doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com F^%$&# lost resources

I just got off the phone with Bachelder and was told they are currently discontinuing Damascus Barrel work.
I STRONGLY prefer to just leave them as they are, but for the stuff so far gone it needed attention Bachelder did the most pleasing finish I have seen.
All good things must come to end...

Break Gorman is the best there currently is for Damascus barrel work

Bill Graham does nice work as does LeFusil.

I just got a set of barrels from a board member here that Gorman did. They’re awful. Poorly polished. Absolutely no pit removal or draw filing done., sharp edges on the lugs rounded over, and the color was way way off. Terrible job.

Not denying your observation but I have had Breck do both Damascus and fluid steel barrels and he did a superb job on both.

Good for you. With that said, just from my observation of his handiwork alone, he is absolutely NOT “the best” there is currently doing Damascus work. Not by a long shot.

Glad you had a good experience.

Terry Deem, Vincent OH., both black and brown; Buck H. In Peveley, MO, does brown damascus. Both are excellent.

Bill Graham at "Nice Old Doubles" in North Carolina...Geo

I've seen several examples of Dustin's rust bluing and browning work on both fluid steel and Damascus. He does a superb job, and is obviously very careful with the prep work that is required to obtain a very nice result. He is eminently qualified to know the difference between great work, and mediocre work.

It doesn't take much for a good reputation to be ruined. The poor prep work observed by Dustin could have been done by a helper or apprentice. But poor work should never be returned to the paying customer, even if it constitutes only one percent of the work that shop turns out. Some things like shipping damage may be unavoidable. But final inspection before shipping should catch the types of errors Dustin described. Some errors can be fixed. But once metal, engraving, and other fine detail is removed, the damage may be permanent. That's a big reason I prefer to do my own work.

Bill Graham at "Nice Old Doubles" in Durham, NC, was just accepted as a member of the American Custom Gunmakers Guild as a finisher. I just received the latest issue of the ACGG's magazine; and in that magazine, Glenn Fewless states that the damascus barrels Bill Graham submitted for his acceptance review was as nicely done as any he had ever seen. That's high praise from where I sit. When Glenn Fewless praises work, you can have confidence that work has passed a critical eye of the highest standard in gunmaking. I've seen Bill Graham's work, and I absolutely agree with Glenn Fewless' assessment.