Carrying loaded shotgun

[kenneth strickland]

I bought a 12 gauge double Pietta and wanted to know if carrying afield half-cocked with caps or hammers down on caps is the way to go. Hammer down on caps sounds bad to me :nono: This is my first shotgun for hunting. I always capped my rifles when ready to shoot but that wont work with birds or bunnies. Thanks for any ideas. :shocked2:

 

[Rebel]

I have a Navy Arms double barrel .12 ga. I always carry it with it on half cock and capped. Mine is a Pietta also, and has cylinder bore barrels. It shoots good with patched .690 rd balls too.

 

[jim gray]

The same here to everything rebel said. I also carry my flintlocks at half-cock.

I would never carry a percussion gun with the hammer down on the cap. I'm sure it would take a pretty hard blow to detonate the cap, but I would not risk it.

Just treat half-cock like you would any other safety. Don't trust it to be infallible. The only effective safety is maintaining muzzle discipline at all times and assuming that any mechanical safety will eventually fail.

 

[kenneth strickland]

Thanks for the info. I just molded some .690 balls. I have the wads and overpowder and overshot wads. I bought some modern cup wads to try because my Pietta is cylinder bore too.

 

[2172]

I guess I'm of the opposite vieew point. I believe that a half cock can be caught on brush, pulled back and then caused to fall and detonate a cap a lot easier than an impact by ,say, a fall will set off the same cap with the hammer resting on it. I must admit that I've never seen either of these things, carry at half cock, carry hammer down, cause an accidental discharge...I've got a DGW dbl bbl that I no longer use...maybe I'll put a couple of caps on its nipples and see what it takes to set 'em off..Hank

 

[Pittsburghunter]

Hey Hank try this. At half cock give a quick pull back like you snaogged a branch and see what happens. The hammer should go back to resting at half cocked.

Now try the same thing with the hammer resting on the cap and see what happens.


I carry all my sidelocks half cocked.

 

[2172]

Pittsburg, I'll give it a try and report back...always willing to learn...Hank

 

[Dave K]

Hank, I certainly understand your thoughts. I have had a sear fail and the gun had such I high 1/2 cock, that it fired. Fortunately the gun was pointed in a safe direction. I usually carry my guns at 1/2 cock, since many of them only have the hammer about 1/16" above the cap. But, on the guns that have a 1/2 cock about 1" above the cap, I get nervious carrying them at 1/2 cock ever since I experienced 3 broken sears at 1/2 cock(not all my guns) over a 3 weekend period.

 

[randys]

...I have had a sear fail and the gun had such I high 1/2 cock, that it fired. Fortunately the gun was pointed in a safe direction. ... I experienced 3 broken sears at 1/2 cock(not all my guns) over a 3 weekend period.

I did a lot of load workup and duck hunting with the Pedersoli 12 gauge, and traded up to the stouter pistol grip version 10. With full disclosure to the buyer, I sold the 10 because I did not trust the sears. I had the nose on both sears chip without any abuse or undue pressure, and this after expensive repairs for the same issue. The sears are cast, and very hard. I seem to remember a 1/2" drop from half-cock.

For duck hunting from a blind, the situation was 'OK', as I could be careful not to catch the hammers on anything. But I usually get out of the blind by 10AM, slap on an orange vest, and go chase pheasants. Wild pheasants, and non-pointing labs mean some VERY fast walking. If I take a header, I will control the muzzle, but I can not guarantee control of how or what the hammers might hit on the way down.

I regret selling the 10 gauge, and not having put more effort and $ into finding a solution. The Pedersolis, new or used, have not come down in price.

Inspect those sears, make sure they are not chipped, and the hammer notch is properly cut. Carry it hammers at half cock.

 

[AJFedak]

I also carry both cap and flintlocks at half-cock. While skeet shooting with a few muzzle loader friends I noticed one fellow putting the cap on the left barrel then eased the hammer down and press it onto the cap. He said it helped to hold the cap in place when he fired the right barrel.

Well, on the very next station he repeated the same process only this time the left barrel fired!!! He said that it has never happened before. I couldn't tell you for certian because I won't shoot in his squad anymore.

All I can say is check to make sure your ½ position works, if so use it, if not get it fixed then use it.

AJ/OH

 

[RedFeather]

I would use the half cock. Leaving the hammer down on a cap invites accidental discharge from dropping or snagging. Green Union soldiers on their way to the First Manassas or Bull Run were reported to have done exactly this while pushing through brush along the turnpike, shooting their fellow combatants.

RedFeather

 

[Archer 756]

:rotf: Here is a good question for all to ponder, WHY DO THEY HAVE HALF COCK, it is the SAFETY !

 

[Dave K]

Well look at it another way. Where did the saying come from about "running around half cocked"? After my previously mentioned 3 incidents, there is NO way I would call 1/2 cocked a safety. Different firt hand experiences, gives us all different perspectives.

 

[2172]

Pittsburgh...well, I tried it...put the hammer at half cock, pulled it back from there and let it go, as would happen if snagged on a branch...the hammer just fell back to half cock...I believe I will now carry at half cock...Hank

 

[Zonie]

Perhaps the shotguns don't have flys in the locks like rifles do but be aware that if your lock has a fly in it, and the hammer is pulled very far above the half cock position, the fly will keep the sear from engaging the half cock notch.
That's what it is made to do.

You might want to test your locks to see if it has a fly.
Do this by pulling the hammer up to the full cock position.
With your thumb on the hammer pull the trigger just enough to release the sear from the tumbler.
Now take your finger off of the trigger and slowly drop the hammer.
If it engages the half cock notch, your lock probably does not have a fly (or it's not working).
If the hammer keeps on going all the way down, the lock has a fly in it.

What's this got to do with carrying a gun at half cock? If the lock has a fly in it, and your carring the gun at half cock, and the hammer is pulled back by a rogue branch very far, the fly will engage and when the branch releases the hammer it will fall all the way to the nipple and fire the cap (and the gun). :hmm:

 

[Pittsburghunter]

Zonie that is why I always try to remember to say " WITH MY RIFLE" or something like that. I do test the halfcocks on all hammer guns whether they are m/l or other guns. I'm not going to hand a gun to one of my kids I know isn't safe and I feel having a hammer resting on a cap is very unsafe it will not happen with any gun of mine at the range or hunting.

Even model 94s are safer at half cocked. The floating firing pin can get plenty of energy from just a little hammer pull to fire the round.

I like T/C's two piece hammer/sear combo that they patend on the Scout and wish they could put it on a sidelock. It is the safest hammer set up I have ever seen. There is no halfcock and rest is off the primer.

I see no reason it would not work with a sidelock.

 

[2172]

Zonie, thanks..a good point..I only tried Pittsburgh's suggested experiment with the dbl bbl shotgun that I carry hunting...my other M-L's, all rifles, do have a fly in their locks..the only hunting I do with these is still hunting, so there won't be any moving about with a cap on the hammer...thanks to you and Pittsburgh for good advice and interest...Hank