Damascus barrel cleaning

[fjdees]

How should the damascus barrel be cleaned? I want to bring out the detail of the damascus work. Is there a special product on the market for this? Thanks

 

[rcmodel]

No.

I'd just rub lightly with 0000 Extra Fine steel wool & oil to remove surface rust and dried oil.

When the barrels were made, an acid etch or rust blue or browning was used to eat away the softer iron and leave the harder steel pattern showing.

Be aware that old Damascus or twist barrels are dangerous with modern smokeless powder shells.

rc

 

[oneounceload]

Be aware that old Damascus or twist barrels are dangerous with modern smokeless powder shells.

I'll disagree with this as a "blanket" statement regarding all Damascus barreled guns...the true answer is........"it depends"

There are a LOT of folks who enjoy shooting old Damascus barrel guns.....those guns have been thoroughly checked, and they use low-pressure "vintager" loads from the like of Polywad and similar companies. Others have had their guns "sleeved" to shoot those same low pressure loads without any worries....it really comes down to the previous owners' care, climate, etc. as to whether your particular gun is safe or not and what is safe to shoot in it

 

[rcmodel]

Well, lets agree to disagree then.

Low-pressure "vintage" loads, and "sleeved barrels" seem to confirm what I said about modern smokeless powder shells being dangerous.

I personally knew two fine old gentlemen who lost fingers off their left hands shooting Damascus barrel shotguns with modern trap loads. By all appearance, both guns were in remarkably good condition, before they blew up.

rc

 

[dfariswheel]

The problem with Damascus barrels is that you never know what you've got, and just looking at it won't tell you want you need to know.

A major danger with these old guns is that black powder residue and moisture could infiltrate into the structure of the barrels and cause rust that can't be seen either inside the bore or outside.
This can cause voids or weak spots inside the barrel structure that can rupture when fired.

Before shooting one of these guns they need to be examined by a real professional who knows Damascus barrels.
Also, usually the only ones that may be safe to fire are almost always premium grade guns from top manufacturers.
The Sears or Ward's hardware store quality guns are seldom safe because they weren't all that well made to start with.

One trick I've heard of to enhance the appearance of a Damascus barrel is to cold blue it, then use 0000 steel wool to remove it from the surface.
This supposedly leaves blue in the grain but removes it from the surface.
I CANNOT recommend this one way or another, since it's not something I've ever done myself.

 

[Liberty1776]

bringing out the damascus figure is nigh impossible without a complete refinish and if it's a higher quality gun, there's really nothing to do "at home" for this. Now, if it's a cheaper, JABC or something, I've read wiping the bbls with plain bleach, letting sit 5-10 minutes and washing off can bring out some additional figure. Haven't tried it yet, but I wouldn't do this on a good gun.

 

[oneounceload]

RC - as I said, modern loads would not be prudent............low-pressure loads are designed to operate at the original BP pressures, which are safe......shooting modern loads in one of these would be akin to shooting 357 in a 38 level gun or similar............