The CZ-USA Hammer Coach side-by-side shotgun was a popular seller last year, at a time when widespread social unrest and the COVID-19 pandemic drove sales of home- and self-defense firearms to record-setting levels. That market is traditionally dominated by semi-automatics or pump-actions, although this gun’s tang-mounted safety, two shotshell capacity and requirement to cock both hammers before delivering a shot may have been irresistible assets to the volume of law-abiding citizens who purchased their first gun in 2020.

Longtime enthusiasts find it hard to ignore the function, quality and nostalgia, as well. The 12-ga. can chamber 3” shotshells and comes with fixed-cylinder, 20” barrels that wear a gloss-black chrome finish. Its receiver is color-case hardened, which gives the shotgun a classic and businesslike look. Stocks are made from Turkish walnut. Overall length is 37.38”, although a takedown lever located in the gun’s splinter fore-end compacts the shotgun nicely for storage or transport.

There is no recoil pad and the shotgun weighs in at 6 lbs. 7 ozs. A lever just forward of the safety opens the receiver for loading or unloading. The receiver has extractors, but doesn’t eject empty hulls. The gun has two triggers—the forwardmost operates the right barrel and the other the left. There is no rear sight, but a bead up front and flat 8 mm rib ensure fast target acquisition. Hammers are rebounding and length of pull is 14.5”.

Huglu—a Turkish company with a reputation for making shotguns with a quality that defies price point—makes the Hammer Coach for CZ-USA. The firearm is nothing like the high-end models the company regularly produces, but it’s an ideal budget choice for Cowboy Action Shooting Sports enthusiasts. MSRP is $999. Last year the shotgun ranked No. 3 in Gunbroker.com’s annual sales-volume ranking of side-by-side shotguns sold by FFLs using its services.

Article by GUY J. SAGI