Got rid of my last rifle today.

[MCgunner]

The thumbhole more serves, in my opinion, to have a better 'grip' on the gun. Its not like the gun doesnt have an entire stock.

I'm a wing shooter, primarily. I keep my coach gun by the bed, but shoot doves with it rather than humans, mostly, so far. It took a few teal last season. Last year was its first season. It's a 20 gauge. I generally shoot 12s on ducks and geese. There is a reason that English straight stocks are so loved by upland hunters. They're quick. I can't see that with a thumb hole, but I guess that's just me. I despise pistol grips on rifles and shotguns in the field, just don't carry well and are slow to deploy. I would imagine the thumb hole would be little better, maybe worse. With a normal stock, I can go from walking along with my hand around the action in my off hand to shooting a flushing bird MUCH faster if I have a normal stock on the gun. I know carrying a pistol gripped rifle is not quick, never owned a pistol gripped shotgun, though and won't. I'm not young nor impressionable and I know what works for me.

I can see where turkey guns might benefit from a thumb hole or a pistol grip. You are sitting, generally, and motionless when they arrive. You don't need a quick pointing gun and are resting your elbows on your knees. But, I can do that with a normal stock. I've been turkey hunting ONCE and took a nice tom. Shot that tom with my old fixed choke 12 side by side shooting the full barrel at about 40 yards with a load of 3" number 4s. I don't have turkey on my place. I generally hunt waterfowl and dove with a shotgun....rabbits occasionally.

 

[Mossberg535]

I kind of like the new mossy.

I definitely like the new 535 model and its going to be like a family member after shooting the one I picked up already which was the basic field model. (this with just the 28" barrel)

I know guys who swear by Ping Golf clubs. I hated them entirely. Everyone has their own opinion about things and thats what keeps life from being boring.

 

[MCgunner]

BTW, you'd spook a lot of birds if you didn't carry your shotgun "hot" in the field. I've never had the safety fail, but I also don't point the gun at what I don't wanna shoot. I'm muzzle aware, always, in the field. My doubles are hammerless and I carry 'em and leave the coach gun in a spot where it can't fall toward me, fully loaded, safety on. I can't hunt with an unloaded gun, so I don't see where leaving it cocked and locked matters much if you practice good gun safety. Don't aim at what you don't wanna shoot, keep your finger off the trigger until ready to shoot, and be muzzle aware always. The safety just adds a mechanical back up to the procedure.

 

[MCgunner]

BTW, that's one cool thing about doubles I love. When walking to the pothole or hunting area, you can break it open. It's quick to shut if you need if you have rounds in it. I never do until I start hunting and then I do close the action. But, it'd be quicker and less noisy than a pump if you hunted that way, not wishing to rely on the safety.

 

[Mossberg535]

BTW, you'd spook a lot of birds if you didn't carry your shotgun "hot" in the field. I've never had the safety fail, but I also don't point the gun at what I don't wanna shoot. I'm muzzle aware, always, in the field. My doubles are hammerless and I carry 'em and leave the coach gun in a spot where it can't fall toward me, fully loaded, safety on. I can't hunt with an unloaded gun, so I don't see where leaving it cocked and locked matters much if you practice good gun safety.
Don't aim at what you don't wanna shoot, keep your finger off the trigger until ready to shoot, and be muzzle aware always. The safety just adds a mechanical back up to the procedure.

I wasnt 'aiming where I didnt want to shoot' in the incident I mentioned in another post tho.
Ill risk scaring some birds just to be sure

 

[MCgunner]

Just opining that it's not unsafe to carry cocked and locked so long as you follow the safety rules. Lots of 1911 owners do it every day. Some of 'em even disable the grip safety, though I think that's sorta dumb. More redundant safeties on the gun, the better IMHO. I even had a thumb snap in front of the hammer on mine. I don't have a 1911 now, just sayin'.

 

[Mossberg535]

Just opining that it's not unsafe to carry cocked and locked so long as you follow the safety rules.

