ABSTRACT
All breech-loading arms allow access to the chamber for the direct manual loading or unloading of a cartridge into the chamber or for the user to check the safe condition of the gun. In the case of shotguns of conventional (English) design and for some ri—es made to a similar pattern, this is easily done. “is is normally achieved by the downward hinging of the barrel a¡er £rst pushing the breech-opening lever or some similar £tment to one side. “is constitutes the most user-friendly system of operation, in that it is extremely simple and takes only a few seconds. With most sporting shotguns of conventional English pattern it also automatically reapplies the safety catch. It has the added advantage, especially during periods between sporting beats when someone is shotgun shooting or if there is an obstacle to cross, such as a ditch or gate, that the gun can instantly be made safe and at the same time the visible open breech of the weapon clearly signi£es to others that it is in a safe condition. “is is one of the major drawbacks with American-style repeating shotguns, whether of pump-action or self-loading design, and one of the reasons why weapons of this type are frowned upon or not tolerated at most formal game shoots in the U.K. It must be pointed out, however, that many double-barreled, usually over-and-under pattern guns, intended for clay pigeon shooting, do not automatically reapply the safety catch on breech opening. “is is because contestants on the £ring line £re a total of 25 shots in sequence from the various positions, where forgetting to release the safety catch even on one occasion could lose one the competition. In such events it is usual for the breech of the loaded gun to be closed immediately before taking the shot.
