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Hi, guys,
SCK, Pasta didn't say Baker, he said Barker, which was an inexpensive shotgun which used that name to imply a connection with Baker or Parker. There may have been good ones, but all the ones I have seen have been well worn and don't look like they were high quality to begin with. Further, the ones I have seen all have Damascus barrels. I may be wrong, but I think they were made in Belgium. FWIW, I STRONGLY RECOMMEND AGAINST firing ANY Damascus barrel gun, with ANY load of ANY powder, no matter who says they are OK. Even if the barrels look OK, rust and corrosion over the years has almost certainly gotten into the old welds and turned the barrels into something that, under magnification, looks like lace.
Testing as recommended by SCK is OK, but note that a failure leaves you with a destroyed gun. That is far better than destroyed eyes or blown off fingers, but I recommend those old guns be deactivated by removing or cutting off the firing pins and welding up the holes. The gun can then be a safe display piece: "Yessir, that's the gun greatgrandpa used when he rode shotgun for Wells, Fargo, yessir!"
Jim
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