The enduring appeal of the side-by-side

There are many guns who, like me, still love side-by-sides; indeed, the sporting gun juxtaposée is enjoying something of a renaissance. I am biased, I have used one all my life, beginning both game and clay shooting with a side-by-side. These days, I use one pigeon shooting and enjoy breaking clays with old Lang and Holland hammer guns (I have to confess to going over to the ‘dark side’ – over-and-unders – for much, not all, of my game shooting).

A lot of misunderstanding and myth surrounds side-by-sides. So, let’s dispel some of it and note a little history. Side-by-sides may be the ‘traditional’ gun but they are a more recent invention than the over-and-under, which has been around for the best part of 500 years. Side-by-sides appeared 1725, made possible by flintlock ignition and practical by improvements in propellant and breeching. The first British gun was made about 1750 by Griffin of Bond Street. Towards the end of the 18th century, side-by-side design