Rack it like you mean it.....

D

Dave McC

Staff In Memoriam
Had a tyro contact me about how hard one should pump,and IME, if one person asks, 20 more may benefit if it's posted publicly, so here goes....

I know of NO pump gun, of any era, damaged by hard pumping.OTOH, some pumps, even those of good repute will glitch up if "baby stroked" and/or short stroked.So,whether for sporting or "Serious" use,rack hard and fast. And while we're on the subject....

Shooters of other styles of shotguns usually do best with a handling style of using the front hand to steer with and the strong hand pulls the weapon into the cup of the shoulder area and actuates the trigger and safety.

Pumpgunners oft do best by changing this around. The strong hand still actuates the controls, but it does more of the steering while the forward or support hand pulls the weapon back by grasping the forearm and exerting pressure. As long as the action's locked, all this does is take up the slack between butt and shoulder. When the action unlocks, the pressure aids in starting the forearm and action bars rearward. By keeping the pressure up until the parts reach the stopping point, the action bounces off the receiver and starts forward. A quick move with the support hand, including a wrist move that sets up the proper form, and shot 2-6 goes fast and controlled.

The gain in speed and control is amazing to the beginner. I never talked to Tom Knapp, the man who can handthrow 7 clays and bust them all with a pump before they touch the ground, but I'd bet my favorite gland that's exactly what he does.

Some of us know this already, but many do not.

Hope this helps,and if my poor description leaves you uncomprehending, sing out...
 
Thank you Dave.

I found a cure for short strokin.......use a bottom ejector....short stroke it and spend the rest of the shootin time gettin the goodies untangled. Broke me of bein gentle with em.

Sam
 
Around Thanksgiving I learned my lesson of short stocking a pump. Went to my fathers farm to shot some skeet. I was pumping it just enough to cock it but not enought to pick up another shell. The loudest sound in skeet? The click your gun makes when you have the bird dead to rights and there isn't a shell in the chamber......:rolleyes:
 
If I pull rearward too hard on the forearm while firing, I actually lock up the action and can't actuate the pump until I release some pressure first. True story.

(Gun is an 870 MM)
 
Thanks, folks....

Greg,has that MM been shot much? My hunch is more breakin will fix it. Somebody reported the same thing a while back and IIRC, it stopped with use. Burn up a case or so of ammo and see if it stops.

Everyone, under stress and with adrenaline fueling your muscles,racking hard will come easier.

Billy, like Bob Brister said, the advantage dove hunters have over rhino hunters is that doves won't stomp your butt into a mudhole if things go wrong. This is why we practice, to get the glitches out and fix them.
 
Yes, indeed! I crept up on a pond once where I had seen four nice mallards land. Twenty yards on my belly because there was almost no cover. Raised up - birds only about ten yards away - Click! A short stroke. I thought I heard the birds laughing derisively as they flew away.
 
Dave is right...

Typically on the pumps I've shot the slide releases immediately upon firing, never had no trouble short strokin or baby strokin, in fact, the next shell was already chambered before the recoil was through, IIRC. Rack it hard!
 
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