Percussion Firearm Safety & Hunting Tips;

I never worried much about carrying a percussion rifle on half-cock through the woods. I always knew to stay aware even when using some sort of safety device on the nipple. Flintlocks are a different story. Most of my hunting and shooting has been with flintlock longrifles. So 90% of the time a flinter was what I'd be found carrying in the woods. On flint locks I've never been satisfied with moving around and hammer on half cock. The solution, for myself, was to use a leather frizzen cover WITH the rifle on half cock.

Was searching "half cock" and came upon this post.
What is the purpose of "half cock" ?
Some say its a safety function. Others say its for capping or both. I've seen some locks where half cock will not allow enough space to install a cap. And nowhere have I seen or read on how to cap a nipple.
Go to full cock, install the cap and lower the hammer?
Pull back on hammer till you get the clearance needed and then lower it? Which is the way I do it. I know it sounds dangerous but what else can I do without going to full cock. And is there enough drop of hammer to set off the cap doing it this way.

I have carried, and will continue to carry, my rifle(s) capped and on half cock. I've heard all that I am going to listen to from the safety nannies! There are risks in shooting these guns, accept them, or don't! Move on! But, if you've crossed the street 100times you better not do it again, OMG, you'll get squashed by a garbage truck on the 101st time!!!

A little common sense goes a long way in safety.

Just half cock I think is fine.

I hunt capped nipples for birds.

I cock one hammer at a time on a birds.. im just used to that now.

A guns safety is between your ears

carry a gun safely... makes a big deal. Just how you carry just always pointed to the safe direction.

Don't want to fall with the gun pointed wrong anyday

For perc guns, I'm in the capped-with-hammer-down camp. I always use a WELL FITTING nipple and cap combo, and make sure to lower the hammer on the cap and gently press forward to make sure its seated/conformed to the contour of the hammer cup. I want NO GAPS between the hammer cup, cap, priming compound or the tip of the nip. IF the gun I'm toting even has a half cock, that's where it stays once I'm settled into my hunting spot.

Primed flintlocks stay at half cock with the stall on until fired.

A LOT of antique perc guns were built without even having a half cock position. I guess it really was dangerous, cause all of those guys are dead now!!!

If the half cock notch of a capped gun fails during a fall, it's very likely that the cap is going to go off, due to the longer amount of free travel and the built up momentum.

Much less likely to happen if the hammer is flat down on the cap. It takes a CONSIDERABLY SHARP whack to set off a perc cap when the hammer is already let down on it. @Relic shooter has the right idea with the rubber washer to absorb any shock.

If you are curious about it, do some experimental testing yourself with an unloaded perc gun and a non marring dowel to blip the back of the hammer, being sure to mind the spur.

All good information, but-
What is the actual purpose of half cock?

Jappo said:

All good information, but-
What is the actual purpose of half cock?

Click to expand...

Well for a flintlock, half cock removed the necessity for the external "dog" that held the flint off the frizzen.

With percussion guns, I'm assuming half cock was just a carryover from the flint days, as many were conversions retaining the existing 2 position tumblers. Obviously it makes capping safer and easier, but it's far from necessary.

Dusty_Traveler said:

Well for a flintlock, half cock removed the necessity for the external "dog" that held the flint off the frizzen.

With percussion guns, I'm assuming half cock was just a carryover from the flint days, as many were conversions retaining the existing 2 position tumblers. Obviously it makes capping safer and easier, but it's far from necessary.

Click to expand...

Ok, that makes sense. The flintlock half cock is neccessary. Some percussion actually don't leave enough room for capping, so that doesn't help much. I just use half cock for still hurting, it does keep the hammer off the cap.

AI generated OP thread

Sam squanch said:

I took an old cva pistol that was rusted junk, let the hammer down on a cap. Slammed it time and time again, hammer spur on the bench, never went off.

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Previously posted this on the topic of hammers down on a cap.

Pistol with cap on a nipple. Hammer down on the cap. One leather mallet. One quick rap with the mallet and BOOM. We have ignition........ got it first try.


Any hammer down on a loaded percussion cylinder questions?

Jappo said:

Was searching "half cock" and came upon this post.
What is the purpose of "half cock" ?
Some say its a safety function. Others say its for capping or both. I've seen some locks where half cock will not allow enough space to install a cap. And nowhere have I seen or read on how to cap a nipple.
Go to full cock, install the cap and lower the hammer?
Pull back on hammer till you get the clearance needed and then lower it? Which is the way I do it. I know it sounds dangerous but what else can I do without going to full cock. And is there enough drop of hammer to set off the cap doing it this way.

Click to expand...

When I cock my Lyman Trade rifle to half cock the hammer lowers to the point it's almost resting on the nipple. I would almost swear that when I first started shooting it, there was enough room to put a cap on the nipple when the rifle was at half cock.

Big Tom 52 said:

When I cock my Lyman Trade rifle to half cock the hammer lowers to the point it's almost resting on the nipple. I would almost swear that when I first started shooting it, there was enough room to put a cap on the nipple when the rifle was at half cock.

Click to expand...

Most TC’s are like that too…

What causes that??

Nothing wrong if hammer is close to tip of the nipple @ half cock, being too close just makes capping more difficult.

If distance has changed it could be that the tip of your sear has has chipped off,
If so, there will also be less distance to nipple when at full cock.

Best if you can post a 'closeup' photo of inside showing the lock's sear tip & tumbler .

* Nipples cone lengths vary from different manufacturers, if your locks fine you may just need a different length nipple.
On numerous occasions I've had rifles come in with revolver nipples & vise-versa.
My personal preference for fast ignition & longevity is Treso nipples.

i don't think it is safe to carry a capped rifle with the hammer at half cock. The hammer of my rifle is lowered on a thick piece of leather.

Trigger said:

Just half cock I think is fine.

I hunt capped nipples for birds.

I cock one hammer at a time on a birds.. im just used to that now.

A guns safety is between your ears

Click to expand...

Couldn't said it better myself

• of dying in a car accident are about 1 in 107 yearly.
• of drowning stands at about 1 in 1,128 yearly.
• The chances of dying due to fire and smoke hazards or exposure in the United States is 1 in 1442 annually.
• The odds of dying from choking on food are around 1 in 2,659 annually.
• Struck by lightning, in a given year are about 1 in 1,222,000. To put this in a lifetime perspective (80 years), this risk grows to approximately 1 in 15,300 (NOAA).

.
Living is dangerous, don't do it.
.
Seriously though, these threads always leave me feeling the same way I felt the first time I saw a "cross bolt safety" on the side of a classic lever action rifle.

Nor'Easter said:

• of dying in a car accident are about 1 in 107 yearly.
• of drowning stands at about 1 in 1,128 yearly.
• The chances of dying due to fire and smoke hazards or exposure in the United States is 1 in 1442 annually.
• The odds of dying from choking on food are around 1 in 2,659 annually.
• Struck by lightning, in a given year are about 1 in 1,222,000. To put this in a lifetime perspective (80 years), this risk grows to approximately 1 in 15,300 (NOAA).

.
Living is dangerous, don't do it.
.
Seriously though, these threads always leave me feeling the same way I felt the first time I saw a "cross bolt safety" on the side of a classic lever action rifle.

Click to expand...

Corporate libtard uglyfication of a beautiful classic rifle