MAJ Posted November 25, 2002 Report Share Posted November 25, 2002 Shooting on Saturday, a nice #### pheasant presented itself. For some strange reason I connected and killed it clean with my first barrel. I was absolutely horrified when I realised the safety on my Browning (Citori) was engaged. After that I managed to fire it twice more with the safety "on". Needless to say I am having it looked at. I know we shouldn't take safety lightly, but be extra vigilant and don't rely on the safety catch. Anybody else had a similar experience? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
red_stag88 Posted November 25, 2002 Report Share Posted November 25, 2002 i havent had that happen, but when i have seen people shooting hammer guns and there hand sliped forwards, a eight bore makes a "@$%^£* hole in the floor!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ernyha Posted November 25, 2002 Report Share Posted November 25, 2002 Never had that frightening experience myself,but when things are quiet in the hide,I often pull the trigger with the catch on and the gun pointing in the air,to check that it works.Will make sure I continue the practice after your fright.Many thanks for bringing it to our attention. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
highdowns hunter Posted November 25, 2002 Report Share Posted November 25, 2002 I have had only one lucky escape with safety catches Whilst sitting in the reeds on a mud flat in Norhumberland waiting for wigeon, the safety was on -off -on -off You know what its like, anyway it was freezing cold and with the gun pointing in front of me at a dangerously low level I must have pulled the trigger, and bang went both barrels as my hand slipped back after the first shot went off, I dont know if the safe was on or off but it gave me a hell of a fright and a rotten thought of what could have happened if someone had been sitting in front of me ( I was only 17 at the time but it taught me a life long lesson) a gun is only safe when it is unloaded :0 :0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cranfield Posted November 25, 2002 Report Share Posted November 25, 2002 I have uncocked a hammergun in Winter and had the hammer slip off a frozen thumb. The hole in the ground is very frightening. Broken/faulty safety catches can be alarming, but the ones that really concern me are not "faulty". They are the "non-automatic" safety you get on a lot of clay shooters guns. I am use to opening a gun, loading it, shutting it and the safety being on. With these guns ,the safety is always off , until you put it on. I have seen a few "near misses", because the shooter has asumed the safety was automatically on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hammergun Posted November 25, 2002 Report Share Posted November 25, 2002 Just a few safety notes I feel should be posted regarding hammerguns. Some people have the idea that hammerguns are less safe than hammerless, but this is not the case if correct procedure is followed. Hammerless guns are just as likely, if not more likely to go off if dropped. For safety's sake, if using a hammergun,when cocking or letting down the hammers, always point it up in the air in the approximate direction you will be shooting, well away from any people. If your hammergun is an underlever, or if it is a top lever and will open without lowering the right hammer, then open it first and remove the cartridges before letting down the hammers. Always point upwards in a safe direction. If you slip when pointing it downwards, you may well put a hole in someone's spaniel, or worse. Always let down the hammers if you do not take the shot. Some early hammerguns do not have rebounding locks (i.e. the firing pin can be depressed without having to press the trigger). With these, it is vitally important to remove the cartridges before doing anything else. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neil Posted November 25, 2002 Report Share Posted November 25, 2002 My uncle has a zabala s/s and he had a problem taht the safty didnt work on the back barrel only,i forget what the fault was know but it pays to check from time to time.I was shooting with a lad at the weekend who lost a toe due to playing with his safety catch as highdowns described,playing with the safety with the gun resting on his welle boot (seriously)then started fiddeling with the triggers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deako Posted November 25, 2002 Report Share Posted November 25, 2002 I suppose a good thing to remember is that guns don't kill people..........people do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lazza Posted November 25, 2002 Report Share Posted November 25, 2002 I have something to confess here guy's.............I rarely use the safety catch.............when I close the gun,the safety comes off.............saying that, I don't close the gun,unless I'm going to shoot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigDave15 Posted November 26, 2002 Report Share Posted November 26, 2002 Yep same here. I dont put my fingers on the triggers and have the barrels broken as soon as I think im gonna see some action I slip the safty on then clik the barrels up. On some guns I have used the safty keeps turing its self off so I dont like using them when Im shooting with lots of people. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
red_stag88 Posted November 27, 2002 Report Share Posted November 27, 2002 when standing the safety is always on and the stock rests at the top of my left thigh, with left hand holding the for stock, which is faceing left, when i see a bird coming i simply reach the gun with my other hand and roll it into my sholder and take the safty of at the same time. i find this very comfertable and safe in the unlighly event of the gun going off it fires into the air . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MAJ Posted November 28, 2002 Author Report Share Posted November 28, 2002 Latest update. I've got my gun back from the local Smithy. Apparently the safety catch mechanism was gunked up (gun oil and general debris). I'm promised that it is now in perfect working order. I don't doubt his word for a second, but I will err on the side of caution from now on. Barrels broken until I'm ready to take the shot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cranfield Posted November 28, 2002 Report Share Posted November 28, 2002 Glad you got it sorted out MAJ. The problem you had is a good reason for us to think about having our guns professionally serviced once a year. Does anybody do this ? I can,t sit in a hide with an open gun, ready to close it if a pigeon appears. I usually catch it on the net, or something. But, I have done it on a driven game stand. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ernyha Posted November 28, 2002 Report Share Posted November 28, 2002 Your dead right about having a broken gun in the confine of a pigeon hide,I have enough trouble reloading quickly with my o/u and the times I have missed shots with the foresight caught up in the net are many.All the bad language in the world doesn,t help and only scares the birds off quicker. For this reason I am much happier with the 391 in the hide.Have never owned a gun with automatic safety so perhaps that makes me a bit more concious of making sure the safety is always on until I am ready to fire.Would hate to think that the safety catch failed as stated earlier and will try and be even more careful in future especially as I have always serviced my own guns. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NGhost Posted November 29, 2002 Report Share Posted November 29, 2002 As a student some 25 years ago I had a Biakal s/b. It had a lovely safety catch. With it engaged the gun would not go off if you pulled the trigger, however it did as soon as you dissengaged the safety. Made a mess of my boot but missed my foot! how lucky can you get. I now unload, or empty the breech with the s/a, I never use the safety. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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