Are you "sure" it doesn't have a half **** when it's installed?
The reason I ask is because when all Thompson Center Hawken rifles are set to half **** the internal face of the nose of the hammer will be only about 1/8" above the top of the nipple.
From a fired position, raising the hammer just a little bit should produce a small "click" when the sear enters the notch in the tumbler.
I haven't heard an official word from TC about why they did this but I'm guessing it was done in an attempt to make the gun safer.
With the hammer that low, there is less chance that a twig could get under the hammer and lift it out of half ****.
Also, if that were to happen, the hammer is less likely to fire the cap because it doesn't have much room to pick up speed while only falling 3/16" or 1/4".
You may know this but because some of our other readers may not, I will take this opportunity to mention something about guns with double set triggers and their locks with a "fly" in the tumbler. All TC guns with double set triggers have a fly in their tumbler.
The tiny "fly" keeps the nose of the sear (the part that holds the hammer at half **** or full ****) from falling into the half **** notch when the hammer is lowered from a position that is above half ****. Even just a little above half ****.
For instance, when the hammer is released from full ****, the nose of the sear rides on the outside of the tumbler until it comes to the fly.
The fly pushes the nose of the sear up and over the half **** notch. This allows the hammer to continue to fall.
Guns with double set triggers and a fly in the tumbler can only be set to the half **** position by rising up to it.
That means, in order to set the hammer to half ****, the hammer must first be lowered down almost to the nipple and then pulled back up until the small "click" of the sear entering the half **** notch is heard.
This is important to remember because I've seen cases where someone who wasn't aware of this slooooowly lower their hammer from full ****. (his gun was not a TC and the half **** notch kept the hammer raised up about 1/2" above the nipple).
When the nose of the sear got to the fly, rather than jumping over it, like it would if the hammer was falling fast, it hung up on the fly and the hammer stopped moving.
The shooter thinking his gun was at half-**** set the butt of the gun down on a hard surface and the shock caused the sear to disengage from the fly and fall. Fortunately, there was no cap on the nipple but it sure got his attention.
