Shooting hammer guns

[6pt-Sika]

Originally Posted by Stan Hoover

Further, when shooting clays, i will always cock my hammers before closing the breech… Cocking hammers after closing the breech on live shells leaves open the possibility of the hammer slipping off your thumb and causing an unintentional discharge.

I'm surprised how many guys I see cocking the hammers with the gun closed

But when shooting certain hammer guns, hammers can only be cocked after lever is too the left, so no other way

It took me a while to get used to closing the gun with hammers cocked . I was always a bit worried that a hammer might fall when closing . About the only negative I’ve had with a hammer gun was a Grade 1 top lever 16 gauge 30” that a couple times doubled on me . But the following day at the shop that SOB was apart and about four strokes with a file cured that BS !

[Dave Moore]

While not a Parker, I just got this nice hammer gun. A Lindner Daly mfg in about 1888. I too am in the group that carries the gun cocked with the action open. Another thing is that I always cock the gun with the action open as well, one time I had the hammer slip under my thumb while cocking the hammer.