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Damascus barrels

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I have a set of 12 gauge damascus double barrels from a breech loader shotgun. Don't know what happened to rest of gun. At the chamber end, walls approximately 1/8" thick, guessing about same at forcing cone where would be cut. Then threaded for breech plugs and made into muzzleloader barrels if this is feasible. I know modern steel barrels have been used this way. Question is how safe would damascus be? Barrels are in good shape, no rust pitting. I have a 13 gauge double with damascus barrels that is about same thickness at breech plugs. Would fit barrels to that gun for extra set of barrels.
 
If the barrels are in good shape and true cylinder it has been done using British Standard Pipe thread depending on the wall thickness once the chambers have been remove . Here in the UK we would certainly submit it to the proof house for safety reasons
Feltwad
 
Thank You Sir for your reply. Got the barrels in with parts and old parts guns. They are in better shape than the 13 gauge barrels. After doing some measurements I think they can be used as muzzleloader barrels on the 13 gauge gun.
 
Thank You Sir for your reply. Got the barrels in with parts and old parts guns. They are in better shape than the 13 gauge barrels. After doing some measurements I think they can be used as muzzleloader barrels on the 13 gauge gun.
You have not said what is aim to built a percussion or a flintlock because there is a vast different in the built .Be it a flintlock using the B/L barrels are a lot wider with the plugs fitted .these will have to be filed to shape the locks so that the forend of the locks are opened out and the tail end is shaped in thus reducing the width of the stock where it meets the wrist .Hope this is of some help
Feltwad
 
The 13 gauge muzzleloader double is percussion. Laying the 12 gauge barrels rib to rib on the 13 gauge they are extremely close. I think I can make breech plugs that are like the 13 gauge and fit the barrels to that gun.
 
Well, Damascus twist barrels are not pipe, they are made by layering the steel. Any imperfections in the welds can be a weak spot.

Probably ok, but still......
 
Well, Damascus twist barrels are not pipe, they are made by layering the steel. Any imperfections in the welds can be a weak spot.

Probably ok, but still......
Damascus twist barrels are nearly always ok only poor if they have deep pitting in the bores. For barrels that are over 150 years old with any weld imperfection would have blown apart many decades ago. Give me an original muzzle loader any day with Damascus barrels they are better made with regulated barrels shoot better than any repro for which I have used for the past 71 years .If you are in any doubt have it proofed that the procedure here in the UK
Felwad
 
Like you say, "Damascus twist barrels are nearly always ok only poor if they have deep pitting in the bores." but it's well worth the trouble of checking them out.

This Belgian pistol has a Damascus barrel on it and when I checked it out after I bought it I found a place in the barrel that has a really deep pit.

Just looking down the barrel it looked like a rough area. Bending a piece of guitar string so the end was hooked and sliding it down the bore the hook went into a pit that was deep enough to keep the wire from pulling out of the bore. :eek:

I did fire a very light 7 or so grain load under a lightly patched ball just to be able to say I had shot it and it held together but I won't be shooting it again.

Pistol2.jpg
Pistol3.jpg
Pistol1.jpg
Pistol4.jpg
 
You should pick up a copy of Brockway's book on building muzzleloading shotguns. This book has the info you need to convert your barrels.
 
If you take the English Damascus barrel from the late flintlock period through to the breech loader was along with the gun makers the best in the world which still stands for guns made today. Many foreign gunmakers copied them and even entered English gun makers name on their guns but not of the same standard . Yes I am a patriot and will always support the English made Damascus barrel
Feltwad
 
Cleaned and rechecked the barrels inside and out, have not found any rust or pitting. Will examine again with bore scope after a good soaking and cleaning in evapo-rust to check for any possible missed rust scale or pitting. Then go from there. Thanks for all replies
 
Like you say, "Damascus twist barrels are nearly always ok only poor if they have deep pitting in the bores." but it's well worth the trouble of checking them out.

This Belgian pistol has a Damascus barrel on it and when I checked it out after I bought it I found a place in the barrel that has a really deep pit.

Just looking down the barrel it looked like a rough area. Bending a piece of guitar string so the end was hooked and sliding it down the bore the hook went into a pit that was deep enough to keep the wire from pulling out of the bore. :eek:

I did fire a very light 7 or so grain load under a lightly patched ball just to be able to say I had shot it and it held together but I won't be shooting it again.

View attachment 12556 View attachment 12557 View attachment 12558 View attachment 12559
If you want it as a shooter, get the barrel lined; that usually doesn't affect the antique value much, and I suspect having a safe shooting original is worth more than the difference.
 
If you take the English Damascus barrel from the late flintlock period through to the breech loader was along with the gun makers the best in the world which still stands for guns made today. Many foreign gunmakers copied them and even entered English gun makers name on their guns but not of the same standard . Yes I am a patriot and will always support the English made Damascus barrel
Feltwad
I have a 1902 made L.C. Smith Damascus that I will put next to any British gun of the same grade. There were some quality makers in the U.S.
 
I have a 1902 made L.C. Smith Damascus that I will put next to any British gun of the same grade. There were some quality makers in the U.S.
1902 is late for Damascus barrels what type of Damascus is it, a image of the barrels will help. I have seen several guns by L.C.Smith they were heavy standard grade but he could have made guns in best grade.
Feltwad
 
I am very fond of Damascus barrels . They get panned as unsafe by writers who make out they are scarce stronger than lead but a good Damascus barrel is my choice . If a lot of cheaper offerings where sold and all guns are often abused by ignorant people who load nitro cartridges that might fit but are not meant to be used yet still they survive. er mostly ! . Feltwad I know well he knows his guns . I once made a double10 bore flint double using American central fire barrels, oddly one barrel was Damascus the other was twist I concluded they were got up by accident as in the white you cant tell till its browned . It made for a ponderous gun but such guns where allways made for the US taste. Often way too heavy more drop to the stocks and likely meant for a pot shot from a hide rather than carried all day the much lighter ' wand' of a gun being esteemed more in the UK . Damascus proper has the' finger 'like patterns any other is just' Twist' each in various grades . Yes such detached barrels are commonly found and making up a double seems a reasonable re use since they seldom if ever interchanged even from the same maker .Some shorten off the rear ends. Others use a liner to fill up the old chambers . You have the unhandy choke to get used to but its do'able and if you just want a pidgeon gun ( Real or clay). no need to worry about a rod . or you could do a ' Video' capandball' Austrian separate sword like carry . The better way is new plugs so you can have resessed or so angled that your scear bars sit closer together, though the front of the locks stick out .Make them on Nocks plan , Pair of L&Rs Durs Eggs or whatever you fancy and if you can stock at all ' Have at it '. But should you Not have much ability . Lef em! .
Regards Rudyard
 
I actually have a double barrel Damascus twist 12 ga. side by side, ( sans stock). I had the same idea of converting to a muzzleloader.

A gunsmith at Cabelas showed me there was too much slop between the reciever and barrels. IDK, I'm pretty resourceful, but I have too dang many projects and problems at this time to worry about that.....maybe someday.
 
A gunsmith at Cabelas showed me there was too much slop between the reciever and barrels. IDK, I'm pretty resourceful, but I have too dang many projects and problems at this time to worry about that.....maybe someday.[/QUOTE]


A decent smith can remove that slop in most cases. I have had it done and turned a double into a shooter.
 

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