http://wwgreener.com/newguns.html
Damascus barrels are making a comeback but are they any better than steel barrels or are they only for the look that they impart? Just curious.
Take care,
penpusher
New Greener Damascus barrel shotgun
-
eljefe
- Old Timer
- Posts: 2871
- Joined: Sun Jun 04, 2006 3:37 am
Re: New Greener Damascus barrel shotgun
penpusher,
a while ago, there were quite a few posts on damascus.I've had only a single experience with Damascus barrels, but it left me a bit mystified and am still awestruck-the gun handled better, felt different and the awe of using a damascus barelled gun still hasnt worn off! Mighty subjective , on the first run, till I heard from Mehul the reason-they ping differently with the firing as compared to non damascus types.The actual wording may be different, as are the technical explanation, but it did seem to make a diffence to me!
over to Mehul?
best
Axx
a while ago, there were quite a few posts on damascus.I've had only a single experience with Damascus barrels, but it left me a bit mystified and am still awestruck-the gun handled better, felt different and the awe of using a damascus barelled gun still hasnt worn off! Mighty subjective , on the first run, till I heard from Mehul the reason-they ping differently with the firing as compared to non damascus types.The actual wording may be different, as are the technical explanation, but it did seem to make a diffence to me!
over to Mehul?
best
Axx
''It dont mean a thing, if it aint got that zing!''
"...Oh but if I went 'round sayin' I was Emperor, just because some moistened bint lobbed a scimitar at me, they'd put me away..."
"...Oh but if I went 'round sayin' I was Emperor, just because some moistened bint lobbed a scimitar at me, they'd put me away..."
-
mehulkamdar
Re: New Greener Damascus barrel shotgun
penpusher,
Damascus barrels hada major advantage in the years before there was hearing protection - in shotguns, the shot rang less in Damascus barrels than in fluid steel ones. The huge amounf of labour involved in making them made gun companies put out the completely false premise that Damascus was weaker than fluid steel, something that was recently completely disproved by the prestigious Double Gun Journal in an extensive destruction test of comparable Damascus and Fluid steel barrels.
These days you have varied approaches as fara s Damascus is concerned. Brno (now a distinct and separate company from CZ) makes sporting rifles with Damascus steel using the traditional labour intensive methods, possibly because labour in Czechoslovakia is still cheap. But Damasteel of Sweden has developed a process by which the manufacture of Damascus steel is completely automated. They make the steels and several companies make handguns, gun parts, barrels etc out of them.
In today's world, where shooters use hearing protection, the sound absorbing properties of Damascus as compared to fluid steel may not be of much consequence. But those who prefer the appearance of Damascus barrels are ready to spend the much bigger amounts of money required to get them these days.
Cheers!
Damascus barrels hada major advantage in the years before there was hearing protection - in shotguns, the shot rang less in Damascus barrels than in fluid steel ones. The huge amounf of labour involved in making them made gun companies put out the completely false premise that Damascus was weaker than fluid steel, something that was recently completely disproved by the prestigious Double Gun Journal in an extensive destruction test of comparable Damascus and Fluid steel barrels.
These days you have varied approaches as fara s Damascus is concerned. Brno (now a distinct and separate company from CZ) makes sporting rifles with Damascus steel using the traditional labour intensive methods, possibly because labour in Czechoslovakia is still cheap. But Damasteel of Sweden has developed a process by which the manufacture of Damascus steel is completely automated. They make the steels and several companies make handguns, gun parts, barrels etc out of them.
In today's world, where shooters use hearing protection, the sound absorbing properties of Damascus as compared to fluid steel may not be of much consequence. But those who prefer the appearance of Damascus barrels are ready to spend the much bigger amounts of money required to get them these days.
Cheers!
Last edited by mehulkamdar on Sun Sep 17, 2006 8:58 am, edited 1 time in total.
-
penpusher
Re: New Greener Damascus barrel shotgun
Asif/Mehul,
Thanks for the replies. So far have avoided buying damascus barrel shoty's because of the belief that somehow they are not strong enough.
Take care,
penpusher
Thanks for the replies. So far have avoided buying damascus barrel shoty's because of the belief that somehow they are not strong enough.
Take care,
penpusher
-
Grumpy
- Old Timer
- Posts: 2653
- Joined: Sat Jun 03, 2006 12:43 am
- Location: UK
Re: New Greener Damascus barrel shotgun
British guns with damascus barrels in good condition present no problems at all......no more so than steel tubes do. There has been a lot of paranoia about damascus barrels - mostly originating from the USA ( several years ago ) which was largely unfounded and referred to poor quality Continental damascus barrels but has been taken out of context by several US writers.
I`d be prepared to wager that the damascus barrels that Greener are using originate from Peter Dyson who acquired a large quantity of top quality Belgian tubes a couple of years ago - old but unused. I`ve also heard a rumour that a Geman maker is offering new damascus tubes - made in traditional style and not from Damasteel.
Damascus barrels DO sound different from steel tubes. Deader because they don`t `ring` so much - due of the nature of construction higher frequency overtones are damped. When the new fangled `Sir Joseph Whitworth Fluid Steel barrels` were first used back in the final quarter of the 19th century many shots found the sound they produced quite disturbing and greatly disliked them.
There might possibly still be some British damascus tubes around - William Powell & Son ( for one ) were able to sleeve damascus barrels ( with damascus tubes ) in the late 1970s and possibly quite a bit later.
I`d be prepared to wager that the damascus barrels that Greener are using originate from Peter Dyson who acquired a large quantity of top quality Belgian tubes a couple of years ago - old but unused. I`ve also heard a rumour that a Geman maker is offering new damascus tubes - made in traditional style and not from Damasteel.
Damascus barrels DO sound different from steel tubes. Deader because they don`t `ring` so much - due of the nature of construction higher frequency overtones are damped. When the new fangled `Sir Joseph Whitworth Fluid Steel barrels` were first used back in the final quarter of the 19th century many shots found the sound they produced quite disturbing and greatly disliked them.
There might possibly still be some British damascus tubes around - William Powell & Son ( for one ) were able to sleeve damascus barrels ( with damascus tubes ) in the late 1970s and possibly quite a bit later.
-
mehulkamdar
Re: New Greener Damascus barrel shotgun
Grumpy,
Johan also told me about the German company making Damascus barrels using traditional methods. This is good news indeed, though I presume the German barrels may be priced substantially higher than Brno's barrels made the same way due to the high cost of German labour. Johan is travelling at the moment and I shall get full details from him when he returns to Sweden on Monday.
The Gobec barrels made out of Damasteel in Austria have been getting rave reviews for their quality though they are phenomenally expensive compared to anything that traditional companies put out. While I do like the look of Damascus, and while the Damasteel stainless Damascus is a tour de force compared to the carbon steel variety, I personally think that the looks of carbon steel Damascus are better. But then, I have always been old fashioned in my tastes as far as guns are concerned.
Johan also told me about the German company making Damascus barrels using traditional methods. This is good news indeed, though I presume the German barrels may be priced substantially higher than Brno's barrels made the same way due to the high cost of German labour. Johan is travelling at the moment and I shall get full details from him when he returns to Sweden on Monday.
The Gobec barrels made out of Damasteel in Austria have been getting rave reviews for their quality though they are phenomenally expensive compared to anything that traditional companies put out. While I do like the look of Damascus, and while the Damasteel stainless Damascus is a tour de force compared to the carbon steel variety, I personally think that the looks of carbon steel Damascus are better. But then, I have always been old fashioned in my tastes as far as guns are concerned.