doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com hammer guns

Any suggestions on where to best educate myself on older hammer guns? In particular, I'm interested in good shooters with pretty engraving.

websites to understand make/models?
websites to educate myself on pricing?
recommended books.

thanks

Just stick around here. Lots of the guys here are interested in hammer-guns and there is plenty of discussion regarding just the information you request...Geo

What I have done is two things:

Handle as many as possible at shows such as the Vintage Cup, Southern SxS, UP SxS, and so on.

Haunt web sites like Vintage Doubles, Hill Rod and Gun, etc.

To some extent, I think the books on Purdey and other recognizable name manufacturers are helpful.

What Montana said.....and when you hunt with your first one, and the dog is making birds, chant the Mantra "hammers, dummy, hammers".

Sorta like "safety, dummy, safety"?

Nah, if you practice enough, it becomes second nature. My first bird with a hammergun was seamless. It just happened. I didn't realize how automatic it was until it was over.

One of my partners had flushed this bird and missed it when it cut by me and he couldn't shoot. When he hollered to "kill it," I did.

Here she is, a beautiful hen Chicken of the year.

sv

I would recommend the following for your review,"Lock Stock and barrel",by Cyril Adams & Robert Braden.This book pictures the very best of English hammer guns.
A second book,"Game Guns and Rifles",by Richard Akehurst feature pictures of many fine hammer guns;besides which,it is one of the most interesting and readable books published on the subject of, English Guns and rifles.

Dig's new book, Vintage Doubles For The Modern Shot, is a great resource. I believe it's available from the Double Gun site: http://doublegunshop.com/bookrack.htm

John;
You do not really state your intended use of the hammer gun. If for "Targrt" use then any type which is sound would serve fine as it should not be loaded until in firing position. My next statements are controversial & may be disagreed with by some. However, even though I have used other types on occasion, I personally feel the safest ones to carry afield are those having re-bounding locks. My preferred method of carry is then to carry the gun; Loaded, Closed & Bolted, Hammers down in the rebound safety position, to be cocked upon bringing gun to shoulder for firing.

One thought on buying a hammer gun: If you look around some, you'll find a selection of continental hammer guns, mostly in 16 gauge, at about half the price of a comparably finished British gun. I particularly favor the German/Austrian versions, but there are some better quality Belgians (and a lot of not so good quality ones, too) and even an occasional Italian. The Germanic ones tend to have cheek pieces and critters engraved on them, along with sling swivels and way more fasteners than is perhaps necessary (my current one has double underlugs, a Greener cross bolt and side clips as well), but I kind of like the German style engraving done well. Chokes will likely be really tight and even tighter. Chambers will usually be 65 mm, but there's usually enough meat in the barrels to lengthen to 2-3/4 inches if you must.