How to safely carry a break-barrel rifle in the field?

Pine Marten

Well-Known Member
Hello everyone!

As my project to acquire a drilling moves on, I find myself wondering how best to carry the thing safely when stalking. My first reaction was to think that it's just the same as a shotgun pretty much, and to carry it open until you're actually onto a deer. But then I thought that the "clunk" of closing it may alert said deer to your presence, which is why in woodland stalking we carry bolt-actions loaded with the safety on and the muzzle pointing up or down. Only the newer break-barrel rifles have manual cocking for the rifle barrel, and I don't believe that shotgun-style safeties actually block the strikers as they do on bolt actions often.

The thing that occurs to me on a combination gun is that if you only load the rifle barrel, and select the shotgun barrels, then put on the safety, then even if the gun did go off because of a jolt or something, you'd just be firing the empty chambers.

Anyway, how to you carry yours?
 

Other than full muzzle awareness at all times I can't help but does not such an approach bring into question the point of a combination gun if you are only going to load one chamber?

When would you have all rifle and shotgun chambers ready to discharge ?

K

 
Well in my case, the drilling is more likely to be a travel gun. If I'm off on a weekend where there could be stalking and small game, then it's cumbersome to carry two guns with you. So there'd always be a primary reason to be out: stalking, or small game, with the gun loaded appropriately. But given a few seconds, you could switch.
 
hold the locking bolts ,top lever -side lever close the breech and let the bolts slip into place, not like slamming a gate
 
I carry mine like a shotgun and don't worry about the noise of closing them. As Bruce w says above it can be accomplished reasonably quietly.
 
Good point, I've done that with a shotgun now that I think of it. So do you even have a sling on yours? You probably would for when you need your hands free.
 
Carry mine broken over my shoulder. Hate slings on them but obviously they have their advantages.
 
I carry my combi loaded, over the shoulder with a sling. When hunting roe with the dog i always have a shotgun cartridge with #1s loaded as well. I don't see a combi or drilling as any more dangerous to carry loaded than any of my other rifles.
 
Well in my case, the drilling is more likely to be a travel gun. If I'm off on a weekend where there could be stalking and small game, then it's cumbersome to carry two guns with you. So there'd always be a primary reason to be out: stalking, or small game, with the gun loaded appropriately. But given a few seconds, you could switch.

Understood.

You’ll be needing one of those highly engineered and expensive claw mount thingies with matching rail equipped scope then. Plus a custom handsewen leather tube with sling to carry it when swapping from chevreuil to capercailzie.

K
 
Understood.

You’ll be needing one of those highly engineered and expensive claw mount thingies with matching rail equipped scope then. Plus a custom handsewen leather tube with sling to carry it when swapping from chevreuil to capercailzie.

K

Yes, in my criteria for used drillings, I do have that it must be equipped with swing off of claw mounts ("Suhler Einhackmontage" or SEHM in eGun.de parlance) and a scope. Realistically, at my price point, we're looking at SEHM, but that's fine. I think that to start with, a neoprene case for the scope would do fine, but obviously as we move along, I'll be commissioning some accessories from some of the skilled people on this site. Like an ammunition walled for 7x57R on one side and 16b on the other, something like that.
 
PM,

The beauty about a combination gun is that it can be loaded and unloaded truly silently. Just hold the top lever across as you close it.

Most Drillings have a selector for the Rifle Barrel that needs to be switched to cock the rifle barrel. But, and it is a very big but, in this little island of ours pointing a rifle in the air and discharging, even accidently is a big no no. I am personally very uncomfortable carrying a loaded bolt action rifle muzzle up.

Most combination guns have two triggers - the front for the rifle, the back for the shotgun.

So with my combination gun, if I am shooting flying birds, rifle barrel is always unloaded so there is no chance of accidently firing the rifle barrel into the air. Scope is also off.

If I need to take a rifle shot, at say a fox, then it is but a moment to slip a rifle cartridge in and flick up the open sights.

