Half cocked position TC

[DCP]

I just bought a used TC 45 Cal in very nice condition

In the half cocked position it’s too close to the nipple see picture 1
Picture 2 is full cocked. Nipple is a brass nipple that came with the gun

I order some TC stainless nipples
See pictures 3 half and 4 full with this nipple I can cap it with the capping tool I need to more to full cocked to remove spent cap

I talked to TC customer service they said I could send whole rifle to them.
That most likely there will be no charge (most likely)

Anyone know how to adjust the hammer?

[Tatume]

The nipple is more likely bronze than brass. All of my T/C caplock rifles are close like this. I just cap it on full cock and carefully move the hammer to half cock. I also use a leather safety, a "cow's knee" that I move into place before I lower the hammer.

[twotoescharlie]

ampco nipples are brass colored.

TTC

[Geraldo]

I've got a rack full of TCs and they all look like that. There's no problem with the hammer, it's just that the nipples you have are different heights. Since nipples don't last forever and you bought a bunch of TC's, I'd recommend using the TC's and tossing the one that came with it.

What you want most is reliable ignition, bending a hammer so it rests differently at half cock may affect ignition and it will certainly affect which nipples you can use in the future. Also remember that half cock is not a mechanical safety and really shouldn't be treated as one.

[405]

Huhh? That half cock position looks about right to me. The main thing is the hammer needs to hit the nipple rim squarely and close to centered on the hammer face.

[Omnivore]

Yeah, with my Lyman it isn't practical to cap the nipple while on half cock. Cap on full cock, get a good firm hold on the hammer, pull the trigger, lower the hammer carefully while pointing in a safe direction, and then bring it back to half cock (the fly will prevent lowering the hammer directly from full cock to half cock).

If you wanted the hammer back farther off the nipple, you'd work on the tumbler, or replace the tumbler, or lengthen the sear arm, or shorten the nipple, or countersink the nipple deeper into the snail (or bend the hammer, or change the phasing of the square drive hole in the hammer, etc.) but none of that is necessary, nor advised. The main thing is that it goes boom when you want, and doesn't when you don't. I think maybe the idea was that, if for some bizarre reason the tumbler should fall off of half cock, it won't have enough energy to fire the cap.

Then again, if you're on the firing line at the range; full cock, cap, aim, fire.

[Boerrancher]

Yep, Yours looks like all of my TC cap locks. If you ever plan on deer hunting with it and the weather gets bad you will appreciate the fact that the hammer on half cock helps cover your ignition system. If you use one of those inline capping tools, you can easily cap the nipple simply by pulling back the hammer slightly with your other hand.

Best wishes,

Joe

[DCP]

Thanks all for replying.:CastBoolitsisbest:

You know what bothers me is I call TC aka S&W
I talked to them about this for 5 or 10 min.

He understood what I was talking about.
He tells me to send it in. :holysheep

That must be there pat answer. :groner:

Go figure

[Flinchrock]

Every TC nipple that I'VE ever seen is short like that shorter one.

Someone just installed the wrong nipple,, which will change the geometry.

If TC isn't going to charge you, let em check it out, they probably want to make sure nobody bent the hammer or juked around in the lock.

[DCP]

Well

It will cost $15.00 to $20.00 just to send it to them.

They may or may not charge me. They wont know till they see it.
And everyone says it normal


I fired 2 caps and they worked fine (are caps corrosive?)
I shot into some kleenex. They were so strong the kleenex blew a couple of inchs and started to catch fire

Again Thanks





Every TC nipple that I'VE ever seen is short like that shorter one.

Someone just installed the wrong nipple,, which will change the geometry.

If TC isn't going to charge you, let em check it out, they probably want to make sure nobody bent the hammer or juked around in the lock.

[Omnivore]

Corrosive caps haven't been made for decades (at least not in the U.S.) so unless they're antiques they are non corrosive. They do contain lead though, so it's a good idea to pop them outdoors.

How did it go? First there was fulminate of mercury in the early 1800s. That turned out to be hard on brass when metal cartridges came into fashion. Then there was a chlorate mixture of some kind, which were definitely corrosive, and then after around W.W. II primers were (and still are) of the lead styphnate variety? Something like that, and lately there have been attempts at a new, lead free, non corrosive primer compound for use in indoor ranges, but I don't think any of that variety has found its way into percussion caps.

[2571]

I'd send it in for $20.

I recently bought a used TC & realized thereafter that somebody before me had bent the hammer. I'm guessing it was Bubba who probably had a 12x tasco on it.

[Geraldo]

It's fine, don't waste the money shipping it back just to have TC tell you the same thing.

Here's a TC lock hint if you shoot heavy loads. The L shaped plate that holds all the lock internals in line can get loose and it will affect how the lock works. The two top most screws hold the L shaped plate to the lockplate. Take out one screw at a time and put just a tiny bit of blue loktite on the threads and then screw it back in. Repeat with the other screw. Do not remove them both at the same time unless you really want to learn how to reassemble the internals the hard way.