Home Forums Birds & Dogs Shotguns honest question on double guns...

I have a 1930's vintage Browning Superposed with both barrels choked FULL. Before I actually worked with this gun, I would have agreed with you on the " why would you want the same chokes in both barrels ?" But this set up really works well on doubles trap and I have been impressed with it the few times I have taken it dove hunting. Once you shoot a gun with both barrels choked the same it's not really that odd of a combination. When I am shooting skeet with my 20ga. I keep SKEET chokes in both barrels.

After shooting 1100s for more than three decades, I purchased my first sidelock SxS. I had a tough time getting used to double triggers. I've been shooting the SxS for more than ten years now and I don't think I am even concious when changing from front to back trigger.

Good point, Anchorage99! There probably aren't many who remember, let alone have had any "hands on" experience with Browning's innovative "twin-single" trigger concept.For a short while, Mauser (via Gamba I believe) also offered this feature on their Model 620 shotgun. Without a doubt, each trigger acting independently of each other and yet being able to fire twice is the best of both worlds. It's my understanding that the design was a troublesome one and expensive to make.

If both barrels are choked the same... why would you need a selector? Unless your barrels were not regulated very well for POI or maybe I guess you could use two different loads but want the same choke...

double triggers versus single triggers is simply a matter of preference in my opinion... same with ejectors versus extractors. Everyone has their own preference and just depends on what you are doing.

My personal opinion is that SSTs are great for things like shooting trap and skeet where you have a pretty good idea of how things should happen but prefer DT for most field hunting as most selector switches are really not easily accessed when the need to change barrels quickly arises. The best I know of for a SxS is a Miller single trigger and those are good but you have to be pretty careful about ensuring the gun is actually on safe. Look at the selectors on Fox, LC Smith, Parkers, and even the Winchester 21s and you will see what I mean about not being easy to switch quickly.

The down side to SSTs (at least the older ones) is they are more susceptible to malfunctioning and when that starts its a long and often extremely pricey road to fix.

I've had old American (L.C. Smith and Ithaca) double 12s that had both barrels choked full. As already mentioned, they were heavy doubles with long barrels made for waterfowl; the Elsie had original 3" chambers, too. I found that one way to get some variation in the patterning was simply to switch shot sizes and hardness. If you want open patterns, use softer shot which deforms more in the tight choke; if you want tighter patterns, use copper plated shot, etc. Unfortunately this is a game only for reloaders, since it requires A LOT of patterning and experimentation to fit the shot to the gun to the pattern required. But I found that I could alter the pattern as much as 25% by using smaller/softer or larger/harder shot.

And then all that changed when plastic shot sleeves came in.... At that point, I sold off those old collector's items and bought a 12 O/U with IC/M chokes.

And then steel shot showed up. So I put tubes in it. Problem solved. Until a new one comes along!

Gene L the lenght of pull is slightly shorter to the rear trigger yes. But this does not change the LOP for the purpose of overall fit of the shotgun. Your hand should be glued to the spot and only your finger move to the rear trigger. As for barrels choked the same it is not uncommon at all. Full and Full was very common for duck hunters and trap shooters. IM and IM can be found on sporting clays guns. I believe Sir George does or did shoot a fix choked Perazzi choked Full and Full. Skeet and Skeet can be found on a lot of skeet guns. Lets not forget pigeon guns with no safeties and choked Full and Full.

Early SXS doubles had no choke in either barrel (choke had not yet been invented) but did have two triggers; this was the simple way to fire each barrel. When choke could be added to the barrels, SXS guns became even better because of the extra versatility of the instant choke choice even though no complexity had to be added to the gun. (Now for the opinionating:) What could be better than such a simple system? A single selective or even non-selective trigger does add a more complex firing system to a gun, and it is a rule of life that the more complex a thing is the more chance there is that something will go wrong! As compared to the simple double trigger system, a single trigger system is at best a complicated and expensive solution to a problem which does not exist, or at worst is "an improvement which makes things worse" (Schlimmerverbesserung).

The LOP on my double trigger guns is about 3/8" longer (or more) on the front trigger. One has an English straight-grip stock, and I do move my hand a bit in accessing the rear trigger. On the other, which has a P o W grip, I don't have to move my hand.

Moving my hand isn't a major problem, but it does take place.

A double trigger gun isn't less complicated, as you've got two lock mechanisms and all those parts. A single trigger gun isn't necessarily MORE complicated, they're both complicated in different ways.

Gene L I think you are to concerned with the LOP to the triggers. The thing you need be most concerned with is the position of your dominate eye over the rib of the barrel. This is what will make you hit or miss almost all the time. I have several shotguns with different LOP but my eye sits the same on everyone and I shoot them all the same. The difference of up to a 1/4" has never bothered me nor could I tell the difference.

A heavy hunting jacket will change the LOP more than the miniscule difference in distance between the triggers of any double trigger set-up.

Yes, but that change remains constant so long as you keep the jacket on.

battue I am with you- I started shoot double triggers when a teenager- never am aware of moving from one to the other trigger
I know my grip doesn't change. P.S. have never shot a single trigger would probably be confused. Cheers NC

+1 with Mike Armstrong.

I have a Fox 16ga in Full/Full. I just vary the loads in each barrel to get the patterns I want. It has two triggers of course. Having shot S/S's for 30 years I am not even consious of the movement to either trigger. Close flush front trigger, distant target or moving away, back trigger. The hardest part of the equation is reloading from two different pockets to keep the barrels stoked with the right loads.

Bunnies, squirrels, etc. both barrels have the same load in them. The trick is patterning your loads to see what the barrels are really printing for you.

I have a lightweight 12 ga. with double triggers and a straight grip stock. Before I put a recoil pad on it, with 1 1/4 oz loads, pulling the rear trigger would bruise my finger on the front trigger. Since I put a recoil pad, it doesn't do it any more. And with the pistol grip on a Lefever 12 ga, which already had a recoil pad, it doesn't bruise my finger either. Can't tell if it's the stock or the recoil pad, or the fact it's heavier than the Spanish 12.

More expensive double trigger guns have an articulted front trigger to prevent this.

I think the english straight stocks have the tendency to come back and hit the trigger finger. I have never had that problem with the pistol grips. Interesting the recoil pad stopped it...length of pull change? Of course the extra weight can mean a lot as well as stock design. Overall, I think the pistol grip helps the most as it will not allow the gun to push through the grip like the straight stock will. All of my straight stock guns have been 16 or smaller so I never shot an english straight stock with the heavy field 12 gauge loads. I have U/O, pumps, and auto's for those.

I did not realize the articulating triggers were for that reason. Thanks for the info.

Brian