For a brief period in the transition to hammerless breach loaders, gunmakers produced true side cockers, i.e. guns with a side lever which cocked the gun, as opposed to levers which only opened the gun. One of the first hammerless breach loaders in the U.S. was Uncle Dan Lefever's sidecocker. Uncle Dan's wonderful creation had a separate push-button opener, in addition to the lever on the left side of the lock plate, which cocked the gun. In England, I know that Charles Lancaster made a true sidecocker with a lever on the right hand side of the gun, which both cocks and opens the gun, like the beautiful 1878 Lancaster sidecocker made for the Duke of Arbuthnot, which I have for sale in the guns for sale section of this bulletin board. Obviously, I would like to increase awareness of the availability of my Lancaster sidecocker, but I am also curious as to how many other gunmakers made true side-cocking guns. I have only seen these two.
Not a high class double but Remington made a side cocker single barrel. I have one of these in a 20 gauge. Unfortunately the barrel had been cut when i acquired though still plenty long to be legal, around 26" as I recall.
Daryl, Is there one cocking lever on each side on the American Arms example?
I couldn't find a picture of it but I have a takedown model 3 Remington 12ga single with the side cocker. I squirrel hunt with it sometimes...Geo
I'm pretty sure that Lindner built a Charles Daly hammer drilling that had a sidecocker lever for the rifle barrel.
EDIT: Yes, here it is. I can't recall where I read that Lindner built it:
Yes, Rich, there are two levers.
Grant made some trigger plate action sidecockers like the one shown here:
http://www.heritageguns.co.uk/Grant%20TP%20NE%205276/Grant%20TP%20NE%205276%20Details.htmI have handled a few of these guns and do not care for them as it takes a fair amount of downward force on the side lever to cock the gun.
There's a J. D. Dougall sidecocker photo in "The British Shotgun, Volume Two, 1871-1890" by Crudginton & Baker.
If the Dougall mentioned above is the Dougall Lockfast patent, it is a side opener, not a side cocker. Is there a Dougall sidecocker pictured in Crudginton and Baker ?
Peevedoff, thank you . That is an interesting sidecocker and it also appears to be a sideopener, too. I think I may have seen Grants and Adams guns that looked similar, but I'm not sure of the inner workings.
Here's one which I believe is a Grant that a dealer sent me.
The MF Ideal trigger guard lever does double duty also in cocking the gun and opening it as well...Geo
I don't know about the Dougall sidecocker, but my Charles Lancaster sidecocker is not hard to cock. I believe that there are also some Daly sidecockers using the Lefever sidecocker patent. They show up for sale now and again.
Gibbs & Pitt mentioned here by Lagopus:
http://www.doublegunshop.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=215184&page=allBit off-topic but a modern O/U combo here:
http://www.hoferwaffen.com/hofer_52s.php?id=58&lang=en Additionally Krieghoff Alb combo gun was also available as a sidecocker.
Markus
Edit: Looks like some Albs were on-topic since double shotgun tubes available:
https://www.swisswaffen.com/markt/bockba...70/mgtihz8acu26
