The illuminati, the order of the skull and bones, and the feathermen. The world is awash with secret societies. People who are said to have a secret knowledge, the ability to change the world on a whim. None of these tawdry boys’ clubs hold a candle to the society that truly knows the secrets of life. Those that shoot double triggers.
There is a good chance that, even if you are an accomplished hunter, you have never tried a firearm with double triggers. There was a time when the height of firearm technology dictated that your gun had two barrels. Which meant two shots, and a trigger dedicated to each one of those barrels. If you have seen a gun with double triggers, there is a high probability that you are a fan of hunting upland game, or one of the hearty few that have traveled to Africa to hunt dangerous game. These are the places where double triggers, even though they are antiquated, reign supreme over their modern firearm counterparts.
Why Double Triggers
There was a time when having two triggers on a side-by-side shotgun was quite common. As the years passed and side-by-sides fell out of favor for over/unders and eventually for pumps and semi-autos, a single-resetting trigger became the norm. As a fan of double triggers, allow me to make the case for a pair rather than just one.
At first glance, it seems ridiculous that anyone would want to muddy the waters of shooting by having a spare trigger on their gun, but there are some distinct advantages to having a set of triggers on your double shotgun.
The first advantage is mechanical. Having a double-barreled shotgun, or rifle for that matter, with two triggers means that you are carrying two complete guns with you at all times; should one of those guns fail, you can still shoot with the second complete gun. This is an advantage for those that like to travel for bird hunting. Now, if you are anything like me, you rarely go anywhere a great distance without a second gun. What can I say, I like guns, but should you leave the house with just one shotgun and have a failure, chances are you can manage to finish your hunt without going home. In Africa, having the security of an extra rifle in your hands is nearly a necessity. Amongst those that hunt dangerous game, Cape buffalo, hippo, etc., a double-trigger rifle gives them the added and necessary security of having a reliable follow-up shot when lives are on the line. This is also a case where follow-up shot speed is most critical, and no repeater action can compare with the speed of firing your second rifle, which is already in your hands and aimed at the target. Alas, most of us will never travel to the dark continent for hunting, and if we do, we probably will not get the opportunity to come face to face with a disgruntled Cape buffalo.
Here in the Americas, the most beneficial time to try double triggers is while hunting upland game. This is where I come in. If you have been reading my work for any length of time, you know that I love a good bird hunt, particularly Chukar, but I will squeeze in some Gray Partridge, quail, grouse, and doves any chance I can get. I’ll even jump-shoot ducks off of the river should the mood strike me. This is where having double triggers shines. Now, if you are pass-shooting ducks, then I suppose a single barrel with one choke will suit you just fine, but when hunting Chukar, a shot at 5 yards is just as likely as one at 50, and having two barrels with two different chokes can offer huge advantages. Now, now, I can already hear you saying, “But Matt, I have an over/under with a single selective trigger; I can choose a different choke whenever I want.” So true: single-selective triggers, or a single trigger with the ability to choose which barrel fires first via a small switch often found on the safety, have become quite common. I have several shotguns with that exact setup, and I can confidently say that I have never once flipped that switch while birds are in the air. I am also willing to bet dollars to donuts that you have never flipped that switch while birds are in the air either. Flipping that little selective switch just isn't intuitive enough to be useful. Moving your trigger finger from the front to the rear trigger is not only intuitive; after a little practice, it becomes instinctive. I like to switch up shotguns a lot during the season; it’s part of the fun for me, but I find that if I stick with one of my double trigger guns for a few trips, my body automatically switches to my tighter choke when a bird gets up far away and takes the shot. Also, as is often the case when Chukar hunting, a bird will get up at your feet after you have taken the far shot, and luckily you still have a live shell underneath your open choke ready to go.
Now I won’t lie and say that this ability will come easy to you. As with most skills worth acquiring, firing a gun with double triggers takes some getting used to. It is worth it, though. Yes, you will spend a lot of time furiously pulling that front trigger over and over, expecting your second shot, but eventually your body will grow accustomed to the natural movement of changing triggers.
Watcha got!
Let’s dive into the ol’ gun safe and take a look at a few of my guns. Now, while I do love double guns, I’m no aficionado. All of my guns are working guns, and double guns are known for being ornate…oops, did I use the word ornate there? I meant to say expensive! Yes, start shopping for double guns, and you will see some of the most beautifully crafted firearms you have ever seen. There was a time when the London sidelock double gun was the height of technology, and those with money were willing to spend outrageous amounts on one-off bespoke guns made to their exact specifications by some of the finest craftsmen the world has ever seen. Alas, I am a simple gunsmith, and while my tastes often exceed my pocketbook, rest assured that there are double guns out there attainable by ordinary people who just want to watch some birds fall.
