Half Cock
- Thread starter Geordie
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What kind of lock/rifle?
In general, this kind of problem suggests a broken or worn sear or half cock notch. The solution to the former is a new sear; the latter can sometimes be corrected with careful deepening of the notch with a thin, fine file. Don't give in to the temptation to use a Dremel tool.
In general, this kind of problem suggests a broken or worn sear or half cock notch. The solution to the former is a new sear; the latter can sometimes be corrected with careful deepening of the notch with a thin, fine file. Don't give in to the temptation to use a Dremel tool.
Loyalist Dave
Member
Geordi,
You lost me. The lock won't stay on half-cock when you pull the trigger? It's not supposed to stay cocked or half-cocked when you pull the trigger. The hammer or cock is supposed to fall completely and hit the cap or strike the frizzen.
IF you mean you can't pull the hammer or cock to half-cock, yes you may have a broken sear. You may have a fly that has rusted into position covering the half-cock notch on the tumbler, OR you may have a buildup of crud, fowling, wood in the half-cock notch, or..., you may have a piece of wood that is pressing on the sear inside the lock, as though you were applying pressure on the trigger and the sear can't engage the notch.
Thoroughly clean the interior of the lock, and check where the wood contacts the interior lock parts, as well as checking the sear to see if the tip has been damaged.
LD
You lost me. The lock won't stay on half-cock when you pull the trigger? It's not supposed to stay cocked or half-cocked when you pull the trigger. The hammer or cock is supposed to fall completely and hit the cap or strike the frizzen.
IF you mean you can't pull the hammer or cock to half-cock, yes you may have a broken sear. You may have a fly that has rusted into position covering the half-cock notch on the tumbler, OR you may have a buildup of crud, fowling, wood in the half-cock notch, or..., you may have a piece of wood that is pressing on the sear inside the lock, as though you were applying pressure on the trigger and the sear can't engage the notch.
Thoroughly clean the interior of the lock, and check where the wood contacts the interior lock parts, as well as checking the sear to see if the tip has been damaged.
LD
junkman_01
member
Dave,
I took what he is saying to mean that the hammer(cock) won't stay on 1/2 cock, after being placed there, if he pulls the trigger. This indicates that the 'fence' on the 1/2 cock notch is broken off.
I took what he is saying to mean that the hammer(cock) won't stay on 1/2 cock, after being placed there, if he pulls the trigger. This indicates that the 'fence' on the 1/2 cock notch is broken off.
Loyalist Dave said:
Any caplock or flintlock is supposed to stay on half cock when the trigger is pulled. Or, more precisely, the trigger is supposed to stay locked (cannot be pulled) with the hammer at half cock. That's what the position is for.
Curator
Member
Could also be the lock screws are too tight or the lock inletting is interfering with the sear movement. We need to know what kind of gun and a picture of the lock mortise and the inside of the lock to offer advise.
Loyalist Dave
Member
Ah OK I thought you were pulling the trigger while trying to place the hammer on half cock. I see that you now can get the lock to set at half cock, and not fall when you pull the trigger. You need to, when you get the chance to look at the wood and how it hits the internal parts, as lowering the tension on a lock screw and suddenly correcting an internal problem means something inside is impacting the moving parts.
LD
LD
arcticap
Member
Applying a tiny bit of beeswax around the lock mortise may shim the lock plate enough to relieve some pressure caused by the internal wood. Especially if one doesn't know the exact spot where the wood is interfering with the part and where the wood could be removed from.
junkman_01
member
That certainly is a 'Rube Goldberg' kind of fix.
arcticap
Member
Applying beeswax is usually done to waterproof around the lock plate anyway so it's not originally intended to be as much of a shim fix as much as it is a method of waterproofing. In this case it could serve useful dual purposes.
I certainly didn't invent the idea but Rube Goldberg is free to use it!
I certainly didn't invent the idea but Rube Goldberg is free to use it!
I would pull the lock out and try cocking it and watch the fly and see what it is doing when you release the hammer with the trigger. Don't let the hammer fall on its own but controll it with your thumb. Your half cock notch might not be deep enough or worn as well.
Molderbrown
Member
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- Aug 5, 2011
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MolderBrown
My suggestion is get the weapon to a gunsmith . On BP weapons , half-cock is the only safety . The same thing happened to a 58 Zouave that I have , and I took it to a good GS , $20.00 later - no problem .
My suggestion is get the weapon to a gunsmith . On BP weapons , half-cock is the only safety . The same thing happened to a 58 Zouave that I have , and I took it to a good GS , $20.00 later - no problem .
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