Cap at Half cock or Full cock?

[tranders]

Had an accidental discharge with my brother's new Traditions Hawken with double set triggers. I was at the firing line with muzzle pointed at target when going from half cock to full cock my thumb(greasy from patch lube) slipped from hammer and rifle went boom. No issues other than my shorts.
My question is should I be priming at full cock?
Always primed at half cock and for years have had no problems until now.
Thanks for the input.

 

[54ball]

Any hammer gun can discharge under similar circumstances. This is a good reminder for muzzle control at all times especially when cocking.....uncocking.

To answer your question.......
Depends on the rifle or more specifically the lock.

On some percussion rifles there is simply no room to cap at half cock. If possible capping at half cock is the best practice.

 

[necchi]

↑ Excellent answer ↑ :thumbsup: :bow:

 

[AZbpBurner]

Had an accidental discharge with my brother's new Traditions Hawken with double set triggers. I was at the firing line with muzzle pointed at target when going from half cock to full cock my thumb(greasy from patch lube) slipped from hammer and rifle went boom. No issues other than my shorts.
My question is should I be priming at full cock?
Always primed at half cock and for years have had no problems until now.
Thanks for the input.

I think you've already answered your own question.

 

[hanshi]

:hatsoff: YEP!

 

[Billnpatti]

I'm going to add a "Yep" :metoo: to what 54ball said. I also keep a shop rag handy to wipe my hands on when they get greasy or sweaty. I usually leave it laying on the loading bench but if I am doing a woods walk or moving about as I shoot, I fasten it to my belt to keep it handy.

 

[Kapow]

I'm only just recently learning how prone muzzle-loading rifles can be to accidental discharge. I recently had a flintlock discharge unexpectedly after I cleared the pan out and replaced the flint. Lesson learned: block the flash hole before testing the flint.

Prior to that I had a Lyman gpr percussion rifle discharge in a similar fashion to your experience. In swinging the rifle around to take aim the hammer caught on my clothing and retracted back from half cock far enough to strike the capped nipple even though the trigger was never touched.

I believe that was a design flaw in that the cup face of the hammer wasn't indented enough to clear the nipple at half cock.

I now always use a Kap Kover on my percussion rifle and a leather frizzen stall on my flintlock rifle.

I guess even when you think you know all about safety there's always something else to learn.

 

[charlie b]

I always cap at full cock, mainly cause the guns I've had do not have enough space to do it at half cock.

When I hunted I'd use one of those brass hats that go over the capped nipple. Then let the hammer down on it until ready to take a shot.

At the range I set up to shoot and the last thing I do is to put the cap on the nipple. Have not had an AD with a muzzleloader doing it that way.

 

[Rifleman1776]

Any hammer gun can discharge under similar circumstances. This is a good reminder for muzzle control at all times especially when cocking.....uncocking.

To answer your question.......
Depends on the rifle or more specifically the lock.

On some percussion rifles there is simply no room to cap at half cock. If possible capping at half cock is the best practice.

Yes, good answer.
As with any firearm, the real control is the person handling the gun.

 

[bubba.50]

don't know about a Traditions gun but, on a T/C gun there's no room to cap it at half-cock and sometimes not a lot of room at full cock. 'specially if ya have clumsy sausage fingers like mine.

 

[Billnpatti]

don't know about a Traditions gun but, on a T/C gun there's no room to cap it at half-cock and sometimes not a lot of room at full cock. 'specially if ya have clumsy sausage fingers like mine.

I, too, have sausage fingers and have difficulty capping the nipple on my rifles. I find that my best bet is to use one of the Cash cappers like this https://www.trackofthewolf.com/Categories/PartDetail.aspx/3/1/CAPPER-P

 

[Zonie]

I'm only just recently learning how prone muzzle-loading rifles can be to accidental discharge....

Prior to that I had a Lyman gpr percussion rifle discharge in a similar fashion to your experience. In swinging the rifle around to take aim the hammer caught on my clothing and retracted back from half cock far enough to strike the capped nipple even though the trigger was never touched.

I believe that was a design flaw in that the cup face of the hammer wasn't indented enough to clear the nipple at half cock....

No. The thing that caused your GPR was not a design flaw and it wasn't due to the hammer position at half cock.

ALL of the rifles but a very few, that have double set triggers have a "fly" in the lock.

This "fly" allows the sear to enter the half cock notch when the hammer is raised from the fired position to half cock.

It also blocks off the half cock notch so that the sear cannot enter the half cock notch as soon as the hammer is pulled back further than the notch.

This blocking off the access to the half cock notch is necessary to allow the hammer to fall from the full cock position all the way down to the cap to fire the gun.
Without the fly, the falling hammer and its attached, now rotating tumbler will cause the sear to enter that half cock notch when it reaches it.

That not only will cause the gun to not fire but it often results in a broken sear and/or half cock notch.

People need to remember, on a rifle with double set triggers, any time the hammer approaches the full cock notch, the fly will be blocking off the half cock notch as the hammer falls.