H. J. Sterling SxS "London twist" barrel shotgun.

[jlatz]

With Belgian proofs it may have had the barrels and ribs brazed rather than being soldered. Belgian barrels rarely spring ribs as a result of usage. For a test load 3 drams of powder and an ounce and one quarter of shot should do it. In the old original 12s I have used 2 3/4 drams and an ounce and one eighth and a regular load, even in 10 gauges also.

 

[Doc]

PHDBrewer, Personally I have a lot of experience with Damascus doubles. Use them at Rhondy events and hunting. You want to check for dents in the barrels if they’re deep this can be fixed by a gun smith easily. Also as jlatz has said check for a ring. I would use a piece of steel instead of rubber. Tap lightly up and down on the outside of the barrels. You should hear a ringing sound. If you hear a thud somewhere that means there’s separation. Again this can be fixed, but only with a qualified gun smith. As for a test load , if all you hear is a ringing sound there’s no need, but that’s up to you. On the crack if you’re used to working with stocks, no problem. If not, have it done for you. Out west most Rhondys have shotgun events and many of us pride ourselves on shooting the older Damascus doubles. In any event, Good Luck on your ”new” gun may it give you happiness.
Doc,

 

[PhDBrewer]

Well... I washed the stock in water with a little dish soap as Feltwad suggested in another post. Used 0000 steel wool to get the really gummy stuff off. I was careful not to strip off the finish or the stain. I wanted it clean not "new" looking. Very black and thick around the lock areas. I like the contrast in the checkering and only brushed out those with a firm bristle toothbrush. I also used the brush to scrub out the buildup in the lock areas, trigger guard, nose piece, barrel flats, and tang inlet. Will let it air dry for a bit and then wipe down with mineral spirits and let dry before fixing the crack.

 

[PhDBrewer]

I repaired the crack with cyanoacrylate glue. The gap closed well, and it was left to dry clamped until the glue was set.
Many thanks to those that replied. I wiped on a few drops of 50/50 (turpentine/BLO) oil to smooth out the finish. I really dislike that the screw was installed off center. Not sure if I should weld it up and re-drill or leave it. It does add some "character" and it appears to have been made that way. No other way to hold the ramrod pipe on. The screw is a flat head, tapered on the bottom. I think that the screw was a replacement. I think that the flathead screw was initially a wood screw and was cut to be a fine thread metal screw. This might be one of the reason the split occurred. The screw forces the wood apart when it is tightened.
Any ideas?
I am going to leave it alone until a proper solution presents itself.

 

[LawrenceA]

Looking good
A cheesehead screw (read flat based screw) will take the wedge effect out but there is basically no wood in the forend so anything will require care.
Your glue will have soaked into the grain a little making it much stronger than previously which is good.

 

[PastorB]

I shoot an original Robert Chaplain percussion 13 gauge SxS, made in Birmingham, England, mfg. in the 1850's. On the rib, it says "London Fine Twist", and has all the British proof marks appropriate for that era. A gunsmith told me it was unsafe, and the barrels would "blow up" if I shot it. He was not familiar with blackpowder, and just repeated an often repeated falsehood. I proofed my gun with progressively heavier loads, pulling the trigger remotely with a string. I got as high as 1 and 7/8 oz. of shot and 120 grains of Goex FFg, and the gun was fine. I routinely shoot it with a standard load of 1and 1/8 of shot, and 80 grains of powder (volume), now mostly Pyrodex RS, as even before the Goex crisis, it was hard to get real black in my area. (I know, internet, shipping, hazmat and all that, just not interested, pyrodex has been fine over the years. Save my limited supply of real black for flintlocks) I'd give it a whirl, something super-cool about shooting originals!