Old musket barrel for ID

kronckew · 11th August 2015, 06:42 PM

sadly, they look cool, but had a nasty habit of corroding preferentially at the welds due to corrosive primers and powder, resulting in somewhat spectacular failure when they UN-spiraled, which inevitably happened with long use. or when someone tried converting them to more modern propellants.

those pretty english spiral wound breech loading doubles generally come with a warning NOT to fire them with anything approaching a modern cartridge, and probably should not be fired at all. the only saving grace was that when they failed they tended to not spray shrapnel all over the place and unless you had your hand in a wrong place, you might survive wondering why your multi-kilobuck purdy now looked like a spring.

Pukka Bundook · 12th August 2015, 05:24 AM

There is a lot of incorrect information regarding stub twist and later 2 and 3-stripe Damascus, and how it shouldn't be used.
If good quality it can be as sound now as the day it was made.

I believe in Greener's (1910) book, it mentions destruction testing with Whitworth fluid steel barrels, other steel barrels and Damascus barrels.
The one that stood the most, was a good English 3-stripe Damascus, the second was also a Damascus,(2-stripe I think) and the third best was drawn steel.
After that, they went back and forth down the line.
We have in the family a few Damascus barreled old guns that have been nitro proved and passed with flying colours. One (second hand) was given to my grandfather for his 21st birthday in 1919. (Sidelock ejector) It has fired Thousand of cartridges and is still on the face and as sound as a bell.

The cheap "Sham-dam Damascus from the Continent and US has given all Damascus a bad name, quite un-deservedly!

Good quality is the key, as in all things. :-)

Best,
Richard.

Edited to add that although sound as a bell, any black powder proof barrel should not be used with Nitro powder, whether Damascus , stub twist or steel/iron.
Cheers,
R.

Evgeny_K · 12th August 2015, 02:31 PM

what about this barrel, gents ?

Pukka Bundook · 13th August 2015, 01:54 AM

Very sorry!

I believe it is a torador barrel, but re-worked at some time.
In England, oriental/Indian /Persian, barrels were quite popular at one time, re-breeched and fine bored if needs be, for use on good quality sporting guns, (18th century.)
I see no reason why other parts of the world could not have had a similar fad, so even if it came from Russia, this does not mean it cannot be from India originally.

All the best,
Richard.

12th August 2015, 05:24 AM	#2
Pukka Bundook Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Posts: 803	There is a lot of incorrect information regarding stub twist and later 2 and 3-stripe Damascus, and how it shouldn't be used. If good quality it can be as sound now as the day it was made. I believe in Greener's (1910) book, it mentions destruction testing with Whitworth fluid steel barrels, other steel barrels and Damascus barrels. The one that stood the most, was a good English 3-stripe Damascus, the second was also a Damascus,(2-stripe I think) and the third best was drawn steel. After that, they went back and forth down the line. We have in the family a few Damascus barreled old guns that have been nitro proved and passed with flying colours. One (second hand) was given to my grandfather for his 21st birthday in 1919. (Sidelock ejector) It has fired Thousand of cartridges and is still on the face and as sound as a bell. The cheap "Sham-dam Damascus from the Continent and US has given all Damascus a bad name, quite un-deservedly! Good quality is the key, as in all things. :-) Best, Richard. Edited to add that although sound as a bell, any black powder proof barrel should not be used with Nitro powder, whether Damascus , stub twist or steel/iron. Cheers, R. Last edited by Pukka Bundook; 12th August 2015 at 01:05 PM. Reason: To clarify.

11th August 2015, 06:42 PM	#1
kronckew Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Room 101, Glos. UK Posts: 4,224	sadly, they look cool, but had a nasty habit of corroding preferentially at the welds due to corrosive primers and powder, resulting in somewhat spectacular failure when they UN-spiraled, which inevitably happened with long use. or when someone tried converting them to more modern propellants. those pretty english spiral wound breech loading doubles generally come with a warning NOT to fire them with anything approaching a modern cartridge, and probably should not be fired at all. the only saving grace was that when they failed they tended to not spray shrapnel all over the place and unless you had your hand in a wrong place, you might survive wondering why your multi-kilobuck purdy now looked like a spring.

12th August 2015, 02:31 PM	#3
Evgeny_K Member Join Date: Mar 2011 Posts: 213	what about this barrel, gents ?

13th August 2015, 01:54 AM	#4
Pukka Bundook Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Posts: 803	Very sorry! I believe it is a torador barrel, but re-worked at some time. In England, oriental/Indian /Persian, barrels were quite popular at one time, re-breeched and fine bored if needs be, for use on good quality sporting guns, (18th century.) I see no reason why other parts of the world could not have had a similar fad, so even if it came from Russia, this does not mean it cannot be from India originally. All the best, Richard.