I posted a similar topic awhile back where we all discussed the issues regarding the safety of the half-cock or un-cocked hammer on a loaded chamber. I think it is fair to say that the hammer down on an empty chamber was the safest we could get, but a lot of you seemed to agree that the half-cock position on a loaded chamber did'nt pose a problem.
One hammer position for which it was unanimously unsafe was the de-cocked position on a loaded chamber in reason of the risk of punching the firing pin forward in the event of a drop/jarr.
Now this is all information that I alredy knew and was comfortable with. It is also part of what I was taught "way-back-when" I took a gun safety course.
Then I buy a BLR '81........and read the instruction manual to find this:
"SAFETY,
1) DROPPED OR FIRED POSITION, CAUTION,
The BLR does not have a full lenghth firing pin. With a cartridge in the chamber and the hammer in the lowered position, the firing pin will not be resting against the primer of the cartridge.
The safe way to carry the BLR with a round in the chamber is with the hammer fully forward or dropped position.(a little further)
2) HALF COCK. THIS RIFLE'S HALF COCK NOTCH IS SIMPLY A HAMMER POSITION THAT may catch the hammer that slips from your thumb while cocking (providing the trigger is not depressed). It should not be taken as an assurance it will be caught all the time.
No guarantee can be made the the half-cock notch will prevent the hammer from striking the firing pin. "
So what is it?
?
Half-cock good for Winnies? Savages? Maybe? But not BLR's?
Just when you think that you've got something safe going on with the half-cock position, Browning comes along and says that it does'nt apply to them? It is a good thing I read the manual for the BLR since I would probably, at some point, carried half-cock with a round under the hammer thinking that I was safe,........... but I would have been wrong?
Your views?
Sport240
