I shoot damascus guns myself, and feel I am well versed enough in them to make my own decisions as to their safety, or lack of.
