Can you quiet down the cocking of the hammer?

[Gettincloser]

I have a TC Hawken 50. The hammer makes a very assertive "clunk" when it gets the half cock and at full cock. When you pull the set trigger, there is s tiny "click". With deer in the 35 yd range, I can squeeze the set trigger and the deer do not mind... if the hammer is down or at half cock, the loud "clunk" sound alerts or runs the deer off.

Do you just wait with the rifle at full cock? Or is there a way to quiet that down?

Hunting in brush does not always allow time to confirm it is a shooter and then cock it fully before he is "too close" and hears it...

Just had a monster (for me) in close with rifle at half cock. He was chasing a doe. He had no clue but she heard the "clunk" and when she left, he followed...

 

[michiganmuzzy]

On my Renegade I just tried holding it differently while cocking. Cocking it SLOWLY while keeping both hands over the whole lock and hammer seemed the quietest. Wearing gloves muffled it even more.

 

[Idaholewis]

Yep you can, You need to understand the Safeties of it though. Pull the trigger first, Then start Cocking the Rifle, When you get the Hammer all the way back, you Completely let off on the Trigger, Now Slowly lower the Hammer til it Catches

The Distinctive “CLICK” you hear is from the Sear Going through the Notches in the Tumbler as the Hammer is being Pulled back. When you do as i speak of above (Pull the Trigger FIRST, Then Start Cocking the Rifle) it overrides this, and is Quiet

This has been being done for EONS with Lever Guns such as the Winchester Model 94s Etc. The important part is that you understand the Safety of doing it Correctly

 

[dbowling]

What Lewis said works for any hammer gun.

 

[Confederate rifleman]

But practice a LOT at home first!

 

[michiganmuzzy]

Im usually wearing gloves so I wanted to find something i could do that i was less likely to slip and release the hammer. But the trigger hold is quieter for certain.

 

[edmehlig]

But practice a LOT at home first!

Without a loaded rifle of course!

 

[DESPERATE LEE]

Yes by all means UNLOADED!
DL

 

[rogar71]

I've been doing the trigger hold method ever since I spooked a doe from twenty yards. She was already a little jumpy when she came in, but that little click was all she needed to bolt away.

 

[Renegadehunter]

I remember the first deer I shot with my caplock. It was a very calm evening with no wind, very quiet.
I already had it at half-cock, when I saw the deer I went to full, he was about 30 yards away. He was browsing and snapped his head up at the click, stayed alert for 20 seconds or so before going back to browsing. He got to 50 or so yards away before giving me a clear shot with a good angle. When I set the set trigger he actually heard that very slight click and alerted again. Crazy good hearing. I was surprised one of those clicks didn't just make him take off.
I now use the trigger method for going to full, and avoid using the set trigger if it is really quiet.

 

[Bad Karma]

My first deer rifle had a lever and 1894 on it. It was passed down to me by my grandfather along with the technique for silently cocking the hammer. Make sure you have a positive grip on that hammer or you could go loud at an inopportune moment...

 

[4stringdude]

I've been using the trigger pull method for years. But, as many have stated, keep a good grip on that hammer. I had almost suggested it, but figured I would be scolded. It's nice to see others do the same.

 

[michiganmuzzy]

On my lever gun, Marlin 336, I have a hammer spur extension that makes it easy to pull and hold. Maybe one can be modified to go on a hawken hammer.

 

[Bad Karma]

On my lever gun, Marlin 336, I have a hammer spur extension that makes it easy to pull and hold. Maybe one can be modified to go on a hawken hammer.

I prefer the old upright style hammers on the T/C guns but unless you have large mitts like mine I could see it being safer with the new style lowered hammer spur.

 

[michiganmuzzy]

I

I prefer the old upright style hammers on the T/C guns but unless you have large mitts like mine I could see it being safer with the new style lowered hammer spur.

Have the lower spur on my renegade. I heated and bent it out a little bit. I w may bend it out a little bit more to make it easier to cock. I have a Williams FP sight and the two are kind of close.

 

[Bad Karma]

I

Have the lower spur on my renegade. I heated and bent it out a little bit. I w may bend it out a little bit more to make it easier to cock. I have a Williams FP sight and the two are kind of close.

I’ve noticed that putting the Williams sight on New Englanders. Don’t have any of the new style Hawken or Renegades but I imagine it’s similar...

 

[Gettincloser]

Thanks guys. I have done that trick before but only on old lever guns. Never on a double trigger. I did not want to try that and have a false set and then it go off unexpectedly. I will give that a shot!

 

[Zonie]

If your rifle has double set triggers, it has a "fly" in the lock. When you lower the hammer from full cock, be sure to keep your finger on the trigger and lower the hammer to below the half cock position. Then, release the trigger and pull the hammer back until you hear the sear enter the half cock notch. Yes, it will make a small click but if the lock has a fly in it, this is the only way you can safely set the gun to half cock.

If you pull the hammer back to full cock, pull it to release the sear from the full cock notch and then release the trigger right after it has gotten off of the full cock position and proceed to lower it directly to half cock, the sear can hang up on the fly that's in the lock and stop moving.
Because it hung up on the fly rather than entering the half cock notch, it gives the impression that the gun is at half cock but it isn't.
In this state, the slightest bump or jar to the gun can cause the sear to lose its grip on the fly and then jump over the fly and the hammer will fall directly on the nipple, firing the gun.

 

[Bushfire]

I use the hammer release method mentioned on my lever 30-30 and inline. Tried it on the hawken I briefly owned but the sear was knackered and fly broken so it never held. Had it refunded before I fired a shot.

Don't muck about though, my dads mate is missing a couple of toes because his finger slipped off the hammer as he let it down off an old shotgun.

 

[Gettincloser]

If your rifle has double set triggers, it has a "fly" in the lock. When you lower the hammer from full cock, be sure to keep your finger on the trigger and lower the hammer to below the half cock position. Then, release the trigger and pull the hammer back until you hear the sear enter the half cock notch. Yes, it will make a small click but if the lock has a fly in it, this is the only way you can safely set the gun to half cock.

If you pull the hammer back to full cock, pull it to release the sear from the full cock notch and then release the trigger right after it has gotten off of the full cock position and proceed to lower it directly to half cock, the sear can hang up on the fly that's in the lock and stop moving.
Because it hung up on the fly rather than entering the half cock notch, it gives the impression that the gun is at half cock but it isn't.
In this state, the slightest bump or jar to the gun can cause the sear to lose its grip on the fly and then jump over the fly and the hammer will fall directly on the nipple, firing the gun.

Thank you for this info! This is the missing link! I had this happe. 2x and thought that I might have done something wrong. Tried holding both triggers and so on... just new to the double trigger and did not want the rifle to go off when I wasn't ready.

I love the set trigger. This rifle has a better trigger on it (after you pull the set trigger) than 90% of off the shelf rifles on the market today!