You're absolutely right, Mike. Like 9.3 above, virtually all of the mono makers (I refuse to call them bullet makers, because they're not) insist that OSR is a myth akin to Bigfoot. It doesn't take much research to find out that it's common.

Some of Graeme Wright's comments about OSR from "Shooting the British Double Rifle":

"The first and more frequent problem is what I will refer to as over-stressed rifling....It can be seen when looking down the outside of the barrels at an acute angle, using the same technique as examining a shotgun barrel for dents and bulges. The damage appears as raised metal areas following the lands of the rifling. Maybe a better description is "shadows outlining the rifling." (Sounds real easy to photograph, don't it?)

"This problem can affect double rifles of any age. Virtually all double rifle makers have encountered this at some time and it is obviously a major concern."

"Firstly, Russell (Wilkin of Holland & Holland) points out the fact that double rifles operated without problems for 75 to 100 years. However, late in the twentieth century these problems started to manifest themselves. The only change was the use of a different projectile material"

"In severe cases, even more damage can result. In some cases the barrels have come apart at the muzzles, breaking the solder of the ribs and bending the barrels. One British gun maker has reported a case where the right barrel was bent one inch up and to the right and the solder of the ribs cracked half way down the barrels."

"On a practical level it is interesting to note that none of the current London Gunmakers recommends hard projectiles in their double rifles and in some cases single barreled rifles."

Unfortunately, Graeme is right. OSR is common. I've seen everything from slightly visible "print" to severe with bent barrels. Ross Seyfried wrote an article in DGJ back in '94 or so about handloading for double rifles, and mentioned that Holland had wrecked a new .500/.465 Royal with monos when a customer requested that it be regulated with them. By that time David Winks had seen enough mono damage to DR barrels that, although he agreed, he warned that Holland would not accept responsibility if damage occurred. By the time the regulator was finished (rarely ever more than 60 rounds, usually far fewer), the barrels clearly showed serious OSR, and the client was obliged to cough up another 10,000GBP for another set. New rifle, modern steel. I had first heard about this rifle when I was in the London shop a year or so before the article appeared. Unfortunately, I had already ruined one myself by that time.

Oh, well. I guess Graeme Wright, the London gunmakers, Ross Seyfried, me, and all the guys I know that own doubles with visisble OSR are just Bigfoot kooks. LOL.