Live bird gun?

[Cold Spring]

Originally Posted by Eric Grims

I have always considered the label, "live bird gun" to mean a shotgun without a safety. Is this correct? I have a 1916 4E single barrel Ithaca Flues with no safety and understood this may be referred to as a live bird gun. Is that true?
Thanks

The short answer for your gun is: no. Vintage single barrel trap (SBT) guns were generally made without a safety so there's no chance of calling for the target with the safety ON. No "do-overs" in serious Trap shooting. A shotgun capable of two shots is essential for high stakes live bird shooting. Also, live bird (pigeon) shooting rules require that two shots must be fired at/for each bird. If the bird is killed with the first shot the shooter fires a second one at the bird or into the ground. Thus a single-barrel break open shotgun won't do at the rings.

Now, what makes a vintage/safetyless side-by-side shotgun a live bird gun is another question that would take many paragraphs to detail. Personally I'm not up to it.

[Randy Roberts]

Eric you can search the forum and find a wealth of information on this topic of actual live bird or pigeon guns vs guns with no safety. I recently acquired a V grade 20 gauge with 32" barrels and no safety, factory correct. It is configured as a live bird gun with a straight stock and double triggers but I doubt anyone
ordered a 20 gauge to shoot live bird events so I would not consider it a live bird gun IMO.