Safe carry of muzzleloaders

[barebackjack]

How do all of you carry your weapon while hunting? I was always taught to carry at half-cock if there was no other safety mechanism, the reason given was that if you struck the hammer from the rear while walking, it could set off the cap, thus firing the gun. But the manuals Ive all read say half cock is not a safety. But is it not the closest thing to a safety on these guns?

Boone

 

[Rebel]

I always carry mine on half cock. If it is a cap gun i sometimes put a piece of thick leather, tied to the trigger guard with a leather thong, on top of the cap and lower the hammer down on it. With flinter you can use a hammerstall over the frizzen.

 

[Slake]

I always carry mine in halfcock position..

 

[roundball]

How do all of you carry your weapon while hunting? I was always taught to carry at half-cock if there was no other safety mechanism, the reason given was that if you struck the hammer from the rear while walking, it could set off the cap, thus firing the gun. But the manuals Ive all read say half cock is not a safety. But is it not the closest thing to a safety on these guns?
Boone

Hammer nose resting on "Kap Kovers" on Caplocks;
Full cock with "Hammer Stalls" on Flintlocks;

 

[Hoyt]

Half cock.

 

[Rocky Johnson]

Round Ball.
Bill I like that idea of the hammer stalls on full cock while setting in a blind becouse I can not cock my flintlocks quietly,but walking with it or still hunting it would be at half cock.
:winking: Rocky

 

[roundball]

Round Ball.
Bill I like that idea of the hammer stalls on full cock while setting in a blind becouse I can not cock my flintlocks quietly,but walking with it or still hunting it would be at half cock.
:winking: Rocky

Sounds like you may not have the confidence that comes from experimenting with one...if you get a chance, fill your pan, close the frizzen, cock the piece, slide on a snug fitting leather hammer stall, and trip the trigger...do it again, and again, and again...nothing happens...on my locks, the flint edge hangs in the leather and stops...doesn't even open the frizzen.

In November I was sitting watching a trail that comes out of a cutover...10 pointer steps out at 25-35yds, I took careful aim, squeezed the trigger and heard a soft dull thud...looked to see that I'd forgotten to remove the hammer stall and the flint was hung on the leather...luckily the buck stopped and looked the other way for some reason...I quickly recocked the hammer, pulled off the stall, and shot him in the heart.

Point is, the leather hammer stall is an excellent safety..after you've tested it several times you'll see how foolproof it is and get the confidence from it.

Having a loaded, cocked Flintlock with a good leather hammer stall in place is no more unsafe than walking through the woods with a cocked Remington 700/.30-06 with it's safety on...no difference at all.

The Flintlock stuff is all exposed and it makes people nervous at first, but the cocked firing pin and internal safety of the .30-06 is no more safe just because it's out of sight...just experimennt with it several times to understand exactly how it works and you'll realize it's no different than the .30-06.

A cocked Flintlock with a quality hanmmer stall in place is far more safe than carrying a caplock at half cock with an exposed #11 cap on the nipple.....the hammer can drop in either case.....but the Flintlock's hammer stall is a positive safety that will prevent ignition...however, the caplock will discharge.
:v

 

[Stumpkiller]

Half cock.

 

[paulvallandigham]

If you want to carry a percussion gun with a nipple on, and on half cock, you can make a hammer stall out of a simple eraser, which you can buy in an office supply store. Get one of those long ones that goes over a pencil with a worn eraser. Then slip it over the cap and nipple, and trim the length to allow the hammer to rest at half cock. The rubber eraser will help keep the cap dry, and moisture out of the nipple, while holding off the hammer shoud something happen and the half cock notch fail. The cost of the eraser is pennies, and you can carry a couple of them in your pssibles bag, without straining anything emportant.

 

[Ron LaClair]

Many years ago when I was young and first started hunting with a muzzleloader, I had a cheap perussion gun that had a long travel to half cock. I started carrying the gun with the hammer down on the cap. I was very careful how I carried the gun but one day a friend and I were walking through the woods together after a morning of hunting. I was carrying the gun on my shoulder, muzzle forward. As I ducked under some low hanging limbs, the hammer caught, was pulled back and released. The gun discharged, scaring the be-jesus out of both of us. Luckily my friend was walking BEHIND me.

Needless to say, I always carried that gun on half cock after that.

