Modern exposed hammer sxs

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Brodie34

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So I've been pondering the idea of buying a new toy for some clay pigeon fun and I don't have a sxs yet so I decided I wanted to get one. Then it came to choosing what I wanted to buy, new,used,exposed hammers,internal hammers and so on! Well I really just am taken by the hammer look, so I decided I would look for a hammer gun, then I came across the cz usa website and low and behold they sell a brand new hammer gun with screw in chokes and everything! And at a reasonable price! Then it got me thinking hey I might be able to use this for an all around gun for clays and grouse and waterfowl because it has the newer barrels with chokes and so on! Well I went to look to try and find one to play with and handle to see if it fits and that's where my problem started. I can't find one! Does anyone know of a shop that carries these or has ever carried these? Or if you have any personal experience with these guns I would love to hear about it! I am in Edmonton but am willing to travel a little to be able to play with one!
 
I owned a CZ Hammer Classic some time ago and it was a pretty good gun, but it was nowhere near the quality that my Pedersoli
La Bohemienne hammer double is !
Cat
 
I have the La Bohemienne as well. I had a CZ over/under and SxS (not the hammer gun) but based on those I would spend the extra and get the Pedersoli as well. Nothing wrong with the CZ's but the Pedersoli is a higher quality. Spend the money once.
 
I think the Pedersoli Bohemienne is quite a bit overweight and clunky, IMHO. It appears to be well made, serviceable, and adaptable to waterfowl loads. Baikal doubles are serviceable but have all the grace of a mud fence.

I am shooting an Armi San Marco hammer double 12ga from the late 60s, a little lighter than Pedersoli, but not quite totally graceful yet, and a Bernardelli Brescia 12ga of the same vintage, which is more graceful still.
You have to look hard but a late 50s to early 70s Italian hammer double is worth the search. Such a gun will be made with modern steels and proofed for modern 2 3/4 inch shells.

Recently, well the last decade at least, hammer doubles have had a resurgence and the best of the Italian hammer doubles made in the last few years are gorgeous and very expensive ( think new car expensive).
Look up Armi Famars or Abbiatico and Salvinelli to see where the art form can take you.
 
Live owned both the Armi San Marco and a Bernadelli, both were good guns as well, I really liked the SAn Marco, but it didn't fit me well and was not built as well as the Pedersoli, it was also not steel rated.
Although the Pederdsoli is a bit heavier I have used it for Sharptails and it was not overly cumbersome , but where it shines is on the classic doubles target line and in the waterfowl blind for sure!
i am waiting for PierreAngelo to bring it out in a a 20 gauge, which is in the works.
Cat
 
And thus is illustrated why so many different guns have been built over the years. Our tastes, needs and desires differ.

You will not regret shooting a modern hammer double. You might even get hooked on vintage hammer doubles as a result.

If you think shooting and hunting with your hammer double is fun, just wait until you get into shooting black powder cartridges from it.
 
The browned barrels don't show up as well as they should in the picture, I'm lousy at taking photos!
The nice thing aboput chrome lined bores ( the CZ has them as well) is that they clean up noticablly eaiser than chrome moll bores when one is shootng BP cartridges, which I use my hammer doubles for, especially when I am hunting birds!:>)
I'll have to find the pics of the San Marco and the CZ before I can post them.
Cat



Here are three hammer double that all hunt, the Pedersoli, a Westly Richards bar in wood 10 gauge, and my all time favourite hunting gun, a Westley Richards12 bore hammer gun.


Here is the CZ



Cat
 
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The Armi San Marco has a Greener cross bolt lock up, which is nice, but it is still not as strongly built as the CZ or the Pedersoli, which are both steel proofed.
However, for an upland gun, it was quite nice to handle, and most of my huntign is upland .
Of all of them, my Westley Richards is my go to upland gun, and I also iuse it for waterfowl using Bismuth, Nice Shot, or ITX and black powder in brass cases.


This is my Westley with a brace of roosters , taken with 2 3/4 drams of FFG and 10z of nickle plated 6's in Mag Tec cases.

Cat
 
The bar in wood is a lighter weight 10, very easy to pack and handles like a dream!
It's thew only one I have ever seen in real life, I have only ever seen pics before.
Cat
 
Wow that's a lot of options! I am torn between the pedersoli and the cz! I'll just have to think and purchase when my minds made up! Haha thanks all for the input!
 
The major differences are the browned barrels on the Pedersoli as opposed to black chrome on the CZ., pistol grip on the CZ and Prince of Wales grip on the Pedersoli, the Pedersoli has a wider forend, better wood finish ( the bugaboo of all CZ shotguns!), better lock work , and far less noticeable swedging at the muzzle for the chokes.
I can't remember the price difference, but IIRC, the CZ is a tad cheaper.
And not but not least, if you prefer an Italian built gun as opposed to a Turkish built gun, pick the Pedersoli or, vice versa!
Cat
 
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