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Forums10
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Jul 28th, 2025
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Joined: May 2011
Posts: 1,071
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 1,071 |
For a modern gun with a vintage flavour there is also the Pedersoli La Bohemienne.
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Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 7,723 Likes: 126
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 7,723 Likes: 126 |
One thing I would suggest is that you check to be sure whatever gun you buy has hammers which do not block the top lever when they're cocked. At times you will want to un-cock the hammers with loaded chambers.
If you can break open the gun and let the hammers down so they can't slip and fire on a loaded chamber you're much safer. That's especially true when you are just becoming famiar with your new hammer gun.
The Swedish Husqvarna guns have that advantage. Your best bet might be the model 50 or 51 instead of the less expensive older models with the lefaucheux action...Geo
Last edited by Geo. Newbern; 01/07/14 08:14 PM. Reason: can't type
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Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 452
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 452 |
My advice is go to one of the Vintage SxS shoots, See Hammer guns used in competiton. I looked at a lot of guns ended up borrowing one from a friend to shoot the Hammer class, and buying if from him when he found another he liked better. Guessing there were 3 or 4 dozen on Dealers tables to chose from
It's a Birmingham Gun nice conditon good stock dims with Steel Barrels, About 1914, my buddy moved into a nice Damascus Parker. We shot both with B&P 7/8 oz 12's Easy on the shoulder and gun. Will load for it in the future 7/8 oz 1150 or so fps same as the B&P's
Easy to go wrong looking at just a few guns.
Boats
Last edited by Boats; 01/07/14 08:41 PM.
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Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 213
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 213 |
I have shot hammerguns for many years. Too me they are the best balanced and handling guns of the side x sides. For a walk up gun I lean towards an underlever with non rebounding hammers. I hunt a lot with pointers so i usually have some time to get ready for a shot. You might look at Vintage Doubles site, Kirby Hoyt usually has some and the measurements for the barrels, stocks, etc are in the listing. I have loaded my own for steel shot for a number of years and shoot it in a Husky 12 under lever. One other thing is that they almost always work.
Hope you find a good one. Dwight
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Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 714 Likes: 9
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 714 Likes: 9 |
If you can stomach a classic American gun I would suggest an LC Smith. Can be had with steel barrels, almost all are 2 3/4" chambers, can use modern ammo (within reason), they open with the hammers back, and you could buy 3 decent ones within your budget.
CHAZ
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Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 2,859
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 2,859 |
Jim, Ignore these guys, run the other way! If you buy one the next thing you know you'll buy another. Pretty soon you'll become as addicted as they are...  Steve
Approach life like you do a yellow light - RUN IT! (Gail T.)
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Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 23 Likes: 4
Boxlock
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OP
Boxlock
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 23 Likes: 4 |
Hey Guys,
I am grateful for your advice thus far. Having owned vintage hammerless shotguns I am inclined to go that route with a hammer gun. My bad? Maybe but I really like the old guns and the history they represent. Very cool to be able to use them I would think.
I will continue to do my research. What are the pitfalls you guys have encountered?
Jim
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Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 476 Likes: 76
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 476 Likes: 76 |
Having owned vintage hammerless shotguns I am inclined to go that route with a hammer gun. My bad? Maybe but I really like the old guns and the history they represent. About six years ago I bought a 16 gauge Joseph Lang non-rebounding hammer gun built in 1866 and re-barreled in Damascus by James Woodward about 1872 or a little earlier. I've fired over 5,000 low pressure 7/8 ounce nitro loads through this gun and will be shooting it again this weekend. It is fun to shoot clays with and it is an ideal gun for preserve quail over pointers - like most non-rebounding guns it is easily cocked by an easy sweep of my right thumb as I mount the gun. I agree with a previous poster that going to a vintage shoot that has exhibitors will give you a lot of guns to look at and help you make your choice.
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Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 3,971 Likes: 103
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 3,971 Likes: 103 |
Pitfalls?
The most common and hardest to detect unless you have access to the gauges are thin walls resulting from excessive honing. I can't emphasize enough the necessity to thoroughly check wall thickness and bore diameter. If the chambers have been lengthened be sure the walls are thick enough in front of the forcing cones.
Also, as with all doubles, try to determine the ribs are solid.
Just a fetish of mine but i wont look at a gun that has had its action recased.
Last edited by Joe Wood; 01/08/14 12:04 AM.
John McCain is my war hero.
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Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 333 Likes: 1
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 333 Likes: 1 |
When I obtained my first hammergun I received this great advice from our own Uncle Bob. Great stuff.
Steve, I cock my gun as I mount the piece, cocking one hammer as a part of the mount, as I would slide the safety off during the mount, with a hammerless gun. If I need the second barrel, I lower the gun a bit and remount as I pick up the second bird, and again cocking the hammer, this time the second one.
I have found that there are a number of reasons why I prefer to not cock the hammers and hunt with the gun open.
First is the fact that an angular gun (as opposed to the straight line of the closed gun) hangs up on cover. No concern if one is riding up to a brace of pointing dogs in a mule drawn wagon, but a very real one when one is walking them up.
Secondly, when the gun hangs on cover, you will dump the shells out of the breech more times than not. Now you are hunting for shells in the cover, mud, or snow, instead of birds.
Third, and maybe the most important, cocking a hammer as part of the gun mount is not more than a very slight fraction of a second slower than sliding the safety off and is a compatible part of the gun mount, as the gun mount is used to acquire lead on the bird. To postpone the mount when a bird flushes while closing the gun disrupts the timing of the mount and leads to misses. I thing that is why Lord Ripon and other great wing shooters of the 19th century received their guns from the loader closed.
I realize that there are times when you hunt a pointing dog that you will have time to close the gun and walk in with the hammers cocked, but that is not true every time, when hunting a pointer on prairie birds. Two different mannerisms will sooner or later lead to needless misses.
Fourth, lowering the gun to catch the second hammer will make one a better shot on the second bird, than it would be with a hammerless gun because it reestablishes the movement of feet and lead hand in establishing the swing and lead.
Well, there you have it. Why I hunt with the gun closed and the hammers un-cocked.
I do think with very little practice cocking the first hammer as you mount the gun, you will find that it is very easy to do and quite natural. You will also find that a hammer gun is not a handicap to harvesting the three of four birds a day that we are allowed. It will indeed provide you with a new and enjoyable element
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