T/C Hawken Hammer Problem

[Sage1]

Did you by chance increase the powder charge?

No, shooting 70/80gr of FFFG w/round ball.

Bouncing to half cock is the early warning system for an oversized nipple flash hole as mentioned. Bouncing to full cock is like the red line on your tachometer except your rifle can bite you. Got there myself once and had read enough here that I felt foolish and fortunate at the same time. Foolish for missing the signs. Fortunate for not being injured by flying hammer syndrome and not destroying a lock.
Replaced nipple and problem solved. SW

I ordered two Ampco nipples today.
This thread was very helpful. I knew the hammer going to half cock wasn’t normal I didn’t know it was dangerous.
Thanks

didn't see anyone mention that when you take that lock out and clean it, don't farmer torque the cross screws that go through the stock and into the plate. just snug. lightly snug, did i mention not torqued?
them that crank those screws down with an impact wrench supply the rest of us with rifle parts when the stock cracks directly through the plate screw from over tightening.

Xclnt advice, thanks.

 

[Sage1]

All good answers above. If it is an inconsistent occurrence, was wondering were the caps you were using from the same tin? Just a thought, maybe some inconsistent pressures from your caps.

Caps are very old. Small red round metal tin from Dixie Gun Works. Larger than a quarter, smaller than a fifty cent piece.

 

[Sage1]

.

 

[Bad Karma]

For anyone else, buffalo arms company has the Ampco cones… cheap too. 4.59 plus shipping.
https://www.buffaloarms.com/1-4x28-ampco-t-c-nipple-tre115001.html

 

[deerstalkert]

No, shooting 70/80gr of FFFG w/round ball.

I ordered two Ampco nipples today.
This thread was very helpful. I knew the hammer going to half cock wasn’t normal I didn’t know it was dangerous.
Thanks

Xclnt advice, thanks.

just don't let the gun grabbers know you have a semi fully automatic!

 

[Howard Pippin]

I don't know if your gun is new or if you have had it for a while, back in the day people would drill out the nipple thinking that this would make the flame hotter. This often resulted in hammer kick back.

Good morning Eric. I do drill my nipples out, most of the time the factory ones measure, .026 and using 777, lots of misfires. using number drills, right now I go up to about .031. They don't last as long before I have to replace, but I don't have misfires and I can buy 777 or pyrodex where I can buy black anymore, not here in Montana. (I think I got that decimal in the right place, I get confused sometimes in hundreds and thousands.) most of the nipples I buy are too hard to drill without first heating and softening. Then I just reheated, throw in a bucket of water. They seem to work OK.
Squint