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Is there risk of damaging barrel walls when shooting nickle or copper plated shot in older doubles?

No

edit: That sounds too short, almost enough to be read as terse, it isn't, but a better explanation is due: Plated shot is said to 'flow' better than chilled shot, but there was more repetition than definative proof or tests to substantiate it as a fact. The fly in the ointment was & always will be shot hardness and sphericity. Plating does not harden shot. Nickel plated shot does not 'draw' feathers as lead does, so it may penetrate better. The nickel plated shot in the old Remington International target loads was very hard high quality shot. The same may be said of today's Federal copper plated loads & other premium ammunition. Copper plated shot, particularly in small sizes for the aftermarket is often no harder than regular chilled shot & some of it, e.g., 'Hawk' brand made in & imported from Mexico some years ago was some of the softest shot I have ever obtained.

But you are wasting your money. High antimony hard shot patterns just as well.
Joe

I am looking to build a good pheasant load for a twenty bore and was considering nickle plated 6 shot. (close shots over pointing dogs, hopefully close)

I'd like to know where some of this "high antimony" shot is available. The stuff I have is advertised as high antimony, but I can tell you this: It does not pattern anywhere close to the nickel plated shot I have. What is high antimony percentage wise?
The magnum high antimony shot I have is crap.

standard trap shot is around 3% high antimony reaches 6% there may be some that claim higher but the more antimony there is the less lead is in a given pellet so it weighs less and doesn't retain as much energy at long range (it is only a small difference but it is a difference) there is also a school of thought that hard pellets resist deformation on impact with game so they don't transmit there energy as well as a softer pellet
for mine I'm happy to have 3% in hunting loads 5% seems quite OK for clays
have you thought about getting some plated? that way you will know what you are getting

Copper plated shot sure patterned better in both my vintage 10's.

Ron Forsyth did extensive testing on plated shot. His was the real deal - controlled shot hardness and controlled plating thickness by having it custom made. He was unable to substantiate either better patterns or better performance on game.

The targets I shot on paper were the real deal for me...my buddy that owns an ammo company told me you won't see an improvement except at longer ranges.

A couple of years ago Wallace Labisky did a quite extensive pattern testing on various types of shot, all under otherwise identical conditions. I forget for sure where this was run, but seem to think was in the Rifleman. His "Best" patterns came with a high antimony, "Unplated" shot of high quality, forget the brand name now. Hard lead, nickle plated shot was very close behind, no real significant difference, but again the results with plated depended "More" on the base lead than upon the plating itself.
I knew a quite successful TN "Bird" (quail) hunter who, early in the season shot #8s & late season after birds were all older & heavier feathered he switched to #6s. I suggested to him to try #7½s on the late birds. His reply, "NO" #7½s are chilled shot #8&6s are drop shot. Those 7½s are too hard & will punch right through a bird without flatting out & bird will fly on.