Clodhopper Posted November 27, 2017 Report Share Posted November 27, 2017 I have been watching a field of rape for a while and the birds have been building up nicely, the farmer rang on Sunday to say he would be putting the gas guns out soon so i thought i would have a go this morning before he disturbed them. I arrived at about 08.30 and walked 2-3 hundred off the field and surrounding trees. They disappeared over the hill to a wood where the noise of me shooting would not agitate them. Got set up with 4 dead birds on cradles and 2 on the magnet, wind quartering over my right shoulder. The birds started to return almost immediately, they appeared high in the sky over the hill and folded their wings to drop down to the rape in the valley bottom, it was great to watch. I had only been shooting about 30 minutes and had around 10 birds down when disaster struck, i had a group of birds in over the decoys, gun up and click, nothing. Looked at the primer and no sign of a mark. Tried another cartridge, birds in, gun up and click, ******. Birds swirling all around and a knackered gun. They continued to come in whilst I packed up which was a little frustrating to say the least. Having spoken to the farmer this afternoon he is willing to leave the gas guns off until after tomorrow so I can have another go ( with the game gun), hopefully I have not disturbed them too much and with the wind being a bit stronger tomorrow there may still be a chance of making a bag. Off to the gunshop now to see about repairs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JDog Posted November 27, 2017 Report Share Posted November 27, 2017 You must admit on the open forum the make of gun you were using. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kenholland Posted November 27, 2017 Report Share Posted November 27, 2017 I always take 2 guns with me every time I go out, why chance it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clodhopper Posted November 27, 2017 Author Report Share Posted November 27, 2017 1 hour ago, JDog said: You must admit on the open forum the make of gun you were using. I will, it is a finest quality Hatsan Escort of 2016 vintage. The Beretta will be out tomorrow, although I really enjoy using the Escort. 4 minutes ago, kenholland said: I always take 2 guns with me every time I go out, why chance it. A good idea, but where do you stop, a third gun in case the second fails? Just seems to happen when you are on for a good day. We live and learn. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JDog Posted November 27, 2017 Report Share Posted November 27, 2017 Just order the right weather conditions for Friday and we might have a few more shots somewhere. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clodhopper Posted November 27, 2017 Author Report Share Posted November 27, 2017 3 minutes ago, JDog said: Just order the right weather conditions for Friday and we might have a few more shots somewhere. ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aga man Posted November 27, 2017 Report Share Posted November 27, 2017 Very same thing happened to me a few years back, funnily enough on winter rape. I fired my gun with nothing in it and broke the firing pin! I still had my other barrel as it was an o/u. Typically the birds decoyed really well all afternoon and presented numerous doubles Just one of those things bad luck I guess. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clodhopper Posted November 27, 2017 Author Report Share Posted November 27, 2017 2 minutes ago, aga man said: Very same thing happened to me a few years back, funnily enough on winter rape. I fired my gun with nothing in it and broke the firing pin! I still had my other barrel as it was an o/u. Typically the birds decoyed really well all afternoon and presented numerous doubles Just one of those things bad luck I guess. Exactly. I suppose if i had invested more money in a better quality gun I may have avoided this situation but I would have created a far worse situation with my better half. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aga man Posted November 27, 2017 Report Share Posted November 27, 2017 1 minute ago, Clodhopper said: Exactly. I suppose if i had invested more money in a better quality gun I may have avoided this situation but I would have created a far worse situation with my better half. Mate of mine had a jam issue with a Browning maxus, whilst shoot ducks last week, really peeved him, but again bad luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
motty Posted November 27, 2017 Report Share Posted November 27, 2017 I very often take two guns when pigeon shooting. It is bad luck when a gun breaks down and you only have one with you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clodhopper Posted November 27, 2017 Author Report Share Posted November 27, 2017 1 minute ago, motty said: I very often take two guns when pigeon shooting. It is bad luck when a gun breaks down and you only have one with you What you and KenHolland say is very sensible advice, I will probably have a 'just in case gun' in the car in future, although this wont happen tomorrow unless I chuck the rimmy in as i have no more shotguns. Out of interest have you ever had to use the spare? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marsh man Posted November 27, 2017 Report Share Posted November 27, 2017 Maybe I have been lucky and considering some of the guns I have used have been near the sell by date and the odd one just past it , I have never had a gun pack up completely on a days pigeon shooting , having said that , I had an old Webley and Scott with worn extractors, and one day I was using some damp paper cases in it when one got stuck and the extractor slipped over the empty case , as luck would have it my pen knife had a blunt point and it acted like a small screw driver and I managed to unscrew the small rod that the extractors were fixed to and then brutally extracted the empty case , reverse the process and carried on shooting . As it is such a rare occurrence I personally wouldn't take two guns . although the day might come where I might regret doing so Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mightymariner Posted November 27, 2017 Report Share Posted November 27, 2017 This happened to me once, gun completely jammed with live cartridge in it. I went to a nearby gunshop who managed to unload the O/U and proceeded to tell me it was unrepairable because the parts weren't available. I ignored him and drove to a south Lincolnshire gunsmith who fixed it in under an hour (no charge because I bought the gun from them) and I was back shooting pigeons by late afternoon. I will never buy a gun from the first gunshop, not least because they were incredibly surly. The second gunshop will always get my custom, even though it is a much longer drive, because their customer service is second to none. In fact, I am about to buy a new gun from them. Early Christmas present to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clodhopper Posted November 27, 2017 Author Report Share Posted November 27, 2017 18 minutes ago, Mightymariner said: This happened to me once, gun completely jammed with live cartridge in it. I went to a nearby gunshop who managed to unload the O/U and proceeded to tell me it was unrepairable because the parts weren't available. I ignored him and drove to a south Lincolnshire gunsmith who fixed it in under an hour (no charge because I bought the gun from them) and I was back shooting pigeons by late afternoon. I will never buy a gun from the first gunshop, not least because they were incredibly surly. The second gunshop will always get my custom, even though it is a much longer drive, because their customer service is second to none. In fact, I am about to buy a new gun from them. Early Christmas present to me. Second gunshop is first class, if it is the one I am thinking of. I guess this was summertime to account for driving the length of Lincolnshire. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mightymariner Posted November 27, 2017 Report Share Posted November 27, 2017 Yes, it probably is, there aren't many down there and this one has been there for over a century. Yes, it was summer! I seem to remember writing a letter which was printed in Sporting Gun at the time, congratulating the shop on its great service. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
motty Posted November 27, 2017 Report Share Posted November 27, 2017 I 4 hours ago, Clodhopper said: What you and KenHolland say is very sensible advice, I will probably have a 'just in case gun' in the car in future, although this wont happen tomorrow unless I chuck the rimmy in as i have no more shotguns. Out of interest have you ever had to use the spare? It isn't so much a spare, I often use two guns. If one did break down, then I would just use the other. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Penelope Posted December 1, 2017 Report Share Posted December 1, 2017 On 11/27/2017 at 23:15, motty said: I It isn't so much a spare, I often use two guns. If one did break down, then I would just use the other. Yeah, but that is just because the barrels get so hot you have to put one down to let it cool. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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