It has been awhile since I used a gun, but razor clams are going down and towards the water not towards the dry ground. If I understand your post correctly you were facing the ocean but slighly pointing the gun toward dry ground, ie pushing it in at an angle the opposite way you were facing?

If this is the case, that angle in my experience would create the awful "Crunch" we hate to hear. I was taught by a couple of people who, at one point, dug commercially and until I got ok with the shovel I used a gun and always centered around the hole and slightly angled towards the water. Rarely got the "crunch" that way.

I hope this helps you out.

Stadle