Newbie with a Qn

[Johnny bravo]

Hi all:-D,

Newbie from the UK.

Until very recently, I used to store my Pedersoli Sharps with the hammer down on the firing pin. A few weeks ago, a gent told me that Sharps should be stored with the hammer at half cock or the firing pin would be damaged. Since then I have been doing so.

I posted this question on another forum but only got one answer saying I should store hammer down. Now I am properly confused:roll:

Just to confirm, what is the correct method? Hammer down or at half cock?

Many thanks.

Have a good day all:)

Rgds.

[Jbar4Ranch]

I don't see what could be damaged as long as the hammer is pulled back to half cock when opening the action. Even opening the action with the hammer down shouldn't cause immediate damage unless there is an empty case in the chamber the firing pin could possibly get hung up on...?

I'd like to know the real answer to this one too.

[BPCR Bill]

Johnny, welcome to the forum! In reply to your question, my practice is to leave the hammer down on the pin striker. Less tension on the hammer spring. Just put yourself into the practice of pulling the hammer back to half-cock whenever opening the action. Also, it is a fairly simple task to remove the block occasionally and strip it down for cleaning. Dirt and fouling that accumulate in the block will eventually cause the pin to stick, and it may drag on the chamber mouth, and could break it off. It's alot easier than taking the action apart to replace a main spring.

Kind Regards,
Bill

[waksupi]

Well, I know the Pedersolis have a different firing pin set up, than the originals. I believe the modern ones are a two piece, and it shouldn't matter on hammer position, I wouldn't think. Original Sharps, however, are almost guaranteed to break a firing pin in short order, if it isn't on half cock when the action is opened..

[Johnny bravo]

Hi, Thanks for the replies :-D

Hi BPCR Bill, thanks for the welcome:-D

I was just a wee bit worried. I am in my first year of shooting BP and am enjoying it tremendously. However, there’s so much I don’t know including a lot about the rifle that I am shooting. Every thing is a learning curve at the moment:mrgreen:.

ATB.
Krish

[montana_charlie]

The difference in whether the hammer is down or half-cock, during storage, comes down to the amount of tension being left on the mainspring which powers the hammer.
Obviously, the least tension is achieved when the hammer is down.

That leaves the hammer pressing on the transfer bar, which places some compression on the firing pin spring.

To have both springs as relaxed as possible, you could leave the breechblock down...and the hammer down.

I 'store' my rifle in a cleaning cradle because that makes it handy for testing the fit of reloads...and other little experiments. Therefore, mine is 'hammer down/block down' almost all of the time.

As for the other matter...
I do not worry at all about bringing the hammer to half cock before opening the breech on a Pedersoli Sharps. The way the hammer is supported (by the lock) when down, contact between the hammer face and the transfer bar is removed as soon as the breechblock starts to move downward...allowing the firing pin to retract immediately.

CM

[Johnny bravo]

Cheers MC:drinks: That was a very detailed explanation to my query. Much obliged.

Rgds.