Cocking a break barrel

[Steyr]

Who would consider that cocking and loading a break barrel, it is ok or good practice to break and cock and load WITHOUT holding onto the barrel?

I ask this as a major and long established manufacturers video comparing 2 break barrels showed one guy repeatedly doing this.

I found it quite alarming this style of gun handling appeared at a show.

[Phil Russell]

Absolutely not ... even rifles with anti-bear traps or auto safety. Always hold onto barrel or lever.
I do not know of an HFT club that does not insist on this as part of the safety practice. But I have seen a few people cock, let barrel swing free while they load ... or maybe use little finger to steady the swing .... I have mentioned the error to them but generally get a 'grrrmph' as they carry on. I even saw a youngster doing it while his father (?) watched. On pointing out the safety implications I was greeted with words to the effect that 'I've always done it like this so what's the problem'.

Some people thank you for the advice mind ....
Cheers, Phil

PS .. maybe a carefully worded e mail to the errant manufacturer should be sent ....

[Blackrider]

Always hold the barrel at muzzle end of course and same with an under lever !
Probably why I find loading a TX a bit of a pain.

[I. J.]

Ideally, if you have tight fitting pellets, the breech should be opened and a pellet inserted. Then you cock and return the rifle in one movement with no need to put your fingers in the danger area. Im just an old dog and difficult to teach new tricks but I ALWAYS grip the barrel/underl lever like my fingers depend on it because THEY DO.

ATB
Ian

[Portzy]

Ideally, if you have tight fitting pellets, the breech should be opened and a pellet inserted. Then you cock and return the rifle in one movement with no need to put your fingers in the danger area. Im just an old dog and difficult to teach new tricks but I ALWAYS grip the barrel/underl lever like my fingers depend on it because THEY DO.

ATB
Ian

Spot on. A slight variation that I have adopted is that I "push" the barrel slightly open over my knee or over my gut, seat the pellet with a freebie AGW pellet seater, then cock and return the barrel in one fully open/fully closed motion.

[Peter Dunkley]

Actually saw it happed at our bell target club with a FWB target rifle. Practice on these guns is not to hold the cocking lever as they are 100% safe
NOT SO.
Young lad standing next door to the guy loading got sprayed with blood all down his white T shirt.

[Powderfinger]

Cock with weak leading hand. Hold onto barrel or lever. Load with strong trigger hand. Keep gun pointing downrange all the time. Awkward with some makes but best practice.

[gingernut]

Actually saw it happed at our bell target club with a FWB target rifle. Practice on these guns is not to hold the cocking lever as they are 100% safe
NOT SO.
Young lad standing next door to the guy loading got sprayed with blood all down his white T shirt.

That's why I'm not keen on side levers.
Which includes the nice FWB 65 pistol

[niloc]

being frequently caught not holding the break barrel or the underlever would get you a suspension at our club and quite rightly so. Fortunately the club is well attended by people willing to shout at anybody ignoring the rule.

[WILBA]

Cock with weak leading hand. Hold onto barrel or lever. Load with strong trigger hand. Keep gun pointing downrange all the time. Awkward with some makes but best practice.

Now i am the opposite. I cock with my stong arm and thats the one that holds the barrel whilst i load with weak arm. If i did it your way id never cock my park rh93 as that underlever takes some force to cock the gun. Now cocking and loading my b&m bullpup is a right bugger. I cock it slightly and push home a pellet as no way am i sticking my pinkies in that gulletine when its fully cocked whilst holding the underlever also as if both beartrap and sear failed id be . I know its a long shot but id rather not risk it.

[T 20]

Actually saw it happed at our bell target club with a FWB target rifle. Practice on these guns is not to hold the cocking lever as they are 100% safe
NOT SO.
Young lad standing next door to the guy loading got sprayed with blood all down his white T shirt.

The chap I bought my FWB300s off stripped it for bluing and rebuilding when he got it and found the end of someone's mummified thumb stuck inside the compression chamber.

[TonyL]

The chap I bought my FWB300s off stripped it for bluing and rebuilding when he got it and found the end of someone's mummified thumb stuck inside the compression chamber.

Yikes!!!!!

[TonyL]

Ideally, if you have tight fitting pellets, the breech should be opened and a pellet inserted. Then you cock and return the rifle in one movement with no need to put your fingers in the danger area. Im just an old dog and difficult to teach new tricks but I ALWAYS grip the barrel/underl lever like my fingers depend on it because THEY DO.

ATB
Ian

Good tip, Ian.

I do this with a few of mine and most especially my HW45 pistol.

[T 20]

The chap I bought my FWB300s off stripped it for bluing and rebuilding when he got it and found the end of someone's mummified thumb stuck inside the compression chamber.

Yikes!!!!!

Why did you think I let you play with for a while before I had a go, Tone.

[TonyL]

You know me, Mick, always happy to be the test pilot!

Wot?