The first gun I will start with is an over/under, the Marlin Model 90 in 12 gauge. This is a simple shotgun, and built much like the Marlin rifles of the same era, stout. (1937-1960) I have had two of these shotguns over the years. I bought my first one strictly because it was a Marlin, and at the time I had no idea that Marlin had produced an over/under shotgun until I saw it sitting on the shelf. This one had 26-inch barrels, and both barrels were cylinder bore. From what I have studied, this would have been an uncommon configuration, and it’s possible that the barrels were shortened. Either way, I shot this gun very well, and it taught me a good lesson about selecting choke. I think that as hunters we often over-choke our guns; even with cylinder bores, I never felt under-choked with this gun and seemed to kill more Chukar because of it. One day my brother-in-law and his son came to visit from Alaska. We decided to go Chukar hunting, and my nephew took such a shine to the gun that I let him take it home. No good deed is left unanswered, though, because less than a year later, a good customer of mine gave me another one. It was so badly rusted the action could not be opened, and he thought that it was only good for parts. Honestly, I thought it was only good for parts, but I let it soak in penetrating oil for a week and ran it through many cycles of my conservation process to kill the rust, and it turned back into a functioning shotgun.
It’s not pretty, but it works. This particular gun has 27-inch barrels and a modified/full choke configuration. This is quite common amongst older double-barreled shotguns. I take this gun out occasionally, but mostly it spends its time in the hands of others. If anyone shows up at my shop and expresses curiosity about hunting with double triggers, I loan them this shotgun. I think that is a noble duty for this hand-me-down double.
My next shotgun is one of my all-time favorites, and if you have been reading my articles for a while, you have seen it before. My CZ Bobwhite G2 side-by-side in 28 gauge. I love everything about this gun, and I think it is one of the best value-for-money double shotguns on the market today. CZ refers to the finish as black chrome, and it is nearly indestructible. I have killed countless Chukar with this gun, and it still looks like the day I bought it. It has removable chokes on 28-inch barrels, and the dainty 28-gauge body makes it feel like you are swinging a willow switch. This is a fantastic shotgun for anyone curious about double triggers or side-by-side shotguns in general.
The last shotgun I’m going to show you is a fairly new acquisition of mine. It is simply marked as “The Basque.” It’s a side-by-side with 27.5-inch barrels, and choked modified/full. I have yet to take this gun hunting, but it fits me so well that I have no doubt it will be a shooter. This gun is a fine example of a Spanish-made gun. I walked into a Bass Pro Shop in Idaho Falls, Idaho, and there was a rack packed with old Spanish side-by-sides. Needless to say, this is a rare occurrence, so I asked the man behind the counter, and he said the company had bought hundreds of European shotguns, with each store getting a dozen or so. These Spanish-made shotguns are not fancy, but they are well made and crafted by actual craftsmen rather than in factories. The best part is they can be had for a song. I bought this one for only $350. It needs some work, but it locks up tight and has plenty of years of life left. It even has a little touch of hand engraving just to sweeten the deal. The only problem with buying these older shotguns is finding one that fits. Often, stock geometry isn’t what a modern shooter expects, making it hard to find one that fits and shoots well. Finding a crop of guns that you can actually pick up and shoulder before purchase was a huge bonus. I’m sure that these guns are still available, so if you ever wanted one, now’s the time to go. As a matter of fact, if I had had more money on me that day, I probably would have gone home with a lovely little 20 gauge as well.
Like any skill that is worth achieving, shooting a double-trigger shotgun is worth it. It will take some time, and I would be lying if I said that everyone I loaned my Marlin to came back a double-trigger convert. Most of them politely handed the shotgun back to me and shook their heads. That said, there are a rare few out there who have put in the time to make it work and now count themselves as the lucky ones who have not only brought back tradition but have also found that, oftentimes, the old ways can be better.
Preach it brother! SxS’s are making a comeback with a lot of young men starting to take up upland hunting. Most are intimidated by double triggers. I have made the same points you used in talking with them. Most can get the hang of it in 3-4 weeks of shooting and by seasons end become instinctive with it.
As to a switching a single selective trigger on birds. I bought one and tried it. It can be done, but I was never consistent with it. The problem I had with the Browning I was using was not getting the selector pushed fully over. When this happened, neither barrel would fire. It might work with a different gun or more practice, but double triggers will always be the better choice.
Great read, thank you!