I think that the answer to this question would be "Yes" unless Battaglin had a bottom=end range that might have been made of Falck tubing....but I do not think they had.
Alan you don't give the size of the frame. If it is 55cms or over there is every possibility that the down tube and even the seat tube might be made of a heavier gauge Columbus ie SP instead of SL, in order to confer greater lateral resistance to flex. I remember the first Guerciotti that I handled - it was a 56cms - it seemed to be really heavy.
The helical steeering column test is a good one and you could also try putting your fingers or a torch into the bracket shell. SLX introduced somewhere around `1984/85 had helical reinforcement of the bottom of the down and seat tubes and chainstays. The later variation of that tube set, the TSX had spirals reinforcment in the top tube as well. Although a set of tubes for a mid-size frame weighed in at just under 2000gms, the finished frames often felt heavier.
The other Columbus tubes that you should not forget are the sets at the lower end of the manufacturer's range those such as the seamed plain gauge AELLE and the even lower one ZETA. These were fairly hefty tubes with thick walls but most larger Italian lightweight frame manufacturers such as OLMO used these tube sets...and the finished frames, with their fully engraved top-eyes bracket shells and fork crowns did not look any different from some of the top range frames.
Oh....and do not forget the Italian penchant for Tre-Tubi frames, where only the three main tubes are of the better qual;ity.
Your Dawes 653 is likely to be quite light, as this tubing set, at the time, was Reynolds answer to some of Columbus' top tubes...and was only one step down from 753. In fact I think that 653 shared the stays and possibly the fork blades of the very light 753 range
Hope that helps.
Norris Lockley, Settle UK