but were afraid to ask.

Then you need Diggory Hadoke's new book 'Hammer Guns in Theory and Practice'.

Recently picked up my copy. Beautifully illustrated and extremely informative. His best work yet.

I know Diggory would be far too modest to advertise it himself so I'm happy to do it for him. ISBN 978-1-910723-25-8 Lagopus.....

Thanks for the "heads up". I immediately ordered mine through Amazon.

Definitely want a copy. Guess I will put it on the Christmas list.

thanks for the heads up- got my first hammer gun about 20 years ago, got my last one, oh wait - tomorrow

i have enjoyed his books - this one will be a must have

Thanks for the heads up. I have 5 hammer guns and expect to get more

http://merlinunwin.co.uk/bookDetails.asp?bookId=179&categoryId=

or

http://www.bookdepository.com/book/9781910723258/?a_aid=directtextbook#

I'm getting my copy. He, like all English authors, is a very fluid writer. Damn (or should I have said bloody?) English just know how to write.

Just bought my copy off Amazon.

Thanks for the heads up!

Best,

Greg

Are the American hammer doubles covered? Colt, Remington, LC Smith, etc.?

Anything on repair and gunsmithing?

Developing safe loads?

I'm guessing not...

Just this minute finished cleaning and oiling the locks on two hammerguns and found this thread. Thanks for the heads up, Lagopus.

Skeettx's first link will allow you to look at the table of contents. There is an entry entitled "US Gun-making Heroes" on page 72. Not sure what that means...

Yes there are just a few pages on U.S. hammer guns. Does cover ammunition but not re-loading. Certainly quite a bit on repair, renovation and gunsmithing.

Not yet fully gone through it but it should cater for most on this site interested in hammer guns. I've found a couple of typographical errors and a couple of picture title errors but they are of minor concern only. I don't think you will be disappointed and the illustrations are clear and extensive.

The title for the chapter; four pages, on U.S. guns is 'American Exceptionalism: the unheralded heroes of U.S. Gun-making'. Lagopus.....

I sent a link to "Santa". Maybe it'll be in my stocking at Christmas.

They are my favorite to shoot. A shotgun without hammers is like a Woman without breasts as an old friend told me.

I like them all but I think the hammers on this old LC Smith 10 gauge are my favorite.

This is my favorite. A Williams & Powell of Loverpool circa 1872. It's mind boggling to think these two were whittled out of a block of steel with hardly any machinery and are identical twins.



A closeup study of one of the hammers:

https://www.theexplora.com/the-hammer-guns-of-westley-richards/

Not a good picture but I find it uncanny that the hammer shape and general lock design on this Colt look so familiar to those on your Williams & Powell. Also note the method of firing pin mounting with hex nut is the same. Makes one wonder if Colt copied the English gun or was it really made in England in whole or major parts.

Got my signed copy two days ago. I agree an excellent book, just what you would expect from Dig.

hard to beat hammers for aesthetics:



I miss this one purely for the fondling it afforded.

Thank you for the heads up. I ordered my copy from Amazon.com and I just received it today. It will keep me busy for a few nights. Like some other members have stated it, I find the hammer guns addictive. The more I read and shoot them, the more I want them. BillK

You talk about quality. Holy smokes!!! What is that?

Lockplate says WW Greener...

Just looking a bit closer at some of the illustrations in Diggory's book and I noticed that the Conway gun on page 38 describing the Thomas action was one I sold him a few years ago for a small sum and a copy of his first book signed to me. Interesting how things re-appear. Pleased he chose to retain it. Lagopus.....

According to Graham Greener, it was an inexpensive gun known as the Dominion model. Unfortunately, that particular one had some serious modification, otherwise it would have been a keeper.

Received my copy a few days ago, ordered trough Amazon at a nice price. A good work indeed, as the older two books from the same author.Very recommendable.

Having just bought another hammer gun, a Wm Cashmore , I have now followed it by the purchase of this book.
O.M

I own an Italian made hammer gun [2005] that is beautiful but does not shoot as well as it looks because of the slow fall of the hammers.

What if anything, can be done?

danc

I ordered my copy through Amazon.com and I must say, I could not put it down since I got it in my hands. I like his writing and the way the book chapters are organized. More like short stories, to where I can read the ones I am most interest in first, without any specific sequence.
BillK

I'm relatively new to the study of duobles in general and specifically hammer doubles. But I see that the older doubles generally had tall hammers with spurs that leaned in to place them close together. The later designed doubles have shorter and lower hammers that can only be cocked one at a time. I'm not sure what to make of this. Was the evolution just a fashion change? Was it considered safer to have low hammers? Was the tall hammers considered an obstruction to visibility?

Part of the evolution really. Being familiar with hammer gun I can just look at them in general and have a good idea of their age. Tall hammers in early guns because that was what shooters used to percussion and flintlock were familiar with. Then hammerless guns came in and hammer guns from this later period often advertised as a selling point 'hammers below the line of sight' when cocked. Hammer guns were being made well up until the second world war and could be had with Damascus barrels; at extra cost, and Jones type underlevers too. But almost all had 'hammers below the line of sight'.

This is the only area that Diggory seems to have neglected a little in his book; that is the later built hammer guns which were often quite plain and 'agricultural' but still a great product. Lagopus.....