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I have a friend that just purchased a Boss O/U. It fires the top barrel first. Is that normal for Boss guns?

Marketing, and what you can make work. None of us are the same.

Best,
Ted

QUOTE If you can't, or won't, teach yourself to trap the ejected empties in your hand, to deposit wherever you please, you shouldn't even enter a discussion about the value of ejectors.

Stan I hope you have a better day tomorrow. Not sure why this set you off.

Stan I am well versed on how to use ejectors. I have been shooting wild quail here in AZ for over 55 years and a lot of time over my dogs.
Anyway I thought this conversation was about which barrel top or bottom to shoot first.
My go to gun most of the time is my A10 20 gauge.
It has ejectors. I pop it open without kicking the top ejector. Then remove my shell ( top barrel) and slip another in. I handle it just like I do when I shoot an extractor gun. When I do fire the bottom barrel I crack the breech open all the way which is the only way to get clearance for the bottom empty and the ejectors kick right into my hand. I have gone all day and never fired the bottom barrel.
Sorry this is the way I do it, it works for me. This is my reason for shooting the top barrel first.
My error in not stating “most” of the time I don't use them.
ps what does YMV mean?

Thank you Stan. All is good. I appreciate your postings here as you contribute a lot to the discussions.

It’s for driven birds.

Of course, the answer to this most complicated technical question is double triggers. For a philosophical answer, we can paraphrase the famous philosopher, Monte Walsh, " you can't have no idea how much I don't care".
Mike

I attempted to research why Robertson believed that the top barrel firing first seemed advantageous. I was sure I read it in Donald Dallas' Boss book, but couldn't find find it specifically mentioned. I was able to find this from an old IGC entry concerning why the top barrel received preference: "The reason given for this was that the top barrel is easier to re-load quickly than the lower barrel," although the article went on to mention that this was not modern practice due to "muzzle flip". I can honestly say that I don't notice any additional muzzle flip firing the top barrel over the bottom barrel. As for ease of reloading, the gape is really wide when you pop it open and it is very easy to reload one or both barrels. Of course with DT, barrel selection is not an issue. On mine, the lower barrel choke is .042 if and so you want to intentionally select that barrel on a long shot. Mike let us know if you noticed any muzzle flip when firing that top barrel first.

I’ve had both fixed trigger Perazzis and Perazzis with the barrel selector on the tang with the safety. Out of habit I always would shoot the bottom barrel first (that’s what you’re supposed to do, right?) On the rare occasion in which I’d select the top barrel to fire first, I’d usually forget to switch the trigger back to the bottom barrel first. Only way I’d be reminded of this is when I glanced at the gun and realize the selector was on the top barrel. I never could tell from the recoil which barrel fired first. I’ve come to the conclusion that for most shooters barrel selection is not important, and for the most part choke selection isn’t either when shooting at targets. This goes for both SxS and OUs.

I can agree with that, as long as the barrels are choked tightly enough to crush any target thrown, regardless the distance. My MX8 is choked .020" and .020". No barrel selector needed, no fiddling with choke tubes, no wondering whether I have enough pattern density to break a target. Just load, focus, and kill it.

But, initially, I was talking about hunting conditions, and I think Robertson was, too. IMO, different chokes can be very important in many hunting scenarios, Michael McIntosh's statement notwithstanding.

One more point, the amount of muzzle flip has to do with a lot of things besides the shooter's ability to detect it, including the load and how the gun is stocked. You have to compare apples with apples.

While I can appreciate the appeal of the bottom barrel first, I've always chosen the top. In hunting situations, very often I'm only shooting once, and it has always seemed easier to quickly reload the top. My first O/U was a 101; bought it new for dove hunting around 35 years ago. The barrel selector switch made the choice easy.

Easier loading of the top barrel is as good a reason as any, but it’s all just marketing at the end of the day.

My post above was knee jerk and totally out of line. There was absolutely no reason for me to respond as I did to you, Ghostrider, and I ask for your forgiveness. I humbly apologize. My bad, all the way round. I have no excuse. I should have taken the time to read your well written post much more carefully than I did.


Stan

I don’t own a Boss O/U.

That said, I do own two Beretta single trigger O/U guns, and did own a poorly regulated Ruger Red Label, that had a selectable single trigger that I thought cost me some birds, until I patterned the damn thing, and figured out I didn’t stand a chance of getting the bird in any event. But, I hated that barrel selector in the safety that had to be swung left or right, and then slid forward. I sold the Red Label to the gunsmith who had the trailer next to Metro Gun Club, and swore he could get the thing to print where it belonged, but, I never found out if he did, and recently heard Paul had died, so, that will remain a mystery. The Silver Snipe trigger is non selective, and that ends that-you get what you get, which, surprisingly, is perfectly OK the great majority of the time. Bottom barrel first, top barrel next, mod and improved mod chokes, not a huge difference in pattern density out at 30 yards or so, anyway.

The BL-3 has the typical older Beretta selector that slides sideways built into the safety. At this point, I’m ambivalent about it, I imagine some shots I’ll remember it and take advantage, but, most of the time I’ll leave it on the more open bottom barrel and hope for the best.

The BL-3 is an attempt to find an off-the-rack double gun that handles like a repeater, I have found I shoot the repeaters better than my SXS guns, even though I don’t like that fact too much.

Not sure how I feel about a double trigger on an O/U. I usually grab them when it is cold out, and I need gloves. There aren’t lots of double trigger O/Us out there.




Best,
Ted