Today in Firearms Tech: The CZ Hammer Classic

  • Paul Money
Featured image courtesy of CZ USA

Shotguns are tools that we use to protect ourselves, feed our families, and safely have fun with.

Guns like the CZ Hammer Classic can also be a way of connecting with our heritage, remembering the past, and appreciating simpler times.

The Hammer Classic is a side-by-side hunting shotgun with 30-inch barrels and – you guessed it – external hammers.

According to CZ-USA, this shotgun features a beautiful Turkish walnut stock, dual triggers, and a color case-hardened finish on the receiver that would have made it look right at home on the shelf of a fine gun store in 1920.

The Hammer Classic is as old-school as it gets, but don’t let the nostalgia-inducing looks fool you. It’s completely safe to shoot with any modern 2 ¾” or 3” loads.

It also comes with screw-in, flush, interchangeable chokes for each barrel, so you can configure the shotgun to the requirements of your hunt, should you want to utilize the shotgun for more than eye candy.

I am fortunate to have an old L.C. Smith 12 gauge that my great-grandfather hunted in south Alabama with as a young man. It still has a nail in place of a firing pin in the right barrel because he couldn’t afford to send it off for repairs.

I feel so much connection to that shotgun, but have long lamented that it is not safe to shoot with modern loads. 

I will always appreciate modern firearms for the utility they bring to the table. I admit that there are much more practical hunting shotguns out there.

Neither of those sentiments, however, stop me from loving the CZ Hammer Classic. There is just something special about a beautiful, functional firearm.

What do you think? Is the CZ Hammer Classic something you would consider for your next bird hunt? Just think about how great it would look over the fireplace during the off-season…

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