Just got off the phone with David. The gun was an 1877 Purdey 12 bore hammer gun with 30" barrels. Hammer's had been replaced with Purdey hammers off an old gun. His best French walnut had gone into restocking it. It was to be rechecked and re-engraved. It had first been owned by a Yorkshire industrialist. The barrels as far as he could tell was in perfect shape, no pitting, no dents.
The left barrel blew 2" from the muzzle. It curled the rib back onto itself. He acknowledge that this would usually be caused by a barrel blockage; he doesn't think it was the wad - modern plastic wads don't stick in the barrel. He's a bit mystified. He has photos and will try to send me some. At the same time he and "Steve" are writing an article about it for "Shooting Sportsman." I used Dr. Drew's name and he recognized the expertise and will send photos later this afternoon.....maybe. (Maine has 12" of snow on the ground at this moment).
He is pondering what to do with the gun. He could cut the barrels back to 28" and be done with it. However, he believes longer barrels shoot best with Damascus. He is in contact with a former Purdey and Holland & Holland barrel maker in UK who makes new Damascus barrels. Bill Blacker.
www.billblacker.co.uk. It would cost $4,000 to make a set and he doesn't know which way he'll go.
I'll post photos when/if they arrive. I told him I respected the article he plans to write but there are a lot of us who shoot Damascus and RST and that Dr. Haus has done a lot of analysis of barrel blow-outs. It might be good to have a second opinion.
And Dr. Drew, don't feed the troll. He is no Southern Gentleman; We have a 3 word phrase for people like that down South and it starts with "Poor"... and ends with "Trash."
