Winchester Model 12: Hammer down, loading rules.

[Big Boston]

I haven't shot Wild Bunch yet, and I have a Winchester Model 12. For CAS I shoot a Model 1897.

 

I'm a bit puzzled on the technique to load and bring the shotgun to the stage. First, with a 1897 it's pretty easy to lower the hammer on an empty chamber. But on a Model 12, lowering the hammer is done by pulling the trigger. Is that not a dry fire at the loading table.

 

Can someone run through the steps followed to use a Model 12, starting from walking to the loading table with the shotgun action open, cleared.

 

BB

[J. Frank Norfleet]

  Technically dry firing is bringing up a weapon up to the line of sight and pulling the trigger. Since the pistol is cleared on the line it should never be cocked or the slide racked at the load table. I do see a number of shooters closing the action on a long gun and dropping the hammer. Personally I prefer to ease the hammer down on my rifle. But, with the M12 you have no choice but to pull the trigger and drop the hammer at the load table. A number of M12 shooters hold the trigger while closing the action as if slam firing it. There is no difference, in both cases the hammer is dropped on an empty chamber. At the load table I want to hear the hammer drop so I pull the trigger after closing the action. So, close the action, pull the trigger, listen for the hammer to fall (yes that's OCD) and load it.

    I guarantee you the loudest sound you will ever hear is the sound of the hammer dropping after the TO stops you and says "pull the trigger," because you couldn't rack a round into the chamber of your M12.

JFN

[Legendary Lawman]

Howdy Big Boston

First thing, dry firing is defined on Page 29 of the cowboy shooters handbook:  "Dry firing is defined as the act of bringing the firearm into a shooting position, cocking the hammer, and pulling the trigger as if to cause the firearm to fire normally."

In other words, as long has you do not go through ALL the motions above, you have not dry fired the gun.  In practice, most model 12 shooters will keep the shotgun on or very near the loading table, close the action, pull the trigger and then turn it over and load the magazine with the required number of rounds (to a maximum of 6).  As J. Frank points out, many of us will pull the trigger a second time, sometimes even a third time, ;D to confirm that the hammer is down.

On the firing line, if a shooter picks up their shotgun and cannot rack it, the RO should stop them and check the gun because that is a good indication that the shotgun is cocked.

Welcome to Wild Bunch.  Enjoy.