The CZ Hammer Coach is a side-by-side 12-gauge shotgun with a 20-inch barrel, color case hardened steel receiver, and Turkish walnut stock. At 6.7 lbs and 37.4 inches overall, it's a compact, traditional double-barreled shotgun built around period-correct design cues. 
 

Key Specifications 

• Brand: CZ-USA 
• Model Name: Hammer Coach 
• Gauge: 12 GA 
• Chamber Length: 3" 
• Action Type: Break Open 
• Capacity: 2 Rounds 
• Barrel Length: 20" 
• Overall Length: 37.4" 
• Weight: 6.7 lbs 
• Sights: Bead Front Sight 
• Stock Material: Turkish Walnut 
• Receiver Material & Finish: Steel with Color Case Hardened finish 
• Trigger Type: Dual Triggers 
• Safety Mechanism: Manual Tang with Rebounding Hammers 
   

Detailed Features 

The external hammers are the defining feature. They must be manually cocked before each shot. This design predates the boxlock and sidelock hammerless actions that dominate modern double guns, and it requires a different manual of arms than most contemporary shotguns. 
 
Dual triggers allow the shooter to select which barrel fires first rather than relying on a barrel selector. The manual tang safety provides a secondary manual lock. 
 
The fixed chokes are Cylinder/Cylinder, optimized for close-range shooting. The color case hardened receiver and blued barrel combination is traditional to 19th-century American shotgun aesthetics. 
 
The 3-inch chamber handles standard 12-gauge loads and 3-inch shells. 
 

Usage 

The Hammer Coach is designed for cowboy action shooting, where external hammer doubles are the required or preferred firearm in certain categories. It also suits historical shooting demonstrations and period-correct sporting uses. The 20-inch barrel and cylinder choke make it fast-handling at close range.

Owners of the CZ Hammer Coach most consistently appreciate the aesthetics. The color case hardened receiver, walnut stock, and external hammer design draw favorable comparisons to 19th-century coach guns, which is exactly the market the shotgun targets.

For cowboy action shooting, the dual-trigger and external hammer design are practically required, and this is the context where the shotgun gets its most enthusiastic user reports. Owners in that discipline appreciate the combination of correct period styling and functional reliability.

The learning curve for external hammer operation comes up in reviews from buyers who had limited exposure to hammer guns. Manual cocking before each shot is a different rhythm than breaking open a hammerless double and firing. Most owners adapt with range practice, though this is a genuine consideration for new shooters.

Maintenance discussions mention that external hammer guns have slightly more exposed components than enclosed-action doubles, and some owners note the need to understand the mechanism before attempting disassembly. Parts availability compared to more common modern firearms comes up occasionally.