Hammer gun day

[Blackpowder]

Well last Saturday as a guest at a small syndicte shoot I decided to give my ancient hammer gun an outing. It is nothing fancy a rather plain Army and Navy sidelock with steel barrels and has been in my ownership since 1959 when it cost my the princely sum of £15 and needed 3 old pence spent on a new nipple spring. As far as I can judge by the proof marks the gun is pre 1904 and is proofed for black powder only. It was my main sporting weapon for 35 years, since then a Thomas Wild hammer gun has come and gone , and a new pet lurks in the gun cupboard in the shape of a W.R.Pape boxlock ejector. Which cost a considerable bit more than the Army and Navy gun, the Pape has recently been joined by a rather nice John Dickson round action now being prepared for re-proof.

As I said the hammer gun has not been out for a while and some of the younger shooters could not really get their heads around it and wondered how it cocked and seemed doubtfull if its ballistic performance would match that of their modern OU guns. Well it did direct a shotstream to two rather good hen birds and a further less challenging one, missed entirely two cocks and a hen plus a pigeon or two but it was good to know the old musket could still knock a bird down when pointed in the right direction.

Blackpowder

 

[Paddy_SP]

Excellent! I recently bought an 1868 Army & Navy SxS, and used it for the first time last week. I thought that a session on the pheasants would be an appropriate maiden voyage for it. In spite of the fact that I'm a rifle man at heart and struggle to hit anything with a shottie, it accounted for several birds that day, including my first-ever woodcock (I have to confess I don't like shooting them though). All in all, I was very pleased with the old London gun!

 

[old keeper]

I used a Stephen Grant hammer gun for pheasants for several years. Bored true cylinder in both barrels it was a joy to shoot with and did the job a treat,

 

[bobt]

I have a berretta hammer gun, I usually give it an outing on boxing day,
infact thinking about it I will take it out saturday for our last day.

 

[Blackpowder]

Hi Paddy, yes there is something about those old guns lacking in a weapon brand new off the rack. Army and Navy , as far as I know did not make guns themselves but bought from the trade to be sold under their name. Mine is bored true and true as is another posters on here and it is surprising how far out these can kill when pointed in the right direction. The records for Army and Navy guns are held by Glasgow university and could be available on line.

Regards Blackpowder

 

[tia]

Its given a fine day tomorrow so I will take out 11 bore muzzle loader ,1860 sxs.Have hit both pheasants and woodcock with it,not very often though!!
Also just got headcam,so can film all those lovely sparks and smoke !

 

[trouble]

i have a cogswell harrison hammer gun , only comes out on keepers days

 

[lincolnjefferies]

I have a lovely old BP Gibbs that I bought years ago at a country auction, with very handy, side trigger lever opening, with the crest of the clan McDonald on the escutchion. I managed to buy a box of bp cartridges from Monks in Chester and just now and then take it out after a hedgerow pheasant as a treat. Black powder is very nice to shoot, with just a gentle shove in your shoulder, though its important to mark your bird well as you have to wait until the smoke clears to pick up !

 

[stone]

I used to luv taking my 16g hammer gun for walk
Was fantastic on Partridge, just sadly over the years lots of days I hav been on do not favour the use of a hammer gun anymore
But it still gets an airing from time to time
16 gauge thomas wild hammer gun (top)
12 gauge denton & kennell (bottom)