Kreighoff Classic Big Five .470 NE
One Day...

Kreighoff Classic Big Five .470 NE

Custom order blued receiver (no nickel plating chipping!). Regulated for Hornady DGS / DGX B at 50 meters.
  • Like
Reactions: Brian
The answer is in two parts, because the cocking system acts as both a cocker/decocker and a safety:
1) It is objectively not as easy and unobtrusive to switch as a regular safety is (you need to exert a certain pressure to coil the strikers' springs), so if you are in the habit of switching automatically the safety on/off as you mount/dismount the gun to your shoulder, it is not as smooth as a traditional safety. I appreciated this smoothness on my previous double, a traditional pre-WWII Jules Burry 450 #2.
2) It is objectively immensely safer than a regular trigger-locking safety when carrying the gun, especially in single file, when muzzle safety can be challenging, because the gun can be fully loaded while fully safe (uncocked), just as a firing pin-locking safety (e.g. Mauser or Winchester "3 positions safety," Weatherby safety, etc.) makes a bolt action as close to fully safe as possible while loaded.

Overall, I feel unquestionably safer along the hunt with this system, but I DID have to acquire a new muscle memory reflex to cock it as I mount the gun.

A third part to the answer, for those who have been confused by armchair 'experts' is to clarify that contrarily to what has been said, when the Kreighoff cocker has been cocked, it remains in the cocked position, even when the gun is opened and reloaded, so there is no requirement to recock the gun after it is opened (as I believe the Blaser S2 requires). Reloads are therefore entirely identical to those with traditional guns: break open, flick the empties out, drop two fresh shells, close, aim, shoot. Or if you do not need to shoot again, you can then decock any time you later want.

So, in summary: it is different; it works; like everything new, it needs to be learned; and, in my view, it is an improvement. I never felt comfortable resting my two hands on top of the muzzles of my .450 #2 - and I always cringe when I see someone do it and trust 100% the trigger safety of their fully loaded double - but I would now feel safe resting my hands on top of my uncocked .470 ... if it was not bad muzzle safety discipline anyway ;-)
 
Thanks for the reply. Your sentiments mirror mine as well. Seems like a much safer design, but definitely would take some practice and learning.
 

Media information

Category
Weapon & Ammunition
Added by
One Day...
Date added
View count
1,133
Comment count
3
Rating
0.00 star(s) 0 ratings

Share this media

 
Top