If I am stalking and using it as a rifle with the scope on, the rifle barrel is loaded and I usually carry it broken over the crook of my arm like a shotgun. This doesn't impede use of binoculars etc. Or I will carry it closed, slung over my left shoulder with barrel down and pointing forwards,with left hand controlling the muzzle. There are two occasions when I will also load a shotgun cartridge - firstly if I am after or expecting to see a fox - often they are at very short range or are coming fast into a call, in which case there is as a safe shot into the ground, or if I am following up a wounded beast where a close range finishing shot is needed.

Most drillings and combination guns have a claw mounted scope already fitted. I have real confidence in mine and that it returns absolutely to zero, and indeed have shot 1" groups where I have removed and replaced the scope between shots.

But the real beauty is the versatility. Tonight I am going for a wander after a buck, but I might come back with a goose. Most likely will come back with nothing apart from some good fresh air.
 
Both my Blaser ES67 combination gun (.243/bore), and Heym Kipplauf, have manual cocking/uncocking via a top tang mounted slide and button - looks similar to a traditional shotgun type safety but a bit beefier. I carry both on a sling, loaded, action closed but uncocked until ready to take a shot but with muzzle awareness at all times.
 
My Sauer 3000 stays open for fox drives until I get to my position. Then its closed with shotgun shells ready to fire. Broken if somebody approaches.

For deer stalking, action closed and when ready to fire, push forward the tang to activate the rifle firing pin and fire.

The drilling action can be closed slowly to avoid a noise if you are obssessed to hunt with an open action. Will make it easier for mud and rubbish to get in action though. Mine has the sem claw mounts and a zeiss diavari on top.
 
Hmm, we shall see what that 1966 Sauer 3000 has by way of a safety/manual cocking/barrel selector if I manage to actually acquire it...

Well it's probably a good idea to know the layout of the drilling you have or intend to acquire! :D

As mchugh says, the rifle function on the 3000 is activated via the tang selector in much the same way as the cocking is achieved on many combinations and single barrels, so it wouldn't be a problem to carry loaded, rifle barrel deselected, and muzzle aware whilst stalking in the same fashion as a bolt gun with the safety on. Looking at the one on eGun, standing at just 501 euro at the moment :eek:, it appears to be similar to the action on the Sauer M30 drilling that was supplied to Lufwaffe crews in the North Africa theatre in WWII, (2x12 bore/9.3x74R):

http://www.collectorsfirearms.com/j-p-sauer-drilling-12-gauge-9-3x74r-s6287/#.VCMdJRbTBxU




 
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Personally I don't walk around with cartridges in shotgun and barrel broken, it's either open and unloaded or shut and loaded if I'm a walking gun or whatever. I've never used a combi but would love to try one, it would save me blasting grey squirrels on the ground with my 243!

Something else to consider is a gun is much weaker when broken, say if dropped or if you trip. Slings and slips are a good idea.
 
Muddy42, I think this is good advice.
Why carry a combination gun or drilling any different than you would a break action shotgun?
When not actually in the presence of game, keep it closed and unloaded.
When finished shooting, unload it.
Always unload it when crossing creeks and fences, preferably handing it to someone on the other side.
Walking around with it open makes it much more liable to be damaged if you fall or drop it.
 
Muddy42, I think this is good advice.
Why carry a combination gun or drilling any different than you would a break action shotgun?
When not actually in the presence of game, keep it closed and unloaded.
When finished shooting, unload it.
Always unload it when crossing creeks and fences, preferably handing it to someone on the other side.
Walking around with it open makes it much more liable to be damaged if you fall or drop it.

Hello Southern. I tend to agree with you although most people here carry their shotgun open when unloaded as much as anything else to demonstrate to others that their gun is safe. It doesn't matter so much when you're alone of course. When I'm walking up game, or creeping through the woods after woodcock (well, back when I had access to said woods anyway), I carry my gun loaded, closed, and with the barrels pointing straight up. Same as you, I open and unload to cross obstacles.

I the case of a drilling, I think a sling would be useful for glassing and so on.
 
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