Shooting Damascus Barreled Smoothies

[deerstalkert]

i have the twin to the one you picture BSR! when i pick it up during Grouse season the local grouse just lay down and give up.
the thought that goes through my mind is a famous quote."from my cold dead hands!"
i would love to find another in 16g and also a 20g. i would die with a smile on my face if i could find a 410!

 

[dizzy 58]

Richards I will write that down

 

[R Ellis]

I have a 1800s Richard's 12ga. Sxs and love it. Shoot a couple squirrels and rabbits a year with it

I also have a Richards 12 double muzzleloader and am curious what barrel length does yours have .Mine is from around 1930 with 26 inch barrels

 

[Gamechaser]

Same,mine I believe might be a little older. Not sure

 

[Rob M.]

I have shot Damascus barrels for decades , never had an issue but naturally was never d%$# enough to shoot anything but BP in them . Love to have a single barrel to make me a Fowler with

 

[SOLANCO]

The old shotguns were made for the shooter. Modern shotguns are made for the manufacturer's share holders.

 

[Wawyasto]

This thread reminds me that I need to get my 10 gauge SXS out more often.

 

[PastorB]

I've been shooting this original SxS 13 gauge for decades. Robert Chaplain, Birmingham, UK, mfg. 1850-ish. "London Fine Twist" barrels. I remotely proofed each barrel with 2 oz. of shot, and a stout load of powder when I got it, been my main shotgun ever since. Standard load is 1 1/8 Oz. of shot, with slightly less powder by volume. Will load it slightly heavier if the occasion requires. No problems whatsoever.

 

[Feltwad]

For me it is an original sxs shotgun in any bore size
Feltwad

 

[OldSmoky1967]

For me it is an original sxs shotgun in any bore size
FeltwadView attachment 253419View attachment 253423

Lovely collection!

 

[Feltwad]

A large sxs 6 bore with 36 barrels it is a young mans gun although it does shake your brains it is not recommended for a heavy load although its weight does absorb most of the recoil
Feltwad

 

[Comfortably_Numb]

You see a lot of 6 bores shot at Friendship on the trap and sporting clays ranges.

 

[OldSmoky1967]

Here is mine. Made by Johannes Mond, Ca. 1840, Augsberg GE. Nice pointer, good groups, very light. 20 Guage. A couple of pistols, same maker. Also shooters.

 

[TransYank]

I have an Original 12 ga. English double that is a joy to shoot and has almost perfect bores. I hunt small game regularly with it. I also have a 13 ga. English double that is decent, but bore is really thin only about .025" thick at muzzles. And was missing a piece of wood (Splint) off at top of wrist that I repaired with glass bedding. (Hey but I purchased dirt cheap from a local shop that was scared to death to sell it?) I shoot clay birds with it regularly as well. I also have a 15 ga. English SxS that has the prettiest wood on it and spotless bores that I have seen on these Hardware store type guns. I'm sure it was used very little until I purchased. Note I load these guns only with BP and in 1 1/4 oz square loads or less. I also have a set of 30" London fine Twist English proofed barrels. That I re stocked in a new piece of wood that are the heavies (Thickest) I have ever seen. This gun has a very tight jug choke in the Left side barrel and I'm shooting 1 1/2 oz. square load of lead #5. Just finished about 2 weeks ago hope to kill a Turkey this spring with it. All the guns I'm using 1F bp the slower burn creates less pressure and kills fine. On the heavy barreled gun with new wood, I'm using 2F bp. These guns feel like part of your body when you swing with them. and all where build 1840 - 1870's. In Comparision I have a Replica CVA double 12ga. SxS (1985 era) and also a David Pedersoli 12ga (era 1976) one of the lightweight ones and they do not feel as good in the hands when swinging. So yes, I shoot Damascus barrels after I inspect them for damage and corrosion.

 

[OldSmoky1967]

For me it is an original sxs shotgun in any bore size
FeltwadView attachment 253419View attachment 253423

Gorgeous!!

 

[SOLANCO]

Gorgeous!!

Indeed. My opportunities have been more often to old unmentionable doubles at estate auctions/sales. I have found some fine and very underappreciated guns. Not often that a ML of any sort comes up in those sales here. I think what I have bought were often WWII bring backs and maybe our GI's did not want ML's.

 

[11Bravo]

A few years ago I bought 3 SxS muzzle loaders from an estate sale ( when I bought all those cap an ball pistols). To show how the old timers liked the long barrels for water fowl the one on the left is a 36" F.W. Harrold 12 bore and on the right a Westley Richards 29" 16 bore. I guess the long barrel idea lasted many years as I have a bolt action Mossberg 12 ga. with a 36" full chocked barrel, which was probably made in the 50s-early 60s.

 

[smo]

Oops! Wrong forum again!

 

[Dale Lilly]

I brought two percussion doubles back from Germany in 1964, a 20 gauge [appx] from Belgium and a 12 from England. The 20 was a beauty with gold barrel rings and a carved ram's head, with full curl, as a pistol grip. The English one was a Powell, both made in mid 1800s. I shot birds, rabbits, squirrels and related creatures until I moved to Mexico for seven years in 1978. I sold them and have regretted that decision since. I loaded fairly lightly but dead quail don't know the difference nor do ducks, geese, grouse and ... oh well. I never experienced any failures ... none. Still suffering the loss. Dale

 

[Colonial Boy]

I don’t use any damascus barrelled guns except for pistols, but only because I don’t have any anymore.
I used them for years with no issues.
A friend years ago had a very fine English gun and had been using it for a couple of years, when one day he fired the right barrel and the left went off as well, the hammer was still cocked but the cap had disappeared.
I guessed what had happened and we loaded blank charges, capped the right, fired and both charges went off.
An unnecessary water test confirmed that there was a hole between the barrels.
So he half filled the barrels with sawdust well mixed with epoxy and hung it on the wall.