I will contribute my bit on Ideals and opening.
Pressing the spur behind the trigger guard cocks the locks, therefore the barrels do not have anything to do but open, and do in fact drop quite easily thus justifying calling the Ideal an easy opener. Also, on closing ejector models, the ejector coil springs are mild, so the gun is also an easy closer.
As a poster said above re a popular single, the underspur can be a very fast loader in practiced hands. I have shot mine 12 times in one minute using the method described in the post above.
I do not know how fast a pair of Ideals would be with a loader and how they would compare to top levers. But with a stuffer (he places shells in the opened gun) I would bet the Ideal would be faster than a top lever. It is by far the more ergonomic opening system.
Oh, and to close, I have seen at least one higher grade Ideal than the ones pictured.
Last edited by Shotgunlover; 01/27/11 01:38 AM.
