Half cock or Hammerstall?

[CrackStock]

Okay guys, you are walking through the woods while hunting. Do you use your flinter's half cock; do you use a hammerstall as your safety or both?

I have seen both done and have my own opinions, but wanted to hear the views of others.

CS

 

[rabjr]

Well shoot...I was all set to answer this question and realized, I can't.

 

[rabjr]

Lol I hope my poor attempt at humor in my previous post hasn't stopped others from replying to this thread. :shocked2:

 

[Stumpkiller]

I had to read the response twice and I just got it. :rotf: I'se not the sharpest flint in the bag, sometimes. :hatsoff:

I use the halfcock, hand outside of triggerguard. With my dexterity I'd tug off the hammerstall, flip open the frizzen and dump my pan.

Has anyone actually tried shooting through a hammerstall to prove that the flint won't slice it enough to still spark?

 

[roundball]

I have and they work perfectly...when I first got some, I slipped one on a lock and tripped the hammer several times on it...a sharp BEF makes a slight chafe mark in the leather but because of the absorbing effect of the thick leather, the frizzen doesn't even flip open...mine are a 100% safety protection devices
:thumbsup:

 

[CrackStock]

Tried to fire the flinter with the hammer stall in place and the leather stopped the flint easily.

The leather has a few unsightly gashes in it, but another is easily made.

CS

 

[Darkhorse]

When I'm just walking through the woods I have the hammer stall off and the rifle on half cock. Sometimes things happen fast and I want to be prepared.
Things happened fast once a couple of years ago and I had my hammer stall on. Thats how I know the rifle won't fire through the leather.
If I should encounter another hunter I always slip the stall back on for safteys sake.

 

[CrackStock]

So you find it quicker to pull to full cock rather than simply slip the hammerstall off?

Not an argument, I just want to hear several views.

What about the safety advantages or disadvantages of either? Any comments here?

Thanks,
CS

 

[Darkhorse]

If I was walking around on full cock with the hammer stall on then I still think it would be quicker, for me anyway, to be on halfcock and cock the rifle.
Reasons being to remove the stall it will mean taking a hand off the rifle. To bring to full cock it just means using the thumb. A natural act.
If I am expecting a shot and have the rifle on full cock with the stall in place, then I think its faster to just remove the stall. Usually I am still and expecting to do so.

 

[rebuse]

From the number of times that I hear of hunters shooting other hunters, because they reacted to movement and shot quickly, I think more of the safety issue in this OVER the ability to react quickly. Truth of the matter is, most quick reaction firing on a deer gets marked up as a miss. I'd rather be sure of my shot and hit...therefore, I keep my frizzen stall on. I'd much rather get one deer in ten years and not of shot anyone, then get 10 deer in 1 year and shot someone due to being unsafe. But that's just me.

Preacher :hatsoff:

 

[roundball]

The only time my hammer stalls come off are with a shot or when cleaning the rifle...

 

[CrackStock]

RoundBall,

How comfortable are you in useing your hammerstall as a safety? Do you believe that it might become removed in the woods as you walk? Or do you believe that the likelihood of a half cock notch failing is greater?

I am just pondering in the open here as I have been percolating over this topic for some time.

CS

PS, I am not selling any idea here, I just want input.

 

[roundball]

How comfortable are you in useing your hammerstall as a safety?

100% comfortable...adding a hammer stall only increases safety;

Do you believe that it might become removed in the woods as you walk?

No I don't...have never had one come off since I began using them a couple years ago...and I had mine made to be a tight, snug fit...even sent the guy a TC Frizzen as a template.

Or do you believe that the likelihood of a half cock notch failing is greater?

Personally I don't trust any ignition design like a bare percussion cap or bare frizzen/priming powder that is exposed to accidental direct contact by a falling hammer...whether accidentally falling from half-cock, or from full-cock, or from an accidental thumb slip while fiddling with the hammer...if there's no intervening safety barrier to prevent the igniton source from being struck directly, then that's a major exposure.

In fact, hammer stalls work so well that just yesterday afternoon I had a first time experience. I drew down on an 8 pointer, squeezed the trigger, and heard a strange, soft, dull sound instead of the rifle firing. I immmediately realized I had not removed the frizzen...it made virtually no noise and the buck didn't even look my way, I quickly recocked the piece, slipped off the hammer stall, and shot him...point of course is that I fired my lock with a primed pan and the hammer stall did exactly as it was designed to do...it stalled the hammer and didn't even open the frizzen.

My advice would be step into your back yard or next time at the range, prime a pan and just experiment with it a couple dozen times or so until you get comfortable, confident, on how it operates and it's reliability, etc.

Mine are good quality leather about as thick as a belt...I specified bone dry leather, not oiled leather, to ensure no oil could gradually seep onto the frizzen face.

 

[CrackStock]

Roundball,

We are very similar in our outlook and experiences. I have not had the problem of unintentionally dropping a flint into leather yet, but have dropped the flint inot leather on purpose several times to learn how reliable this measure is.

Thanks for your input.

CS

 

[fvigo]

I used a hammerstall for the first time on Saturday. My only problem/question I have is that how do you maintain proper spacing between the flint and frizzen (I was told about the width of a businees card) and have the frzzen sit flush with the pan with the hammerstall on. It seems you can't have the proper spacing to satisfy either.

I found that my powder leaked out because the frizzen was not flush. I was doing a lot of walking up and down hills while I pushed deer around for a friend. I realize that if I sat still and did not rotate my gun that this would not be an issue.

 

[CrackStock]

You must have had the gun at half cock and the hammerstall on. Sort of a belt and suspenders situation. I was using fullcock and a hammerstall once in position. You would not be so tight in this condition -- at least, I hope not.

CS

 

[fvigo]

Reading the earlier posts on this topic, I guess it comes down to whether I trust the leather or the half cock mechanism.

 

[roundball]

A thick leather hammer stall is more trustworthy than any other form of carrying a loaded muzzleloader.

Go put so prime in your pan and fire the lock with the hammer stall in place...do it several times and get confortable with it...it's no different than walking around with a loaded and cocked centerfire rifle...just a different form of safety...that you can see at a glance and know that it's in place.

A bare frizzen, and a hammer at either half cock or full cock, is exposed to sparking and creating a discharge if the hammer is released for whatever reason...the hammer stall 100% prevents that...it literally "stalls" the hammer right where it hits the leather, doesn't even flip open the frizzen...safest way to carry a primed/loaded Flintlock

 

[Darkhorse]

With a 3/4" Black English flint in my Silers there is enough clearance at half cock to slide the stall on and off. And that is how the gun is usually carried, at half cock with the stall on. Unless I am anticipating a shot and then the stall is off. In a hunting situation I don't consider this an unsafe situation.
When I want to consider the rifle "safer" I will let the hammer down on the stall and let it "cut" into the leather a little. I do consider this safer but usually the pan is emptied first and sometimes a toothpick has been inserted into the touchhole.
I always knap a new flint prior to hunting to make sure its razor sharp. If there isn't enough clearance at half cock to slide on the hammer stall you could try knapping a little flint off and see if that helps.

 

[CrackStock]

Darkhorse,

My Siler does not have the clearance to use a hammerstall and stay at half cock with most flints. The flint will press the leather and I lose the powder from the pan. Otherwise, I would agree with you. Of course, I could break off the back of the flint of use old ones, but I like to hunt with a fairly new flint.

CS