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85lc
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Reged: 19/01/18
Posts: 915
Loc: Georgia, USA
Re: Hammers on firearms for dangerous game hunting? [Re: DarylS]
      #379704 - 29/09/23 03:04 AM

Daryl,

You are correct. If hammer guns are treated like hammerless guns, both hammers should be cocked.

Now I admit that on my hammer 20 ga, I cocked and shot the right barrel and then cocked & shot the left barrel. I was very quick in cocking the left hammer. While that may not make sense, that is what I did.

--------------------
RB


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NitroXAdministrator
.700 member


Reged: 25/12/02
Posts: 39247
Loc: Barossa Valley, South Australi...
Re: Hammers on firearms for dangerous game hunting? [Re: DarylS]
      #379709 - 29/09/23 04:38 AM

Quote:

Both inside "hammers" of a hammerless gun are cocked, so why not cock both side hammers?




The advantage with a .600 NE with (external) hammers is no chance of a double discharge.

--------------------
John aka NitroX

...
Govt get out of our lives NOW!
"I love the smell of cordite in the morning."
"A Sharp spear needs no polish"


Edited by NitroX (29/09/23 12:34 PM)


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3DogMike
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Reged: 29/01/15
Posts: 1414
Loc: Western Slope, Colorado USA
Re: Hammers on firearms for dangerous game hunting? [Re: NitroX]
      #379711 - 29/09/23 05:21 AM

Quote:

Quote:

Both inside "hammers" of a hammerless gun are cocked, so why not cock both side hammers?




The advantage with a .600 NE is no chance of a double discharge.



With my .577 BP Express' and Bore rifles I cock only one barrel at a time just in case……..not to be confused with "strumming" the rear trigger (I've never had that problem), simply in case of firing shock knocking the left barrel sear off the tumbler on a 120+ year old rifle.

I'm not hunting anything more dangerous than Marmots (like a Groundhog) anyway…..(maybe the Monty Python "Killer Rabbit")

Bird hunting with my hammer 12 Bore I do cock both hammers.
- Mike

--------------------
"Here's to killing people you don't like with people you do"

"Will Rogers never met a fighter pilot"
- Anon

“Always carry a flask of whiskey in case of snakebite, and furthermore always carry a small snake."
-- W. C. Fields


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eagle27
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Reged: 24/01/09
Posts: 1124
Loc: Nelson, New Zealand
Re: Hammers on firearms for dangerous game hunting? [Re: 3DogMike]
      #379716 - 29/09/23 08:30 AM

My early experience with double guns was as kids we started off shooting rabbits and ducks with 410's our father made from old 303 SMLE's but we also had a light little Belgian made 28g double hammer shotgun, Damascus twist barrels and all.
One conundrum with this gun was once you cocked the RH hammer you could not open the gun as the top lever operation was inhibited by the cocked hammer. To open and make the gun safe you had to uncock the RH hammer, both hammers had quite strong springs and young kids thumbs are not as strong as adults but surprisingly we never had any AD's with the gun. Likewise couldn't carry the gun open with hammers cocked as the top lever in the open position prevented the RH hammer being cocked.

I don't think you would want a gun like this for DG hunting. If you got out of sequence when reloading, cocking or uncocking in a hurry you might be caught out unless very familiar and proficient with the gun when under stress.


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3DogMike
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Reged: 29/01/15
Posts: 1414
Loc: Western Slope, Colorado USA
Re: Hammers on firearms for dangerous game hunting? [Re: eagle27]
      #379721 - 29/09/23 10:51 AM

Quote:

My early experience with double guns was as kids we started off shooting rabbits and ducks with 410's our father made from old 303 SMLE's but we also had a light little Belgian made 28g double hammer shotgun, Damascus twist barrels and all.
One conundrum with this gun was once you cocked the RH hammer you could not open the gun as the top lever operation was inhibited by the cocked hammer. To open and make the gun safe you had to uncock the RH hammer, both hammers had quite strong springs and young kids thumbs are not as strong as adults but surprisingly we never had any AD's with the gun. Likewise couldn't carry the gun open with hammers cocked as the top lever in the open position prevented the RH hammer being cocked.

I don't think you would want a gun like this for DG hunting. If you got out of sequence when reloading, cocking or uncocking in a hurry you might be caught out unless very familiar and proficient with the gun when under stress.



Ah childhood in bygone days….great story!
- Mike

--------------------
"Here's to killing people you don't like with people you do"

"Will Rogers never met a fighter pilot"
- Anon

“Always carry a flask of whiskey in case of snakebite, and furthermore always carry a small snake."
-- W. C. Fields


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HeymSR20
.300 member


Reged: 23/11/11
Posts: 244
Loc: Scotland
Re: Hammers on firearms for dangerous game hunting? [Re: 3DogMike]
      #379728 - 29/09/23 08:23 PM

Hammer guns I do like. I don’t shoot regularly with one, but if I found one that fits at the right price I would have one. On dangerous game you don’t have one up the spout and three or four down. You have two shots which you had better make count.

Whether you cock both hammers at once, or one at a time is down to you and how well the gun is built. Any gun the doubles on recoil should have the attention of a good gunsmith.

The effort involved in cocking the hammers is really no more than sliding a safety - especially the decocker style on many German guns. It needs to me second nature to you. There is the matter of potential click as the hammer is cocked. Either choose a gun with stalking safeties, but these need disengaging before firing, learn to operate the trigger as hammer is cocked to avoid the click, or cock as you mount the gun and fire.

As always first shot is the one that counts. Then make the second count.

As to the reload. It depends on the type of action. Under levers such as the Jones rotary are very strong but you have manually open, reload close barrels and then shut it. Its a little slow and awkward.

But the more modern snap action that snaps closed as the barrels close is much quicker. Various types - sidelevers and trigger guard push forward or rotating all work. The ones over the trigger guard can viscous on the fingers.

With the more conventional top lever, many will not open if the right hammer is cocked. Probably best to fire right barrel first so you can have an easy reload if you don’t get an immediate opportunity for a second shot.

Most hammer guns are non ejectors. Matters not with brass rifle cases. Open the gun and tip it to the side and cases fall out. In go two more and close.

If a hammer gun is your gun, you know it and it is part of you, then shoot it. But if you are not familiar with the type of gun and multiple shots in a hurry - well you are possibly on the way to a Darwin Award. But this applies just as much to hammerless doubles and bolt actions alike.


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