doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Hammer Gun Ettiquette ?

First time out with my SXS Stevens 235 Hammer Gun Shooting doves.
It functioned flawlessly and was great fun.
I have no experience with hammer guns. With both hammers cocked and after shooting only one barrel and refreshing the spent shell I uncocked the loaded barrel before reloading. Is that what you all do?
Thank you.

Open the gun before decocking. If you have a slip it won't matter at that point.

Had a 20 ga Bernardelli hammer gun and it was great fun. Finally decided to carry it open and cocked, closing it on the rise. Opened immediately after the shot for reloading, unloading or whatever. Closing it on the rise becomes very quick and effortless.

Open and cocked is one way to do it--if you're hunting open country birds. But if you venture into cover where there's a possibility of crud getting into the open action--hunting grouse and woodcock, for example--you're likely to find that you can't close your gun when you need to.

Let's face it, upland hunting with hammer guns offers a really fun handicap. There is a very good reason hammerless guns were quickly accepted, same as why flintlocks were converted to percussion, or horse drawn wagons for automobiles. Carry the gun closed and hope you get one hammer back before the bird disappears. On pointed birds walk in for the flush with both hammers back and ready for action. This was good enough for the old men so we shouldn't be trying to sneak around their common sense. If this is too awkward for you then grab your earless gun and blast away.

This was a topic about a year ago on the Parker forum. Lots of replies on the preferred method, with the one consistency being that it is unsafe to walk around with the hammers cocked and action closed. Some people said they cock the hammers before walking in on a point. Others said they wait until the bird flushes. Still others said hammers cocked and action open, closing the action when the bird rises. The point about hunting brush is a valid one. In my mind, the answer might partially depend on whether you are hunting with a partner. The action closed/cock when the bird rises crowd says that you can learn how to cock both hammers with one thumb simultaneously, and that doing so is the "safest" way to carry. I have a few hammer guns but I've yet to carry one with a hunting partner due to my own lack of proficiency. The idea of walking in to a point with both hammers cocked, alongside another hunter, offers pretty obvious "common sense" safety issues. You can't hunt grouse with your head down. I tend to stumble more when going in on a point than at any other time of the day simply because I try to keep my head up looking for the bird to rise out of the usual tangled mess where you are trying to walk. Most birds will escape without a shot if the hunter has his eyes more focused on where he puts his feet.
There are good many things that the men of yesteryear did without any problems, or perhaps seemingly without any problems since the media wasn't around to share their stories.

One thing to keep in mind; "IF" everything goes as planned any safety method is unneeded. The "Fly in the Ointment" is that unexpected things do occur. What happens if you trip on an unseen vine or step on a rock that rolls & in either case lose your balance & fall. That open gun may well close in the process & those hammers are still cocked. Additionally the gun, especially in the hinge area is much more likely to be damaged in a severe fall when open than when locked shut. many older hammer guns did not have efficient check hooks either & depended on the forend iron butting against the bottom of the frame to stop their opening. this can put tremendous strain on the bottom rib via the forend lug. I have one Pieper hammer double with a loose lower rib most likely from this very cause. Carry them "Shut" & Bolted & hammers in the safety notch. Rebounding locks are generally safer than non-rebounding ones but with care those can also be carried wuith a reasonable degree of safety. In spite of many old wives tales hammerless guns are actually safer to carry about than hammered ones.

I carry them open and cocked when hunting over another man's dog, or on a preserve hunt. Other methods work when hunting by yourself or with someone you know well, as long as you don't point it at him.

I'm not really sure what the fuss is all about. Every flaw or precautainary advice about hammer guns pertains directly to hammerless. It is often said don't rely on the safety of a hammerless gun. SO, how many walk around with the safety off and finger on the trigger guard with their hammerless guns. When you consider all those with pumps and autos it is far, far more than those with hammer guns. More/less safe, if done with the right mental attitude I'm not sure. That is my method when I'm in a situation expecting birds to come up. Same with my hammer guns. They are most often cocked when I am upland game hunting. If it is a slow day then I walk with my thumb across both hammers so I can cock them at once very quickly. At ease the action of all my guns are broke. In a blind on waterfowl it is very different. Safety on or hammers down. I can generally see the birds coming and have time to cock the hammers.

Carrying a gun with hammers back gives me the willies. Same as walking around with the safety off on a non-hammer-gun.

Count me in the "cock one hammer on the rise" group. I'll cock both hammers on a dove or duck hunt when I see birds coming.

If I do not shoot both barrels, I'll open the gun on the ones that will allow it and let the hammer down that way. Usually, even with the hammer guns that do not allow clearance to open while the right hammer is back, that's the barrel I shoot first and can still open the gun with the left hammer back...Geo