Side-by-Side Trigger Issues

[Handelfan]

So yesterday I loaded up to go shoot some trap with a buddy out on his property in the country, about 20 minutes' drive from my house. When I got there, I realized that the keys to my guns were actually in the pocket of a different pair of pants I was wearing earlier that day......

So instead, we borrowed an older side-by-side, forgive me for not knowing the exact model, from an uncle of his who also lives on the property. We set up the clay launcher, and started shooting. I was only loading up the right chamber, as that is the trigger that is the further forward.

It wasn't long before I started having massive issues with the trigger pull. The first problem was that the trigger wouldn't pull. A couple of times, I would squeeze as hard as I could, and the thing wouldn't fire. My friend, for some reason, did not experience the problem (it wasn't consistent). On the next five, I still couldn't pull the trigger, but twice the gun fired when I released the pressure on the trigger, and once after I had taken the butt off my shoulder . Then I had two shots where the gun went hair trigger, firing when I had only barely placed my finger.

Needless to say, we stopped shooting, malfunctioning guns are no joke. Anyone else ever had this problem, and know what would cause that? We probably won't be using that gun again.

[mjsweims]

With SXS being shot with just one barrel there is significant heat growth in the barrel being fired. This can cause all types of issues and it sounds as if you may have experienced one. Generally this can be cured by alternating barrels. If it isn't then there are problems with the action or triggers, likely dirt.

I had two older SXS and both of them had to have the barrels alternating when firing frequently. If I didn't then there would be difficulty locking up. With one the gun occasionally doubled under these conditions.

[John Joseph]

A single trigger or two? Single triggers need a certain amount of recoil to "set" the trigger for the second shot. If ammo is light, or the gun held in a way that mitigates the "thump" of the recoil they won't work until the action is cocked again, and then only on the barrel that's been selected.

[bigbossman]

........... I was only loading up the right chamber, as that is the trigger that is the further forward......

A single trigger or two?

From his description it sounds like an old box-lock double with two triggers, like a Savage/Stevens 311 or similar.

[Handelfan]

Yeah, two triggers. Never thought about the heat element. But I can say that the friend has a different (but very similar) SXS that he shoots the same way (always the right barrel), and never has the issue.

It was my first time shooting it - mine's a pump.