doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Hammer gun info again please..

Hey guys,
I'm trying to find line drawings or other illustration that shows the workings of back action or bar action, ( I think that's correct terminology ), in hammer shotguns. Also the mechanics of the bolt and bite as the barrel is dropped then closed. In other words how do they bolt up and is there any relationship between the action and bolting mechanism. Appreciate any input.
Hope this makes sense?
Jim

Jim, there are several works that might be an aid but I think the very best place to start would be to acquire a copy of "The Modern Sportsman's Gun And Rifle: Including Game And Wildfowl Guns, Sporting And Match Rifles, and Revolvers, Volume 1", by John Henry Walsh, 1882 or 1884. It is available as a print on demand book from Amazon or ABE. Amazon seems to have the best price. It is a very extensive work describing in words and woodcuts the workings of many different actions, along with ammunition, etc.

http://www.amazon.com/The-Modern-Sportsmans-Gun-Rifle/dp/B004QZ9U0Q/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1390363145&sr=8-4&keywords=The+modern+sportsman%27s+gun+and+rifle

http://www.abebooks.com/servlet/SearchResults?sts=t&tn=The+modern+sportsman%27s+gun+and+rifle

It can also be downloaded free on Google Books and best read in Google Play. I have found it to be invaluable to understand vintage guns from this era. Most of the inventions and innovations pertaining to the sporting guns had been established by the time of this printing.

The design advantage of a hand operated system like the hammer gun is the independence between the bolting and the firing systems.

There have been several bolting systems used in hammer guns, ie the Horsley round bolt, the Purdey underbolt, third fasteners, etc, while the locks remain pretty similar.

When attempts were made to turn the hammer gun to self cocking then you see a mechanical connection betwen the bolting and the locks. The Woodward unerlever is an example of this linkage. I once saw a Kerr that had a detachable screw to turn the underlever into a cocking lever at will.