I was hunting by myself (well bojack was with me my blue heeler) with my hammer gun hammers cocked had it pointed abought 10 oclock finger across trigger guard(i believe Dean told me that)in some tall thick fireweeds ran into some sheepwire legs stopped body didn't put gun butt down to keep from falling don't think it was pointed at my head but they could of been. just looked up and said thanks for the lesson. Watch the ground also, in new places. One can never be to careful. ch

Shooting myself with a bird gun is the absolute least of my worries when hunting. However, when hunting with others, I would treat a safetyless pigeon gun just like I do a cocked hammer gun. I would carry it open and loaded. True, it is difficult in heavy high brush, but you do what you have to do.

Pete, is that a picture of Scott's gun?.....if so I was looking at the same gun and considered buying it but did not. That looks exactly like the picture the dealer had on his site. Congratulations Scott on such a great gun!

2 Screw SST
 

Drew, Here are some pics of the 2 screw SST on my VHE 20. I hope this works; either I have forgoten the proceedure, or the rules have changed.

Hammer Gun Carry
 

Learn to cock the left hammer first. A hammer gun can be carried hammers down and the left hammer cocked on the mount as fast as a safety can be released. The rear trigger first allows the right hammer to be cocked as the hand moves forward for the front trigger.

Best, Austin

Like Austin, I too carry hammers down. I started shooting a hammer gun while in Italy in 1972. I shot alot of skeet 400 to 500 shells a week. With a down gun by Internationa Rules stock tuching the hip and butt rearward of my elbow I would cock the right hammer on the way to my shoulder for the first clay and drop the gun down to cock the left hammer for the second shot. Granted I was not that good at it, but typical score was around 96 out of 100.
Alot of the people I shoot sporting clays with have their safety off all the time. I suspect that if they practice shooting that way their safetys are off when afield. Same as having hammers cocked you just can't tell.

Harry

Not that good at it with an average of 96 :rotf:

Yes same gun. I gave it some thought too,

Pete,

I hated staton 8. Can't move the gun until the bird leaves the house. I just wasn't that quick. The fellows I shot with had their guns mounted when they called for a bird and were going 100 x 100 most of the time. I was shooting to improve my field hunting so shot by International Rules. The team I shot with wasn't real happy with me.

Harry

If you hunt with hammers down you must be hunting pheasants or chukars or be hunting pretty open cover. If I hunted with hammers down in the thick cover of gnarly old apples, maple whips, thornapple and spruce where I hunt I would rarely get a shot off and if I was lucky enough to shoot it would likely be where the grouse was - not where he is about to be.... :rolleyes: