I lived in London in 19fifty seven. I was 13. It was wonderful. I learned to ride the buses and the underground and the world of London was my oyster. Wonderful museums. Great movie theatres. Blitz damage all over the place. Funny money. Today the Blitz damage is fixed and the money is different and I'm 80! Different.

Shoot it in good health Sir.

I wish I could shoot/hunt with some of you guys. I am an experienced hunter/shooter. I was a drill sergeant for years and then a commander of drill sergeants. I hunted for a generation in western Kansas. I've been to Africa, but only shot a camera. It was interesting, however. South Africa was a mess. Not safe folks. Cape Buffalo scared my poor wife to death! It was close to her, we are talking five feet. Those critters STINK.

Probably...or maybe the most dangerous shotgun is the '97 Winchester. The safety is the half cock position of the hammer. When placing the hammer on half cock or taking thumbing it back to full cock it is easy for the hammer to slip off one's thumb and set off the charge. I've hunted with a guy who shot a 97 and he shot it well. He was a Naval Aviator. His call sign was "Fingers". He is gone now. We miss him.

Killed my 1st duck with a '97. It had been my great-grandfathers.

My first deer rifle, a Winchester 94 in .30-30 was the same wat regarding the hammer and half-cock.





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Hammers for hunting
 

I own a 10 bore best quality hammer and just shot a limit of doves over waterhole using Gauge Mates with 12 ga Win AA 1185 fps 1 oz factory shells. Boy did I make some long shots and made the mistake of some too close. Hamburger doves!! Sure was fun and sporting had previously shot a nice Tom last spring at 65 yds using Salt Creek loaded short 10 Bismuth 5’s equally as much fun. Go Gettem 10 bores!!! Best to you cheers David

Hammergun
 

Forgot to mention it is a best quality Clabrough made in 1887 Damascus with Treble Lock and low hammers. One of 5 Best Quality Clabrough’s I own! Hunt with all of them low pressure loads. 3 -12’s one 16 one 10!

Unless the safety sear slot has been broken off the hammer, it is not possible for the hammer to drop all the way UNLESS you are simultaneously pulling the trigger. The upper end of the trigger is the sear on both the '97, and the 1894 rifle. The hammer must be pulled, moving the sear away from the hammer safety slot. Give the boys at Winchester a little credit.

The first big buck I ever shot at, a heavy 8-pt. Was with my 94. I was 14 and the buck ran out in the field in front of me and stopped broadside. I never even thought to cock the hammer but with what must have been super human strength I pulled it right through half-cock…. “CLICK!” And he took off running. My next four shots went all over the place and I never saw him again despite tracking him for the next hour when he went through a swamp.

I never thought it would have been possible but it happened.





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Edgar is right. There is nothing dangerous about the 97 if you know how to operate a shotgun.

My '87 1 Frame Fishtail will likely get "the nod" this week. I keep encountering birds in the same spot on two different trails here where my more open-choked English 16 isn't up to the task at hand.

By the time I locate these birds, they are on the move and almost at the limit of that gun's lethal range. Tighter chokes and bigger payloads should help with that just a bit (hopefully it's enough to make the difference). The ground on both approaches is fairly even, with no obstacles to step over or to trip me up, so I can (with some confidence) approach both points with the gun up and the hammers cocked.

http://i.imgur.com/A4lnYVKh.jpg

It will be an interesting adventure to set out with this old American gun in hand, and it will make me wonder when it last (or ever) was used in this fashion?

That’s very pretty country Lloyd, it looks like my covers in Vermont’s NEK.





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Good day here.

http://i.imgur.com/92jsqW6h.jpg

Sharpies!

and a Ruffie later too!

http://i.imgur.com/3bPHdq3h.jpg

Some days it all comes together, eh?

Dean:

This is gorgeous country in the Fall of the year...

http://i.imgur.com/2Njgn9zh.jpg

but winters here are abysmal.

http://i.imgur.com/ezOdN29h.png

I clear out well-before that point.