[rescue] Accidentally destroying hardware..

[George Adkins]

On Wednesday 27 March 2002 12:17 am, you wrote:
> Damascus steel isn't all that great compared to modern steels, However.
> At least that's what I've heard about it, concerning gun barrels.
>

you have to consider the kind of stress it's being put under.

Damascus steel is a pattern-welded composite, which is to say that it's not 
homogenous.  It has a high degree of elasticity because the different 
materials are allowed to deform in ways that compliment each other.

If you apply too great a force to the material it will break.  there's no way 
around this other than to use stronger material.

in older firearms, (especially shotguns) pattern-welded steel barrels were 
useful because the behavior of the material allowed the manufacturer to use a 
thinner wall than a simple mild steel barrel.  The elasticity allowed the 
thinner metal to cope well with the very short, crisp combustion of Black 
Powders, however they were intended for much much lower pressures than those 
generated by Modern Smokless powders (Black Powder Shotshell loads generating 
about 12,000 psi with an immediate drop in pressure after ignition, as 
opposed to Smokless Powder shotshell loads generating 16,000-25,000 psi with 
burn characteristics which often produce a _rise_ in pressure as the slower 
burning powder combusts at a geometric increasing rate with the increase in 
pressure.)  Modern barrels are as thin (or thinner) than the older 
Damascus-style barrels, but they are made of much stronger material.

*Note to spectators* for safety reasons, never use modern smokeless 
ammunition in older Damascus barrels.  Someone may tell you that exceptions 
can be made, but I say let them be the ones to lose an eye, or a hand, or 
their life...  and besides, why risk ruining such a beautiful work of art!

George