Dave McCracken
Moderator In Memoriam
A couple current threads include stuff about whether one should store a defensive pump shotgun with the action locked closed or the hammer down on an empty chamber.
With break action guns, conventional wisdom doth decree dropping the hammers. Purdeyites and others of that ilk murmur that leaving leaf springs under tension is Cursed and an Abomination. Snap caps are devices that aid hammer down storage.
Pop liked hammer down. I agree, but do not regard it as essential with 870s.
Here's why...
This morning, I took my oldest 870 to the range before shooting The Geezer League.
It has been kept with empty chamber, full mag -1, action locked shut and safety on pretty much all the time since I made it a dedicated "Serious" shotgun back around 1980. It has been as reliable as a crowbar. Maybe as many as 15K rounds have been through it since it became mine during Xmas, 1959. Most of those were slugs,buck or goose loads.
So anyway, I loaded up a few rounds and shot them into the ground at Range 2. The 55 year old, well worn 870 worked perfectly.
I'll give it a cleaning tonight, load it back up and cherish it as I put it back into ready storage.
The Defense rests.....
With break action guns, conventional wisdom doth decree dropping the hammers. Purdeyites and others of that ilk murmur that leaving leaf springs under tension is Cursed and an Abomination. Snap caps are devices that aid hammer down storage.
Pop liked hammer down. I agree, but do not regard it as essential with 870s.
Here's why...
This morning, I took my oldest 870 to the range before shooting The Geezer League.
It has been kept with empty chamber, full mag -1, action locked shut and safety on pretty much all the time since I made it a dedicated "Serious" shotgun back around 1980. It has been as reliable as a crowbar. Maybe as many as 15K rounds have been through it since it became mine during Xmas, 1959. Most of those were slugs,buck or goose loads.
So anyway, I loaded up a few rounds and shot them into the ground at Range 2. The 55 year old, well worn 870 worked perfectly.
I'll give it a cleaning tonight, load it back up and cherish it as I put it back into ready storage.
The Defense rests.....