Mr. Black,

In the interests of being safe, I would like to further explore your point above. I have recently purchased my first two hammer guns, and have been reading this thread with interest. Can you explain further how a gun with open barrels is dangerous? What is the difference between closing the barrels on the way up and cocking the hammers on the way up? Furthering that, if you have personally seen brush result in accidentally cocked hammers, then I fail to see how the open barrel/hammers cocked technique is more dangerous than closed with hammers down.

So the danger with walking around with the barrels closed and hammers back is obvious. Barrels closed and hammers down could result in a discharge by virtue of brush cocking the hammers, or even partially lifting them for a brief second before dropping them again on the primer. How does a gun with an open breech discharge?

Just from my own experience, and of course only with my own hammerguns - all of which are Parkers - it is enough of a chore to cock the hammers on my guns with my thumbs... I can't even imagine "brush" accidentally cocking a hammer on my gun. Why, I would have to literally crash into or stumble and fall against a small tree to provide enough force to cock one of these hammers. Just sayin'...

Yup, open breech with cocked hammers is the way I do it. I'll close the gun and carry it with muzzles up when I expect a bird to flush and open it again when the possibility of an imminent flush is past.

I have had a Winchester 1886 cock on me while crawling through the brush to get close to a moose... twice. Very unnerving. Can't see that happening with a hammer shotgun though. I agree with Dean on that one. I saw a hammer gun designed to cock just as Austin showed someone here. The hammer ears each had a jog that brought them very close together over the center of the gun so it was easy to get your right thumb across both. I thought that was brilliant. That was one nice little hammer gun. Too bad the bbls were only about .010" thick in places.

When Dean posted the quote from the Tranquility series it inspired me to get out my books and reread them again. In Tranqulility is a story called "Odd or Even", where a southern acquaintence John Armistead Bristol sends the Captain a letter announcing his impending arrival to sample hunting Vermont style that was mentioned when they were hunting down south. Johnny is driving up to invade the north and bringing his 2 hammer Parkers to hunt with. Because this is Johnny's first trip north, the Captain is giving him instructions on how best to hunt birds he never hunted before. These words of wisdom seem to be as true today as when they were written. This quote comes from Tranquility pp154:

"Woodcock lie pretty well, but the grouse mostly are too smart to let a dog come up on 'em, unless it happens to be a wet, misty sort of day. When it's like this-bright and clear- and when the leaves are falling, these birds will lie more often for a man than they will for his dog. When you shoot, mark your bird down and don't lose anytime in getting to him."
He continues his instruction.
"You'll find an old cow path following along the brook. Keep right along that and cock both barrels and peel your eyes. The Judge will be 50 yards on the other side and I'll be an equal distance on this side. Whistle if you lose us, so we'll know where everyone is and no one'll get shot."
They left him and Johnny, pulling both hammers to the oily snick of full cock, advanced down a black dirt path where the yellow leaves of hazel lay. The pungent smell of it's golden blossom was sharp in his nostrils. It was bird country........


Jack kuzepski

Yes indeed Jack, that's how I do it in my Vermont coverts. Thanks for that quote... I just read it a few weeks ago again for the umpteenth time.

Dean