doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com SxS Firing Sequence, Why Right Then Left?

One thing I've wondered a while now about SXS guns is why the firing order is the way it is. I get the concept of having chokes of varying constrictions, but it just seems sort of backwards to me to fire right then left. I've always found that while the right barrel feels softer to shoot, the muzzles are pulled farther off target because of the recoil than the left, which is the opposite. In my mind it makes more sense to have the left side fire first, because it's faster to recover from the recoil on that side.

Is there any specific reason for a R/L firing order as opposed to L/R, or is it just a case of things having been done that way since the inception of the double gun and never being altered?

There is no discernible difference in how much the gun is pulled laterally off axis when the right or the left barrel is fired. Most S x Ss are set up with the right barrel being the most open. Therefore, in most upland flushing situations, the right (more open barrel) is fired first, and if a second shot is needed the left is fired. Incoming birds often call for just the opposite, but there's more of the former than the latter, evidently.

Because I shoot doves and ducks a lot I often do just the opposite. I use the left barrel first, if the gun is typically choked, on an incoming bird a good ways out, then use the right, more open choked barrel as the birds close the distance.

There are guns which have been ordered with the right barrel being tighter than the left.
And, there are guns which have been ordered with the front trigger firing the left barrel, instead of the right.

SRH

Stan those were ordered for left hand shooters...

Most all guns shoot right barrel first and the triggers are staggered the way they are for a reason...safety mainly.

A true left hand double trigger will be staggered just the opposite.

On most SxS's because most all are right handed guns. The rear trigger is kind of hidden behind the front trigger so under recoil should your grip slip on the gun or your finger get jarred back under recoil your finger can't sweep back and hit the rear trigger causing an unwanted double firing.

I'm left handed and have owned and shot lots double trigger guns (all were right handed triggered) and I've had the double fire happen under heavy recoil more than once. Trust me it's indistinguishable from one shot.

Most times hunting because of that with a heavy recoiling gun I shot rear to front to avoid the chance of a double fire...I had it happen once on a 10ga. stuffed with 1& 3/4 oz of shot and 130 grs of FF in each shell.

Joe, I too am a lefty. That instantaneous "doubling". I agree that is something you only want to do once. Double the bang and I imagined that is what it feels like being kicked by a mule.

I was fortunate to buy a 12g. Fox at a local show. Took to the skeet range the next day only to hear the guys laugh that I got another gun that doesn't fire. Standard procedure to stand on station #1 and chamber a shell in the Right barrel(most open choke). Pull... Click, no bang. Try again. Pull... Click, no bang. Just laughing around the pad. Let's try 2 shells and use the rear trigger. Pull... bang, dead bird. Open action and right barrel had fired. Try the left barrel with front trigger and bang. Dam someone switched the triggers. After looking at the gun better I realized it was a Lefty. Even though it was set up correct for me I never could get use to it. Just adapted to long ago to the righty type of gun. Eventually just sent it on to it's next owner.

I have a Merkle O/U 20g. that was a single trigger, choked full and skeet. Non selective trigger fires the full choke first. I never did figure out why that set up. Maybe driven birds ????

I would suppose...maybe an English chap would explain.

I recently bought a UK imported Browning Superposed that has screw in chokes...had a cylinder in the top and a modified in the bottom.

The gun has a barrel selective safety so selection played no part...Being that most people shoot the bottom barrel first on an O/Ur it kinda puzzled me a little.
What ever the fellow was shooting he was expecting his first shot to be longer...just the opposite of upland hunting.

I will give the explanation I have been given and read a number of times over the years about the lay out of a Brit traditional side by side. First of all, it is nothing to do with the barrels or choking it is all to do with practicality and tradition thrown in and I am sure you are aware that we Brits run on tradition. If you take a single barrel gun in the far past gunmakers always without exception put the lock on the tight hand side because everyone in their eyes was right handed being a lefty had lots of bad associations Devil etc, even to Edwardian times children who were obviously left handed where made to change to being right handed with disastrous results in many cases. That being the case the cock hammer or the part that held the glowing match was to be found on the right side of the gun�s lay out. With a single barrel gun, no problem lock on the right and one trigger and you are right handed well the gunmaker says you are. Then two barrels came along two locks one either side of the gun and you only have one thumb to pull the cock or hammer to half or full cock, and not every person who shoots has a hand the size of a coal shovel so to raise the right hand cock or hammer is easier because your thumb is in a straighter line with your wrist, the left hammer is a more oblique pull and to many people more effort is needed (this does include myself) this being the case the right hand hammer or cock was favoured and in consequence the right hand barrel because of the guns physical layout. It is also said that on walking up game the bird when flushed is closer to the gun so the first barrel you use requires less choke but that came a lot later after the design was set.
Also, on many vintage Brit side by side guns you can change the barrel firing order just by swapping the triggers over though not all. On occasions this can be a benefit, the odd time I visit a friend who lives a good distance away who is a left hander I can borrow one of his guns because it has neutral cast and just do a quick trigger swap.
But like all things in life there may be a lot more explanation�s though I do like this one.

What did they say about the ambidextrous ?

Who gave a toss about that 1% they where to busy keeping the left hand use out of sight for most of history in the early days you could be burnt at the stake for being a Witch, I thought I made that clear left handedness was not a good thing. jOe why dont you slip back and ask if you are so interested to know?