Initial testing with the measurements was done with the gun strapped into my lead sled and 12' of paracord for firing. When I saw no changes in barrel dimensions after several rounds is when I decided to fire off hand. Still, even with the glove, I'm closing my hand underneath the foreend. I will never wrap my fingers around the barrel of any pre-war shotgun. I don't worry too much about anything other than the support hand with a double gun. I wear safety glasses, but I just can't imagine any significant pieces of shrapnel coming straight back, even in a catastrophic failure. That's a hefty hunk of receiver between face and barrels!
I was just wondering if you could attest to the quality and strength of the twist barrels used on the L.C. Smith guns. As I said, there's a decent amount of pitting in the bores, but zero sign of loose ribs or corrosion near the rib joints (or anywhere other than in the bores). Lock up is also extremely tight.
I intend to have it professionally honed in the future, too.