doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Sidelock non-ejectors

From pictures and stories I have read many shooters had a person next to them to reload the gun they just shot while they took the other gun that was already loaded.

Is it possible that this pair has non ejectors as the shooter would quickly open the shot gun before handing it to his reloader and therefore would not want shells flying out?

Or is that not how it works.

Jason

The only gun I ever imported from the UK was a nice Army & Navy, sidelock nonejector. I wanted it for "rough shooting", so the lack of ejectors didn't bother me. In general, I think the Brits do consider sidelock nonejectors a bit odd--the result being that you can often buy them at bargain prices.

I can live with ejectors or without them. I grew up without them and I never knew I was missing anything.

May happen the Gent who ordered that pair of guns was a reloader like me. Also like me he may not like scratching about in the dirt & prickers for the empty hulls.
Or have his gun wallah walk on them with his clumsy feet.
O.M

Same stuff again and again by people who think an ejector gun has to fling their shells on the ground. THEY DO NOT!! Anybody with any modicum of agility can catch the shells in their hand as the ejector pops them out. I do it involuntarily, when shooting clays and when hunting. I have read over and over about wanting non-ejector guns to prevent littering the field, and for ease of saving the hulls for reloading. It's all bull. You simply break the top lever over with your thumb, and as the gun is opening you quickly slide your hand up and cover the breech with your palm .... the empties pop out right into your hand, to do with whatever you please. And, .............. "drum roll" ............... to enable quicker reloading!!

I love ejectors. Every gun I shoot very much has them, and I've never had one break. That's right, NEVER. Not in nearly ten thousand shells fired through a 20 ga. 687 on two trips to Cordoba, ....... not in 16 years of sporting clays shooting, ..... never. I grew up shooting a double with extractors, and I grew up having to eat tuna casserole, too. When I got to where I didn't have to do either, I availed myself of the upgrade in guns and food.

SRH

We all recognize that most double gunners are a conservative lot. They are today and they certainly were in Edwardian England. Many shooters don't always want the latest innovation even though it may actually be a great improvement. Remember that from the 1880's through the early 1900's there were lots of different ejector systems that did not work all that well or reliably. Some buyers of Best Guns may have just been used to and preferred extractors. Even today many of us feel that ejectors in some guns from that era are not worth the trouble - just something else to go wrong. All this makes non-ejector sidelocks from top tier makers a really good buy in today's market. They cost a lot less and you don't give up that much in functionality.

I just love, love, love, that's right LOVE, TUNA CASSEROLE.
Also I am not all tetchy about it.
O.M

My apologies for sounding touchy, moses. I realize I could have gotten my point across in a less dogmatic way. Glad you like tuna casserole, somebody's got to keep StarKist in business.

As to the original question, I am also at a loss to explain why someone would want a best quality gun without ejectors. Even on a pigeon gun.

SRH

That's alright Stan, all's good.

I have a live pigeon gun with extractors & it is fifty years my senior so I did not order it that way, but I like it.

No accounting for some folks tastes. I even drive a Ford & have a Mossberg Maverick black plastic bolt action 36" goose gun.

O.M

Like many factors impacting doubleguns and their design, ejectors evolved because they make sense in driven shooting. They allow you to shoot faster. And they do throw their shells on the ground, because catching them wastes time. But the shells don't stay there, because either you or your loader/stuffer collects them after the horn sounds and the drive ends.