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damascus barrel (safe to shoot)

rlfcjf
finally got around to cleaning up my dads old double barrel..
it was rust covered from head to toe... made by ACME ARMS...
stamped damascus steel on top rib...what are the feelings out there about shooting this old 12 qauge...

rick
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Comments

10 comments

Date Votes
  • Ampersand
    I am pretty sure that most experts say that these whould not be fired even with black powder loads. I think that using smokeless ammo would be dangerous. It might be best if this gun stayed retired.

    &
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  • captkirk3@dslextreme.com
    A RESOUNDING NO.....DON'T SHOOT IT....! ACME ARMS was a Trade Name used by J.Stevens Arms Company sold thru Cornwall Hardware Co., Circa 1880...You have a Damascus Barreled Antique...Worthy of Retirement..Its over 100 Years Old, The Wood is Brittle, The Solder has to be Hard and susceptable to fracture...and its a Black Powder Gun to boot...its hoped by this Author, that you used 600 Fine Steelwool and a Light Solvent to clean this old gun..and that you just polished it to a nice Brown Patina..!..My suggestion to You is to put it in a Place of Honor...Like over the Mantle or in the gun Cabinet for You and close Friends to enjoy.....Value Wise its only Worth $250.00 Tops...! But as an hierloom in and of your Family....Priceless.....Choice is Yours......best...

    Captain Kirk, Tech Staff
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  • Sunray
    No friggin way. Never mind that it's rusted. The BP salts get into the micro fissures of the steel and usually don't get cleaned out. You cannot polish a patina onto it. That has to come with time and as it sounds like you've already de-rusted it it's too late. Fortunately, most damascus barreled shotguns are nearly worthless. It was your da's. Make it a nice place to live and put it there.
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  • nord
    Probably enough said already... But doesn't your question seem a bit absurd?

    Do you depend on radiator hoses that have turned to mush? Do you rely on a boiler with rusty tubes? How about a bridge that has corroded to the point of coming apart? Are you the one that will test it for the last time?

    And "ACME"... Isn't that the brand used in the Roadrunner cartoons?

    Will your gun explode if you fire it? Probably not, but there's a good chance that it'll begin to fail. By that I mean that the damascus will begin to delaminate. You may notice a slight bulge at the point of failure... Or you may notice nothing at all. Usually there's smoke , noise and a bit of shrapnel that heads out in an unintended direction, but not an explosion as most tend to think of it.

    Be safe. Retire the old rustbucket. Save yourself some powder burns and splinters. It's just not worth the risk.

    Nord
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  • gunboob
    The main idea behind that type of bbl. being unsafe, reguardless of appearance, was well shown and explained in an article I wish I'd saved.
    It explained how the very nature of that method of manufacture did naturally encapsulate many understandable air/void chambers,...microscopic, but still holding molucules of oxygen.
    That,... rusts iron and steel, especially given enough time.
    With the article, were detailed x-rays showing ugly stuff hidden by a nice clean and smooth outside surface.

    Bob
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  • gruntled
    Without suggesting it I would like to throw out for discussion the idea of using sub-caliber inserts. (i.e. .410 adapters.)
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  • Sunray
    Sub-calibre inserts still rely on a safe, clean barrel. Damascus barrels, especially on a rust encrusted one, are not safe for any shooting.
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  • captkirk3@dslextreme.com
    Tit for Tat...Leave it be...retire it...Forget about shooting it...You've gotton some Good Sound Advice...Heed the experiance of probably 150 years worth of Trials and Tribulations....No trade off's..
    Just Retire it to a Respectful Place in the Gun Cabinet and enjoy the fact that is still all together.......respectfully....Captain Kirk

    Captain Kirk, Tech Staff
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  • Warpig883
    About your damascus shotgun. While no damascus gun should be shot
    without proper inspection it is very possible to restore and continue to enjoy shooting this gun. For safety and liabilty reasons nobody here is going to tell you it is ok to shoot. However there is a process to get the gun inspected and reproofed to shoot loads that are within its capabilities.

    I suggest going to these web sites and getting educated.

    http://bbs.shootingsportsman.com/viewforum.php?f=2

    http://www.gunshop.com/cgi-bin/ubbcgi/ultimatebb.cgi


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  • I.Shute
    I hate to step on our dear Captain's foot, - he's a brilliant writer and a respected gun expert, but he just hasn't been around as long as I have and has left out another suggestion.

    When I was a kid I wanted to shoot an old outside hammer Damascus 12 ga. double. My dad said he'd bought it when he was 12 and his dad said it wasn't safe to shoot. I said what's it worth? He said he gave $1.25 for it in 1910.
    I loaded it with light loads, lashed it on sand bags on a truck wheel, stood behind a tree and fired it with 15 ft. strings on the triggers. Same thing with high brass loads. Even yanked both strings at once. Didn't see any damage, took the advice and didn't shoot it any more.

    If you are seriously wondering about it's safety, try this yourself. If it splits the barrels or blows up, you still have a great wall-hanger. It would be a more exciting conversation piece than a dollar and a quarter junker shotgun too.

    ACME, I like that,- I put that on a sticker on things I make.
    Means no guarantee.
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