As you may know, there are several different kinds of set triggers.
The most common one is the double trigger, Double Lever style.
Almost all of the factory set triggers are this type and most of the custom rifles use it as well.
With this type of set trigger the gun may be fired by simply pulling the front trigger or by first setting the rear trigger and then pulling the front trigger to release it.
These triggers have a blade or lever on the front trigger and a blade on the rear spring loaded trigger.
The lock should be able to be cocked without first setting the rear trigger if the trigger assembly is installed correctly.
The other, less common double set trigger is called a single lever set trigger because only the rear spring loaded trigger has a blade which can push on the locks sear to fire the gun.
When installed correctly, these single lever triggers will be pushing up on the locks sear arm when they are unset.
Because of this the lock cannot be cocked unless the rear set trigger is first put into a set condition.
It is fairly simple to determine which kind of set trigger your gun has by removing the lock and looking down into the hole that was occupied by the locks sear arm. A flashlight helps.
When you peer into the hole you may or may not see anything except the bottom of the hole.
While looking at it, pull the front trigger back as far as it will go.
If you can see a steel blade or lever rising up into the hole you have a Double Lever set trigger.
If this is true, you should be able to cock the gun without first setting the rear trigger.
Notice, I didn't say anything about the rear trigger blade. We're only looking for the front trigger blade.
If nothing rises in the hole when the front trigger is pulled you have a Single Lever set trigger.
Assuming you have a Double lever set trigger but you cannot cock the gun without first "setting the rear trigger", the trigger assembly is either installed to deeply into the stock or the rear trigger blade was never "adjusted" to work with the lock properly.
Like all parts on a muzzleloader, the set trigger is just a piece of raw material that needs to be installed properly and adjusted to work in the particular gun it is mounted in.
Basically, that means if even if the trigger is not installed too deeply it may need to be altered.
Before altering the rear triggers blade, first see if the rear triggers spring has any adjustment on it. Often there is a small set screw that can be screwed in to make the spring move upward. When it moves upward, it won't push the blade up as high and often this is enough to keep the blade from hitting the locks sear arm in the unset condition.
If there is no spring adjustment or adjusting it doesn't fix the problem, the most common way to fix it is to file the top of the rear triggers blade down just to the point that it won't push up on the locks sear arm.
If there is not enough material on the rear triggers blade to do this the only other course of action is to move the whole trigger plate outward away from the locks sear arm.
