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I am astounded no one mentioned the etiology of the phrase "going off half cocked".
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Carrying a percussion pistol
- Thread starter Electric Miner
- Start date
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I gots me own! Too many years tying flies to be without head cement and the good stuff is expensive. Love the looks when I"m browsing through the Sally's Hard As Nails display! :wink: :haha:Cynthialee said:
"Sir, is there anything I can help you with?"
"No dear, I just need to cover a few popper heads."
Generally followed by moments of silence!
Mean looking guy -- lol. Nice "costumes."
I consider good cap-n-ball guns' half cock to be so close to the nipple that the cap cannot reasonably come all the way off. Most especially with a hollowed hammer. Anything else is just not set up right (to carry).
I consider good cap-n-ball guns' half cock to be so close to the nipple that the cap cannot reasonably come all the way off. Most especially with a hollowed hammer. Anything else is just not set up right (to carry).
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He's one of the local S.A.S.S. shooters.
Patocazador
54 Cal.
The guy in the dapper gray vest behind his right shoulder looks like him .. a relative?
I wouldn't want that clan mad at me.
I wouldn't want that clan mad at me.
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Not a relative. Approximately 69.3% of the Prescott population looks like that. And 42% of those dress like that. Even the women.
larryp said:
It sure is, obviously! Don't drop it!
If my life depended on that single shot, I'd feel a lot more comfortable knowing that the cap would be there when I pulled the hammer back! You may not find a cap under yours...
Man you got some interesting dudes hanging around your town square! :wink: :thumbsup:
https://scontent-a-ord.xx.fbcdn.ne...6_10152405344592292_7104555210070835680_n.jpg
https://scontent-a-ord.xx.fbcdn.ne...6_10152405344592292_7104555210070835680_n.jpg
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Capt. Thomas
32 Cal.
- Joined
- Mar 13, 2014
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Well as to your question of how to carry a loaded / capped single shot and how they did it back then.
Most of the common sense safety rules apply to single shot or revolver either one. I have no actual experience myself with a single shot but they are the same. My great grandfather taught me to shoot and firearms safety when I was 9 yrs. old with a 1849 Colt Pocket .31 that he carried daily as a "belly gun" as he called it. It was his back up to the 1st issue Colt SAA .41 he wore as a Costable & later a Sherrif in Oklahoma from 1896-1922. Sorry drifting but this was direct from the old man to me and he taught me this.
Make sure what ever holster you have has a proper fitted tie down that will hold with the hammer on half cock, tie down under hammer.
A drop of varnish or bee's wax around each cap and make damn sure the balls are lubed, your life may depend on it. Now this is from a man that his life did depend on it and he used to tell me that with common sense there was no reason to only load 5 or 4 in the case of the 49' pocket. Again he used to say "you may have to have it to keep breathing".
So in short a hammer block thong or tie down and varnish / shellac / bee's wax was how it was done by the men that had to be ready at the drop of a hat.
If I needed to do it today I would use the cap savers instead of varnish or wax. They work well and I have gone swimming (by accident of course) and was in the water for about 10 min. or so with a Ruger Old Army and then another 15 or so drying out before I fired off all 6 chambers and they all fired with the cap savers.
Capt. Thomas
Most of the common sense safety rules apply to single shot or revolver either one. I have no actual experience myself with a single shot but they are the same. My great grandfather taught me to shoot and firearms safety when I was 9 yrs. old with a 1849 Colt Pocket .31 that he carried daily as a "belly gun" as he called it. It was his back up to the 1st issue Colt SAA .41 he wore as a Costable & later a Sherrif in Oklahoma from 1896-1922. Sorry drifting but this was direct from the old man to me and he taught me this.
Make sure what ever holster you have has a proper fitted tie down that will hold with the hammer on half cock, tie down under hammer.
A drop of varnish or bee's wax around each cap and make damn sure the balls are lubed, your life may depend on it. Now this is from a man that his life did depend on it and he used to tell me that with common sense there was no reason to only load 5 or 4 in the case of the 49' pocket. Again he used to say "you may have to have it to keep breathing".
So in short a hammer block thong or tie down and varnish / shellac / bee's wax was how it was done by the men that had to be ready at the drop of a hat.
If I needed to do it today I would use the cap savers instead of varnish or wax. They work well and I have gone swimming (by accident of course) and was in the water for about 10 min. or so with a Ruger Old Army and then another 15 or so drying out before I fired off all 6 chambers and they all fired with the cap savers.
Capt. Thomas
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You musta been there during shift change.
The original question (added bold)...
Cpl. Ashencheeks
40 Cal.
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I really do not see any reason to do so.
Do not cap it until ready to fire.
If pig hunting is the reason for this question and a second shot is needed in a hurry when a first rifle shot upset the critter, then it is probably best to be behind some kind of cover the beast can't get through quickly. No guarantees though.
I don't know if this idea is any good or not, but one way that it might be capped quickly is to a carry a small stick sized wooden board capper tethered on a cord with a cap wedged in a small drilled hole, similar to a loading block. Just keep it away from powder stores and have it drilled deep enough not to cause any problems.
I like the idea of holster, it seems much safer than a belthook, or sash.
Do not cap it until ready to fire.
If pig hunting is the reason for this question and a second shot is needed in a hurry when a first rifle shot upset the critter, then it is probably best to be behind some kind of cover the beast can't get through quickly. No guarantees though.
I don't know if this idea is any good or not, but one way that it might be capped quickly is to a carry a small stick sized wooden board capper tethered on a cord with a cap wedged in a small drilled hole, similar to a loading block. Just keep it away from powder stores and have it drilled deep enough not to cause any problems.
I like the idea of holster, it seems much safer than a belthook, or sash.
Capnballhunter
40 Cal.
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- Mar 19, 2014
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As another member noted, you can use a spent brass case from a small caliber pistol as a sort of hammer block. Fit an empty 25 or 32 acp casing or other small empty cartridge over the capped nipple and lower the hammer onto it. You can grind down the casing so that it is barely over the cap, therefore lowering the strain on the mainspring to nearly zero. Try this at you own risk of course, each boomstick is different.
I wouldn't leave any pistol in the half cock position for extended periods of time. Personally I would feel safer carrying around a capped pistol with a hammer block of some kind in place.
I wouldn't leave any pistol in the half cock position for extended periods of time. Personally I would feel safer carrying around a capped pistol with a hammer block of some kind in place.
rodwha
58 Cal.
I tried a thick leather disk sent from Ohio with a punch, and it stuck to my hammer many times more than not. It didn't usually just fall away as hoped for.
If you think the guys in the pic are spooky, go to SASSNET.COM.
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Rick Boylan
45 Cal.
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I'm an NCOWS guy myself and we've got guys that look a lot like that. They may look mean, but they are usually very friendly and will give you any help you need or answer any questions asked.
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Capt. Thomas said:
Wow, I sure would have loved to have met and spoken with him!! The closest I ever came to that was speaking to some real "G" men.
Gus
