Do you shoot single barrel shotguns like pumps and semi-autos?
If yes, how is your skill with those?





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I carry double guns open, and if I can, I slip off the safety. The open action is "safe" after all. When the birds flush I close the action and go to work. It always makes me a little nervous when I see a guy carrying a double gun closed. I wonder where his safety is. I carry a Winny Model 12 with the action open safety off. Birds come up I close the action and go to town. The old "suicide" safety on my ancient Auto 5 is a bit iffy. I put a shell in the chamber and set the safety "on". When I think the birds are about to fly I click the safety off, if they don't flush I click the safety back on, but it is always something that I have to remember to do and I don't really like it. I think that pumps with the safety off and the action open is the safest way to bird hunt, followed close by with a double with action open. Sometimes, and usually the safety sets itself when you open the action. Birds come up you close the action and have to click the safety off with most double guns, but not all.

I seem to remmember a rather long barreled hammer big gun you had something over 36” that I sure like the heck out of shooting :whistle:

When shooting an auto I am constantly flipping the safety on and off, because I carry the gun with a shell in the chamber safety on. That is why I don't like the suicide safety becaue it is not as positive as is the button in front of, or behind the trigger. As have most of us I have seen several guys shot while we are hunting. I have never seen anyone hurt, but I have heard a few choice words. I have known one gent who was killed when he jumped out of his pickup and grabbed his gun by it's barrel and pulled it out. The gun pointed at him and the trigger caught on something and the gun went off. The load hit him in the middle of his chest and he was gone. Very sad and he was a very experienced hunter. A farmer and cattleman. Folks, it can happen to anyone!

I have a 26” top lever hammer gun in a bigger bore that’s virtually no choke and very little choke that I took on a quail deal in 2023 , the gun isn’t cut it left the factory at 26” and with quite open chokes or rather lack of choke . I carried that gun cracked open with the hammers back and shells in the chambers and had no issues . I’ve done several tower shoots with big bore hammer guns and again I stand with the gun cracked open hammers back and shells in the chambers . I was told to go ahead and close the gun while waiting for the birds by the guy that puts the shoots on but I was never comfortable doing that .

From the last tower shoot I carried a hammer gun .

Another tower shoot with a different big bore hammer . The second picture is the first 8 gauge I acquired and the first feathered or furred things I killed with it again in WV at a tower shoot .

I just bought a new (very old) Hammer gun
 

So, after reading many posts here I have decided to buy a Hammer gun that I found on Guns International site. I emailed the sellor and he has not replied to me yet, but i think the sale will to thru. Now for a description of the gun. It is a W.C. Scott 12 F & F made in 1885 according to the site. "C" shaped hammers, Damascus barrels, very pretty wood. So we'll see. Why did I buy a hammer gun? Someone here mentioned that hammer guns can be carried, open with the hammers cocked and that sounds good to me. Sounds safe and unlikely to try to shoot while on safe, which we all have done and hate. Cost? $1500 plus shipping. Not too bad. Also the C shaped hammers look like when cocked they will be out of the way and out of my vision, something else I like. I have owned hammer guns before, but you know what? I cannot recall ever shooting one. When I was in the hospital last year I sold most of my shotguns, thinking it was curtains. I let some of my favorites go. I'm rebuilding my collection. It's fun.

Wow! Very nice. Great birds and what a nice looking shotgun. The gun I just bought (I think.) looks about like that one. A W.C. Scott F and F. I'm pondering opening the chokes, but I think I'll shoot it first and see what happens. Just for grins, I'd rather not touch the chokes, but I have in the past. Opened my Elsie to Cyl/Mod.

I've owned two hammer guns for over two decades and have never fired either.

One I bought because of rarity, a Quality 2, from the short-lived Parry Arms Co., Ithaca, NY. Just had to have Parry's rear-acting under-bolt --

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The other an Ithaca NIG with just too much condition to leave on mumblin' Gary's table at Syracuse --

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