And a good and accurate one, Ho-Jo amigo mio!! Younger hands usually don't have the strength and dexterity to cock, and then uncock a hammer gun- when boys get into their teens, perhaps a different situation.

The two first shotguns I started with were both 20 gauge hammerless- 28" Mod. chokes- (1) Stevens-Savage 220 hammer-less single-shot, with top tang safety-and later, at age 13- Dad's M12 which he received on his B'day in 1931-and passed on to me.

When Dad showed me the safety on the M12-- I remarked: "Dad, this is different than on the Stevens Grandpa gave me-- " He replied: "Son, the ONLY safety you can trust on any gun is the one that's up between your ears--"-- words of infinite wisdom---

"The field is the touchstone of the man"..