Funny thing, I didn't do any better with the hotrod loads in bismuth or steel than I did with the light 2.5" loads for dropping pheasants at 40 yards. It made me realize just how hot those loads really were. (not reloads) After discharge, the gun took some amount of work in the field to get it to open and eject. I came to the above conclusion after shooting my modern fine Spanish sidelock using bismuth shells that were hot loads. (or for that matter, break a wrist on a fine gunstock due to heavy recoil) Why chance it? I just refuse to own any modern high pressure 12 bore ammo so I know I'm never going to have an accident. I found that bought in bulk, I can use B&P low pressure 2.5" shells for exactly the same price as any other case priced modern ammo and frankly, the B&Ps are better. I suggest going to one level further of extreme "shell hygiene": I do not own cartridges that are not 2.5". One thing that people are alluding to in this thread is "color coding" and other methods of marking their loads for vintage guns. I'm rather fond of him so I with held further incriminating him for his terrible, self inflicted damascus maiming. He then proceeded to resume hunting without even checking the barrel.ħ75 - Yes I do know the gentleman of which you speak. I quit hunting public lands in New York after I saw a guy using a loaded gun as a crutch coming up out of a ravine and then attempting to blow the dirt out of the end of the barrel while the gun was still loaded. However, I rarely got the details of what was being shot and the circumstances behind the incident that caused that barrel to blow. On the other hand, I have seen a number of blown barrels, both Damascus and fluid steel. I have yet to see a problem at the few side by side meets I do get to go to with those shooting good condition Damascus guns using commercial low pressure ammo. I don't get to do a lot of hunting, so when I do shoot its 25-100 rounds at a time at the trap or sporting clays range. Reloading is way too hard to do in Hawaii so I use RST, Polywad and New Era low pressure ammo. All those I shoot from a lowly H in twist to my "go to" sporting clays A 16 gauge have been examined and measured by those who are better at doing that than me. I shoot Damascus barreled Lefevers on a regular basis. Forensic examination revealed a very evident bulge where the wad had been lodged, and damage to the barrel set itself was catastrophic the explosion produced a gaping split open about 8" long in the left tube, the auto ejector fore iron/splinter forearm was blown off the gun and the wood forearm reduced to shattered bits and the barrels were bent approximately 6' to the right and about the same distance downwards. That barrel was an Armor steel 12-bore LC Smith barrel but there was nothing wrong with the barrel itself, a fibre base wad had lodged in the left tube about 8" from the breech. Learning this gun had Damascus barrels so many years later certainly gave me a fright but if any gun has ever been "proofed", this would be it! As FYI, I've only witnessed one barrel explosion (thank God!) and it was not pretty, as it removed a fair portion of a man's left hand. Baker gun my wife gave me when I graduated college I shot for years (the only gun I owned for many of those years)before I learned it had Damascus barrels (its barrels had been blued years before I got the gun and the pattern did not show thru the later finish). They were my father-in-law's guns, and I have been trying to catalog the whole collection.I've shot dozens of Damascus double guns over the years and never had a single problem. I would appreciate any information I can get on these. "FINE LAMINATED STEEL" on top between barrels, semi-fancy tooling on hammers, has pistol grip only stock, but may be an alteration of the original. RICHARDS" on stock plate behind hammers in swirling banner, other semi-fancy tooling there too. Didn't want to pry too hard.Ģ: Double barrel 12 GA, rabbit ears, "H. Wood fore stock curves out at end, apparently to make it easier to remove, although I have not been able to remove it. Wood stock has some checkering along grip part, butt plate has checkering, and appears to have had some sort of shield-like emblem, now rubbed smooth. RICHARD" engraved on stock plate behind hammers, "WELLS FARGO" stamped on underside forward of triggers, "LAMINATED STEEL BELGIUM" on top between barrels, checkered thumb release. RICHARDS".ġ: Double barrel 12 GA, rabbit ears, "A. All I seem to find are similar guns marked "W. I'm sure these are not worth much, but I have looked all over to find who made these and when, with no luck.
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