I've shot only flintlocks for many years now and always use a frizzen guard. Even a finger off a cheap jersey glove slipped it over the frizzen, it's a pretty good safety. :thumbsup:

 

[mikee51848]

Hammerstall always on, half cock while moving thru the woods, full cock if still hunting, full cock on stand.

 

[bullofthewoods]

I will be new to hunting with a percussion gun this fall and to tell you the truth, hunting with a live cap on a load makes me nervous thinking about it. What I am hearing is that leaving the hammer in half cock is better than no cock/resting on the cap. The reason being that something catching the hammer and releasing it from no cock onto the cap will result in a fire, correct? In the half cock position, is it possible to pull the trigger hard enough to release the hammer? Believe it or not, I haven't even experimented with this to now as all of my shooting has been off the bench. I like the pencil eraser idea, is there anything else commercially available, related to the frizzen stall or similar in concept for a percussion gun? Thanks for the excellent advice! :hatsoff:

Bull

 

[Sharp Shooter]

Half position although I do like the idea of the thick leather.

 

[roundball]

I will be new to hunting with a percussion gun this fall and to tell you the truth, hunting with a live cap on a load makes me nervous thinking about it. What I am hearing is that leaving the hammer in half cock is better than no cock/resting on the cap. The reason being that something catching the hammer and releasing it from no cock onto the cap will result in a fire, correct? In the half cock position, is it possible to pull the trigger hard enough to release the hammer? Believe it or not, I haven't even experimented with this to now as all of my shooting has been off the bench. I like the pencil eraser idea, is there anything else commercially available, related to the frizzen stall or similar in concept for a percussion gun? Thanks for the excellent advice! :hatsoff:

Bull

Yes, a brass Kap Kover is made for this purpose...includes a special Hot Shot nipple with weather proof 'O'-ring around it's base...seals out moisture and serves as a cap-block safety should the hammer accidently drop...have them on all my caplocks...Google up Kap Kover.

 

[barebackjack]

Me thinks me will be purchasing one of those thar kap kovers. Thanks Roundball.

I liked the slip on pencil eraser idea also, but my caps seem to fit loose, not so much where they fall off, but If I dont fire, and want to take it off, it takes little effort, I would be afraid of pulling that eraser AND cap off at the critical moment.

Thanks for all the input and help guys.

Boone

 

[paulvallandigham]

YOu can also make a nipple cover out of a .30 Carbine casing, cut down. Seal the primer pocket with some wax, or solder, and trim the casing until it is long enough to cover the nipple and not have the inside of the casing bottoming on the primer cap. I found I could put an O-ring around the base of my nipple, and then the casing would not only keep the hammer from contacting the primer, but the casing would be sealed with the rubber o-ring and keep the action dry, even in the worst of weather. I went to the eraser because it ws cheaper, one piece, and sealed the nipple from moisture just as well. If you worry about a loose cap, just pinch it in your fingers before putting it on the nipple. That pinch will make the cap grab the nipple well enough that you don't have to worry about it coming off when you remove either of these covers from the nipple. With the .30 carbine case, I took some artificial sinew( dacron threat with wax) and tied it to the rimless groove and then to my trigger guard. That way, I could remove it and just let it drop out of the way, but not worry about losing it. With the erasers, I haven't bothered. I use them hunting only, and if I can find the pink thing on the ground after I fire, I can afford to use another one!

 

[THBailey]

I use empty pistol brass, 40 or 45 cal is good. Cover the cap/nipple with the empty and drop the hammer. When you see the game, pull the trigger, pull back the hammer, release the trigger and gently set the hammer on the sear. Pull the brass and ready to shoot, gun brought to battery with no clicks or noises. I soldered a ring to the brass, and use a leather lanyard looped on the trigger guard. Also helps keep weather off the priming. Not to traditional, but the price is right.

 

[roo shooter]

i also carry mine on half cock,but i dont treat it any different if its loaded or not.

 

[Halftail]

By "Kap Kovers" Roundball,do you mean them little pink round rubber things ment to fit over the cap?Or something else?

 

[Halftail]

Hammerstall always on, half cock while moving thru the woods, full cock if still hunting, full cock on stand.

Is there any way a Flintlock can be fired with the Hammerstall on?Maybe a fluke or something?