Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Doubles, tang safeties and safe handling question.

How do you handle a classic double barrel with a tang safety in the field, shotgun or rifle?

I've always carried rifles and shotguns of various action types with an empty chamber, but never used a double in the field. Range work is easy: empty until ready at firing station.

So how do you handle a double with internal hammers safely, beyond the basic four rules? Say a Browning or Beretta 686. Walkabout with empty chambers, action closed? Broken in the crook of your arm? Chambers loaded and safety on?

If I don't have one in the chamber, I'm not hunting.

I have shotguns and a double rifle with tang safety. If I am actively hunting, where game may appear at any time, I have rounds in the chamber, action closed, safety on. I am of course mindful of muzzle discipline. If a shot presents the safety comes off as the gun comes to the shoulder and "bang" (or perhaps "bangbang") - it is the work of a moment.

If I have to cross an obstacle the gun is opened and the rounds come out. The same when the hunting is done.

That's an idiotic statement.

Load, engage the safety and start walking. Simple..

This.

How so?

I'd like to see some one load take, off safety, and fire at a rising pheasant, quail, or grouse with any sucess.

As stated: load, engage and start walking.

Encounter and obstacle, unload, cross ,reload. .

Always practice safe muzzle control

And if walking about with the barrels broken open and presumably with muzzles pointed at the ground, that greatly increases the risk of dirt and crap getting into the barrels. Should one stop, remove cartridges, peek through the bores, reload, slam shut, disengage automatic safety, mount and shoot at a bird rocketing away, by now about 200 yards away?

Load up, engage the safety, and keep your wits about you in regard to muzzle and trigger control. If incapable of doing that, may I gently recommend knitting as a pastime?

Seriously? You're not hunting if you wait to chamber a round when you spot the 300 pound bear you want to shoot?

same here. About the only variation is if I am dove hunting with my young sons I'll break the barrels open while we are just sitting waiting for the birds and just snap them closed as I stand to shoot.

Agree, with doubles.

When hunting with pointing dogs, I sometimes carry with the action broken, shells in chamber, gun slung over my shoulder. Dog goes on point, plenty of time to close gun and walk to the dog.

Same for magazine rifles...

Not here but that's just me.

I agree with this too. If I can walk around with a loaded striker fired pistol with no safety in a holster, I feel that I can hunt with a loaded long arm with the safety on.

UNLESS....it's a 700

Pressured wild roosters don’t wait around.

Load, safety on, start walking.

Load, safety on and start hunting.

Have never understood hunting with an unloaded firearm.

If the possibility of sighting game exists, my gun is loaded, safety on, muzzle under control, which is the only safety that can really be relied upon. Rough terrain, fences, etc, the gun gets broken.