doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Using a hammergun?

I had a brief conversation with the late outdoor writer Gene Hill at the Iowa Governor's Pheasant Hunt many years ago. I grew up carrying a single shot .410, so I was well aware of the issues involved in trying to cock just one hammer as you mount your gun on a flushing bird. Gene suggested carrying the gun broken open, loaded, and with the hammers cocked. As someone suggested above, that might work hunting preserve birds with pointing dogs, where you can walk trails and wait until the dog locks up. You could probably get by waiting until the dog points before cocking the gun. But serious problems arise when hunting wild birds--grouse and woodcock likely the worst cases--if you try carrying your gun open, loaded, with hammers cocked. You're quite likely to get crud from the cover into places that will keep the gun from functioning when the birds flush.

That being said, I did kill a double on sharptails on a windy day in North Dakota when my shorthair went on point. I was not very confident that they'd hold, and I cocked the gun (a vintage 16ga Husqvarna) as I walked in. They held and it all worked perfectly. But most of the birds I hunt most of the time don't live in short grass cover as do prairie grouse. Like Ted, I decided that while they're interesting firearms, I'll stick with doubles that have a conventional top tang safety and wait until the bird is in the air, taking the safety off after it has flushed.

Well thought out, Lloyd. Hammer guns work very well for doves, and ducks in most situations, and obviously for clays. Perhaps a way to achieve a level of comfort at cocking the hammers at the flush would be to shoot informal skeet, and instruct the puller to throw the bird at will or maybe with a delay after you call for it, then sweep the hammers back as you mount. Two of my hammer guns are doubles and I can sweep them both safely back, even though I have small hands for a man my height, but if I wanted to try one of them on flushing birds I would definitely need to practice what I preach.

Carrying the hammer gun open and cocked as per Gene Hill's method means that the top lever can be worked with the right hammer cocked, something not available on all, maybe most, hammer guns.

Re the safety thing of when to cock the hammers and how that compares with the tang safety. Hammer guns with rebound hammers have a safety bent that will catch the hammer if it starts to fall without a trigger pull. Most hammerless SXS guns, ie boxlocks and almost all autoloader and repeaters lack such a feature.

The safety does not protect from accidental sear release. In most guns it only blocks the trigger. So arguably a cocked hammer gun is safer than a hammerless (without intercepting sears), even if the safety of the hammerless is engaged.

If you will consider subgauges, you will find it easier with barrels that simply closer together. The Evans 16 gauge was a dream to hunt with so far as carrying and cocking the gun goes. It was mounting the gun that was a problem. But only due to its lack of drop.

I find hunting wild pheasants with a flushing dog to be very doable with the right hammer gun. I think sharptails would be no different. I have not tried to hunt ruffed grouse however. And I don't intend to with a hammer gun. I do not see that being very productive.

If you hunt long enough in cold, wet weather, there will come a time when you will slip the hammer while decocking the left barrel. It is not an if, but a when. With perfect muzzle awareness and control, that should not be anything more than an unpleasant surprise. But keep that in mind.

This is that 16 gauge Evans. I found a few pictures that are relevant. This was a beautiful gun. So sad that it did not fit. I have boxes of handloaded hunting and target ammo still sitting on the shelf.

Extremely easy to cock both barrels on this gun



You can see here that the hammer ears will protrude slightly into the sight picture.

There are more opinions about hammer guns as there are grains of sand in the Sahara. Just talking from my own experience hammer guns are like horses for courses some are good for one situation while others are for different situations. I find that this cocking both hammers of a gun with your thumb, I have only been able to do this with non rebounding locks and not all of the ones I have owned could I do that. If you have large hands and thumbs with the power to bend nails you are lucky myself just mister average. Though in my younger days I was taught by a man who only used hammer guns all his shooting life, I will say here that his thoughts about hammerless ejector guns was put in a short sentence "like owning a dog with no ears and then hunt in the grass for the spent cartridges." I do use both but deep down I do prefer to use a hammer gun when the situation lends its self to its use. Walking with both hammers cocked was a practice frowned upon here in the field. I was thought in the field walk with the barrels pointing skywards when you see the chance of a shot bring the gun up to your shoulder bringing the hammer closest to your thumb to full cock all in the same movement, for a second shot slide the gun off your shoulder downwards to a position that you can cock the other hammer and remount the gun. I have two hammer guns I did regularly use the expensive one now though in the 1960s that was a scrapper and I purchased it as a wall hanger but after measuring the barrels they where still in proof so spent some cash for what you see today. This gun is a dream on driven Grouse pheasant and Pigeon it has 2 1/2 in chambers 30 inch barrels and no choking at all just two pure cylinder's well it was built before people thought of such things. The other is an Adams quarter choke and improved cylinder 2 1/2 inch chambers 30 inch barrels with a Jones under leaver far lighter than the other gun its balance feels perfect when held in both hands also fast to use in every way. So choose a gun having what you require of it and practice.

As I have become old(er) the desire to limit out on anything has diminished. My Cashmore hammergun fits the bill perfectly in the dove field. I don’t worry about pulling both hammers back, just take a long view on incoming birds. The gun was proofed for 3” chambers so my 7/8 oz reloads work just fine. I have a Grade 2 Parker hammergun that I have used for clays that is being restocked now. The springs in it are so stiff it’s about impossible to cock them at the same time.

Hammers are extremely doable for ducks and doves, though speed in cocking is still helpful when that lone teal screams by unexpectedly.

Have you considered going to Tulsa, prospecting for one in a couple of weeks? They say you can find everything and anything there.

My Cashmore is an ideal waterfowl gun.

I don't hunt, but I shoot a J. Burrows 12 gauge hammer gun with a Jones under lever almost every Sunday for skeet. The gun itself is certainly capable of going straight even if I'm not.

Check out the http://www.amoskeagauction.com they have an auction this weekend and there were at least 2 British hammer guns in either the timed or live auction. The two I remember are both shooter grade and priced accordingly.

Lloyd3,
You are experienced and competent enough that you shouldn't have that much trouble learning the drill. Just buy a gun you think will work for you and use it. Just cock one hammer at first and pretty soon you will find yourself able to cock both of them. When you were learning to drive, I'm pretty sure you ground the gears a few times but then you learned to coordinate the clutch, shift lever, and accelerator. Now it is probably second nature to you, and it will be the same for a hammergun with a little use. It is true that they are not as easy as a hammerless gun with a tang safety, but if it was, we wouldn't have hammerless guns. Just remember, you can do whatever the old hunters could do.
Mike