We're just going to have to agree to disagree, Im afraid
I carry my gun the way I do as do you.
I will continue to carry this way and for the previously mentioned reason.
Its fine that you have your own way...I simply wouldnt hunt with you is all after seeing the possibilities.

have a great day

 

[Sergeant Sabre]

One can't compare the 1911-type pistol's thumb safety to a Mossberg's safety. The 1911 thumb safety engages the sear, locking it so that it can't possibly move. The Mossberg (and Remington, and Browning, too) safety only blocks the trigger. It does not lock the sear.

I still carry my Browning Gold with the chamber loaded and safety on when I'm out for rabbits. I don't point it at anything I don't want to shoot, though.

 

[MCgunner]

Its fine that you have your own way...I simply wouldnt hunt with you is all after seeing the possibilities.

That's fine. But, I know where the best duck hunting in the USA is, ain't Stutgart Arkansas.

One can't compare the 1911-type pistol's thumb safety to a Mossberg's safety. The 1911 thumb safety engages the sear, locking it so that it can't possibly move.

Never seen it, but I've heard of a miss fitted safety failing on a 1911. It can happen. Recent CCW reup class, the instructor, gun shop owner and competition shooter, talked about some of the race tuned 1911s that he's seen the hammer fall on while on safe just from a bump. His point was not to carry a race tuned, uber light triggered race gun for more than playing games. Should you then carry your 1911 condition three? That's up to you, but the big thing with condition one is speed, whether game or self defense. ANYTHING made by man can fail, that's why we learn the safety rules and abide by them. Learn those rules and practice them and nothing will happen even if something happens. LOL

I do know the feeling, though. I don't trust Glock's safe action. It's purely and individual thing as stated. I would only carry a Glock, I mean, if I just had to, with an 8 lb trigger and a stiff, trigger covering belt holster. No pocket carry, don't want a Glock in my pocket no matter the holster. There ain't one made compact enough, anyway.

Speaking of individual choice, there was some guy on one of these threads about 870 vs 500 (I ain't gonna search, ain't got the time, 10 million threads) that said in defense of his crossbolt safety, that he just leaves it off. He hunts condition one, round chambered, but leaves the safety off, and he doesn't have a problem with that. I can see his point, follow the safety rules and keep your finger off the trigger until ready to shoot, but I told him I would hunt with HIM, either. LOL! The marshes where I hunt, there's reads and twigs and stuff that can get into a trigger guard inadvertently. Hunt how and with whom you want, but I don't know anyone that carries a shotgun WHILE hunting in condition three. Rack the slide and the ducks turn tail and fly off. Just kinda the way it is. I'd rather hunt alone, might kill something that way.

Guess you don't deer hunt, either. I hear guys complain that such and such's safety is "too loud". ROFL! It's a legit complaint. A loud click and no mo deer. Of course, there are plenty of hammer guns for deer hunting. Have a nice lever gun, myself. Usually got my M7, though. But, you COULD just leave the bolt handle up and you can do that with the safety on with newer Remingtons. I personally HATE that, but it could be used as a safety feature.

 

[Mossberg535]

That's fine. But, I know where the best duck hunting in the USA is, ain't Stutgart Arkansas.

yeah, but huntings no fun when youre paranoid about getting a back full of birdshot
Honestly though, I'd spend more time worrying you were going to trip and shoot me than I would trying to hunt.

People trust those mechanical safeties and I guess thats ok, but my guess is that not many know personally about a situation where the safety didnt work and someone was hurt.
My exwifes previous BF had a shotgun when he was younger and I guess the gun was on safety but had a shell chambered and I dont know the details of 'how' it happened but apparently the gun fell over or was knocked over and went off anyway.
Wouldnt have been so tragic if it hadnt ended up pointing directly into his best friends face, kwim ?
I know he wasnt actually holding the gun when it happened so it was assumed it was only an accident, but his friends face had to be worked on for a while in different surgeries.

After the incident with my cousin and knowing the above, I just cant get myself to trust carrying a gun with a round chambered unless I can physically see the hammer is down and its a gun with a transfer bar like my single shot 12g has.

I really dont mean to belittle anyones way....its just my own personal thing, kwim ?

 

[jakemccoy]

I think that shotgun looks really cool.