Appalachiannative
Member
I saw something that looks cool to me. It's a so called Arkansas underhammer gun. You put the cap on the underside and the trigger guard is also the mainspring. Cool design but is this historically accurate?
Underhammer?
- Thread starter Appalachiannative
- Start date
- Status
AzShooter1
Member
Yes it's correct. I have a Hopkins and Allen Underhammer Coach Gun. Real fun to shoot. I have it in .32 and .45, just have to change out the barrel.
hawg
Member
Numrich made those underhammers from the 1950's into the 70's. A coach gun is a short barreled SXS shotgun. Numrich did make some H&A buggy rifles which are just short barreled rifles.
AzShooter1
Member
Thanks for your correction.
I may have gotten the name wrong but Numrich made a copy of the original that go back to Flintlock days. They were in their heyday as early as 1836. Many underhammer pisstols were made as well.
They started in Europe in the 1790s.
Last edited:
OP
OP
Appalachiannative
Member
Ok that's exactly what I was asking about. Thanks
hawg
Member
Yes underhammers have been around since flintlock days but H&A never made any of them. Numrich bought the name.
Jim Watson
Member
Underhammers are mechanically simple and they were used for a lot of the big benchrest "slug" guns because the nipple (or primer adapter in the late years) screws directly into the barrel at the powder chamber. That means no drum or patent breech to run the primer flash around corners, therefore good ignition and fast lock time. Caps do have to fit the nipple tightly.
PWC
Member
There was also "mule ears" with the hammer on the side.
hawg
Member
PWC
Member
Why is it unbelievable? I was raised in the midwest and south, (Jackson MS, 77 yo) and that's all they were ever called.
hawg
Member
Jim Watson
Member
How are they inside, simpler or more complicated than a conventional sidelock?
PWC
Member
Yup, that's one alright.
hawg
Member
Jim Watson
Member
I think that is fewer parts than a sidelock.
Malachi Leviticus Blue
Member
These are rabbit ears -
Vintage antiques, but not Black Powder
Vintage antiques, but not Black Powder
OP
OP
Appalachiannative
Member
I seen one of them before. I calls it a side slapper. Not something I've heard my whole life just what the fella who had it called it.
OP
OP
Appalachiannative
Member
As far as the definition of rabbit ear. I'm from western NC lived here all my life 32 years and my grandpa always called his hammered double barrel 12 gauge a "rabbit ear gun" said it was made of "wire barrel" and that this made it fit only to fire shells from this bag of purple paper hulled shells he had. Point being dialect varies a lot
JCooperfan1911
member
- Joined
- Oct 8, 2020
- Messages
- 2,709
Are they as accurate ? The barrel and shooter is what determines how accurate a gun shoots, not the type of lock.
Mule ear or rabbit ear. I shoot old SxSs and a rabbit ear is a SxS with hammers that stick up in your vision. I have about a dozen old Remington doubles and the early ones from the 1870s have rabbit ear hammers. The latter ones, say a 1885 or 1889 have hammers that were redesigned and curl so they're down below the top of the barrels and you don't see them when shooting the gun. But I think both terms apply to the ones who stick up. I've had side slappers and have always called them side hammer guns. To each their own.
The " wire " barrels he was talking about was probably Twist Damascus. Most my Remingtons have Damascus barrels and they get shot every week, but that's another subject. And his paper shells, if factory made, many times had higher pressures than our shells of today. Just because they were paper shells doesn't mean they had low pressure.
Mule ear or rabbit ear. I shoot old SxSs and a rabbit ear is a SxS with hammers that stick up in your vision. I have about a dozen old Remington doubles and the early ones from the 1870s have rabbit ear hammers. The latter ones, say a 1885 or 1889 have hammers that were redesigned and curl so they're down below the top of the barrels and you don't see them when shooting the gun. But I think both terms apply to the ones who stick up. I've had side slappers and have always called them side hammer guns. To each their own.
The " wire " barrels he was talking about was probably Twist Damascus. Most my Remingtons have Damascus barrels and they get shot every week, but that's another subject. And his paper shells, if factory made, many times had higher pressures than our shells of today. Just because they were paper shells doesn't mean they had low pressure.
troy fairweather
Member
Here's my h&a underhammer, there fun guns and even this smooth bore 15ga will shoot a round ball quite accurately. I've always wanted to build one as a flinklock, think some have used old pistol locks. I've been thinking of selling this one to fund another gun if like before my state bans it. I can always build another underhammer.
troy fairweather
Member
Those are beautiful, where you get the scope.
- Status
