Opinions on hammer guns

[Ratsmasher 36]

Hi all

 

been in the market for a cheaper double barrel .410 for a little while and hammer guns seem to go for a lot cheaper then hammerless.

Friend who shoots used to have one and said that the amount of times he accidently fired it whilst de cocking the hammers made him sell it but I've always though that you should break a hammer gun before decocking the hammers. Also do the hammers get in the sight line when taking crossers (I would be using it for general vermin including the odd woodie) and also do you see many single triggers on hammer guns?

 

Sorry if theres lots of dull questions there its just that i have a fairly tight budget for it but im cautious of falling into the "cheap and nasty" category

So if anyone who shoots/has shot a hammer .410 could give me their opinions

on them from the safety and general practicality of them I'd appreciate it

atb Ratty

Edited March 27, 2012 by Ratsmasher

[paulus 26]

Hi all

 

been in the market for a cheaper double barrel .410 for a little while and hammer guns seem to go for a lot cheaper then hammerless.

Friend who shoots used to have one and said that the amount of times he accidently fired it whilst de cocking the hammers made him sell it but I've always though that you should break a hammer gun before decocking the hammers. Also do the hammers get in the sight line when taking crossers (I would be using it for general vermin including the odd woodie) and also do you see many single triggers on hammer guns?

 

Sorry if theres lots of dull questions there its just that i have a fairly tight budget for it but im cautious of falling into the "cheap and nasty" category

So if anyone who shoots/has shot a hammer .410 could give me their opinions

on them from the safety and general practicality of them I'd appreciate it

atb Ratty

never had one go off whilst decocking as long as you keep your thumb on it its easy, no such thing as a single trigger hammer gun the mechanisum is totaly different, parkermy or el chimbo is the normal make, belgian

[SportingShooter 0]

Ratsmasher,

 

I have two .410 hammerguns. One of them is my grandfather's which is a 90 year old Belgian double, the other is of unknown make but probably Spanish that was given to me.

 

I don't use my grandfathers very often because of its age but I carry the other one around the shoot with me quite often if I just want to blat squirrels and things. Its very effective with decent ammunition and I don't find any problem from it having external hammers.

 

The Spanish one has back action hammers which prevent the hammers pushing the pins forward unless the trigger is pulled back so letting the hammer go once the trigger is released even on a loaded chamber shouldn't discharge it. Even so, a hammer gun should always be broken when it is being de-cocked. Its a simple procedure really.

 

I quite often take it with me if i'm going clay shooting for the day. On driven clays overhead at 30-40 yards with again some decent shells, will break them time and time again.

 

I keep mentioning decent ammunition because more often than not, you can only get cartridges which are meant for game and to be frank, are awful for most applications beyond about 20 yards. Whenever I can find them, I buy 3" 21gr of No.7 or 7 1/2. It'll deal with whatever I happen to shoot with it with a better pattern due to more pellets.

 

Shooting some Express 7's I managed to find at the moment, shot a crow at 30 yards with them last week with no problem.

 

In all, they're a fun gun to have so long as you don't get disheartened by their effective range and your ability to shoot far more accurately than with a 12.

 

SS

 

This is my Spanish one,

 

[Ratsmasher 36]

Ok thanks for the advice,

Atb Ratsmasher

[charlie caller 3,654]

If you buy one make sure its got rebounding hammers mate,I bought one for my lad to use a while back actually a baikal 16 bore, what a cracking little gun,both of us can shoot it very well in fact I had a day on the pheasants this season with it and did pretty well,I really like hammer guns,if you take care they are just a safe as any gun, in fact arguably the finest game shot of all time Lord Rippon used a pair,I happen to know where there are a couple of belting hammer guns one .410 one 12 bore both in Derbyshire,the 12 is Italian but with Sheffield steel barrels,a real cracker and I think its up for 350 quid.