doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Back Action Hammer Guns

A James Woodward 12 bore fwd underlever,back action.I must take some better pics,these don't do the gun justice.I agree,the last few years the wells are getting dry...
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A solid rounded action bar, no recesses for cocking levers and other complications to weaken it, the action is just about indestructible. And super good looking too.

My Cogswell 2 1/2 inch 410 weighs 1.9 kg, about 4 1/2 lbs, a pleasure to shoot and manipulate.

Not quite so fancy but it is my favorite waterfowl shotgun

1941 Husqvarna Model 51, I have a three of them. Sadly the finest of them got cut to 20" by some cowboy shooter, I bought it for parts.

Wonderful pictures, folks. I have to count myself among those who prefer the look of a back-lock to a bar-lock on a hammer gun.

Here's a peculiar case, back-locks made by Noah Butler of Wednesbury, for the notable gunmakers Samuel and Charles Smith of London, with inverted inscriptions:


And, for no other reason than eye candy, a few more back-lock pinfires.

S.I.A.C.E. makes (or at least made in fairly recent times) a lovely back action hammer gun. I believe it sold as the "Concordia" here, although it's labeled as the 370B on the S.I.A.C.E web site (https://www.siacearmi.com/en/products-k2-2/hammer-guns/item/184-370b.html). I have one in 28 gauge with 29 inch barrels. They are very nice shotguns and it's one of my go-to clays guns.

Why would one want a safety on a hammergun?

I�ve been lucky enough to see some of Steve�s pinfire collection in the flesh. Just fantastic!

John Blissett, London, 12 gauge.


Pondeveax, St. Etienne, 16 gauge.

The earliest pinfire sporting guns (before 1860) sometimes had features carried over from muzzle-loading days, such as grip safeties. I guess gunmaking habits die hard, or new clients wanted the same features. In some cases, muzzle-loaders converted to pinfire retained grip safeties.

Hammer rifles for dangerous game often had sliding stalking safeties on the hammers, I suppose to be able to carry the rifle through heavy brush, much like intercepting sear safeties on hammerless guns.

Anyone feel free to Flame Me all you desire to. I will, however, make one bold Statement. NO hammer gun is completely safe unless it has some type of hammer block. On hammer doubles the final & most efficient form was the rebounding hammer.
NO gun, internal hammer, external hammer or striker type should ever be carried with the firing pin contacting the cap or primer. Half-cock "Safeties" are usually rather delicate & easily broken in the case of the hammer being struck a blow, which can occur in a fall or a dropped gun,