28g 28" Repro

[Chuck Heald]

Kenny,
Like you, I have no problem going back and forth with double or single triggers. I do it often when hunting and range shooting in the same day. I think both types offer something. I actually prefer a single trigger for some hunting conditions where I hunt valley quail. The terrain is steep razorback hills with lots of cover. A super fast second shot is sometimes worth a bird. I'm pretty quick on a 2 trigger, but sometimes not quick enough. Often, I don't think about it one way or the other. I find myself worried more about weight, overall length, gauge, and choke, than trigger arrangement. The gun has what it has.

As for single trigger selectors, I haven't used one that is worth messing with when a shot presents itself. The 'usual' situation I (and probably most) encounter, is when the trigger is set to the more open choked barrel and a bird presents itself further out than we think the open choke barrel is capable of. I shoot with the open choked barrel and follow up with the tighter barrel if necessary. The only style SST that I've seen that made sense to play with barrel selection was the Win 21/SKB style with the selector at your trigger fingertip, requiring only a push to the left. But, I don't own any of those guns.

[nid-28]

Talking about single triggers that make sense--when I was collecting Ithaca guns, esp the small bore 28's, many of those that I owned had an SST that selected with the use of the safety itself. To me it was the ultimate single trigger. The gun was on safe when the safety was in the center position. Pushing it forward as the bird flushed, fired the right barrel first. If it was a longer shot, pulling the safety to the rear fired the left barrel first. The tang was marked with an R in front of the safety and an L behind it. I believe Miller built this system first and Ithaca copied it eventually. Later Miller triggers used the toggle in front of the trigger as a selector. This ultimate safety/ barrel selector required care in making sure the trigger was in the safe position and prevented Steve Lamboy from using it in todays litigious world when he was building the ICD guns.

[Dean Romig]

Bill, the Miller SST on my Skeet-er is exactly as you describe on your Ithacas and is times easier to use in a hunting situation than other designs I have used.

[Big D]

The Remington 3200 has a similar concept safety/selector, with a toggle. Best system I've used

[Chuck Heald]

Bill,
I have a NID 3E 20g with that Miller trigger copy. After some discussions over on the doublegunshop board, I think it was revealed that Ithaca copied Miller's design and drove him away from business with them. I haven't had an opportunity to hunt that gun since it's at Gunter's for a restock and finishes.

[nid-28]

I had forgotten about the Rem 3200 safety/selector. That's also a good design but was only available in that gun in 12 bore and 8lbs plus weight. Regarding Ithaca/Miller tiggers, it might have been Walt Snyder that told me Ithaca was paying Miller a $5 royalty and decided just to make the trigger themselves. forget the royalty and cut Miller out of the deal. $5 went a whole further in the 1930's!!!