>Another reason people carried breakopen shotguns open was due to legal
>requirements. Back in the days my father hunted, it was flat-out
>illegal to carry a loaded shotgun across a road, waterway or fence in
>Ontario, (I don't know the current laws, he hasn't hunted in ages).
>By having the shotgun open it was technically not loaded yet but you
>could be ready to fire very quickly.

Heh. Good times.

Back in the 70s/80s, Michigan state law was no loaded firearms in the passenger area of the vehicle during hunting season. And no hunting from the vehicle!

One old-timer wasn't gonna let that stop him. He had a truly ancient shotgun that broke down into three pieces. He's leave it disassembled on the seat of his truck and carry a single shell in his vest. He'd drive around, spot a bird, assemble his shotgun in under 5 seconds, and score dinner.

Local DNR (Dept. of Natural Resources) thought he was hilarious. He was frequently stopped but never cited. It supposedly became a rite of passage for new agents to stop him and see him do his assembly.