It kills me to see all these guys on modern gun forums that are totally against shooting Damascus barrels.
I agree. I got my head torn off and handed to me on another forum, for mentioning that I was going to shoot a Damascus gun at a match. You'd thought I said I was gonna kill my grandmother.
My ex-wife's first was a Damascus. (Union Arms Pump circa 1911-1913) Chambered for three-inch, never shot any in it, smokeless mind you, we reserved it for only target loads, which at one point were cheaper than .22, 2013~ so we plinked with it.
Annnnd then...
She accidentally loaded some 3" in it, and "hurt" an inner working, and it was retired out of fear. Probably for the best.