Rifle going off on full cock upon closing the action

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sscrano
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Rifle going off on full cock upon closing the action

Post by sscrano »

I am borrowing a rifle that goes off when you close the action on full cock. It functions fine on half cock, but if you forget, it will go off. This a single trigger gun. Is there a fix for this or is it something that I will just have to live with?
Dennis Armistead
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Re: Rifle going off on full cock upon closing the action

Post by Dennis Armistead »

What type of rifle?
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Re: Rifle going off on full cock upon closing the action

Post by DeadEye »

A very long time ago I had a C. Sharps 1875 that would do that and I never found a fix for it. I don't own the rifle anymore.

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Lumpy Grits
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Re: Rifle going off on full cock upon closing the action

Post by Lumpy Grits »

What make/model of rife :?: :?
Why do you have it on full cock, when closing the action :?:
STOP USING IT :!:
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Re: Rifle going off on full cock upon closing the action

Post by rdnck »

You shouldn't have the rifle on full cock UNTIL YOU ARE READY TO SHOOT. What are you doing with it on full cock when the action is open and you are obviously not ready to shoot? rdnck.
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Re: Rifle going off on full cock upon closing the action

Post by sscrano »

Having never used a falling block action before, my instinct was to pull the hammer all the way back to open the gun. I have to make a conscious effort to make sure I don't do that. The real question here then is whether or not that is a defect or in fact what the rifle is designed to do? From a safety standpoint having the gun fully cocked would be a dangerous practice if a person was carring it around loaded. If you are target shooting from a bench however, the intention is to fire shortly after loading a shell and closing the gun. Having now had the memorable experience of it going off upon closing I am of course very cautious about the position of the hammer. I believe the model number is either 1874 or 1875...
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Re: Rifle going off on full cock upon closing the action

Post by Kurt »

It doesn't make any difference if your shooting off a bench or how ever. If that rifle goes off with the muzzle elevated or off to the side one way or other that bullet will shoot over the back stop and it's capable to travel 3500 yards or more. It happened to me once and I packed up my stuff and drove several miles to see if there was a farmer with machinery hung up in a fence working the fields down a range.
The country sides are getting crowded at every point of the compass. Nothing will close a range faster then a bullet leaving it.
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Re: Rifle going off on full cock upon closing the action

Post by Lumpy Grits »

As I said in my first post-
STOP SHOOTING THIS RIFLE :!:
Again I ask-Who is the maker of the rifle.
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sscrano
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Re: Rifle going off on full cock upon closing the action

Post by sscrano »

Lumpy Grits wrote:As I said in my first post-
STOP SHOOTING THIS RIFLE :!:
Again I ask-Who is the maker of the rifle.
G.
The rifle was made by Shiloh over in Big Timber. It apparently has done that since it was picked up at the factory where it was ordered from. The owner told me about this condition and it happened while he and I were chronographing loads.I simply forgot to only go to half cock. Trust I won't forget again! Nothing got damaged, but it scared me enough to get on here and inquire about a fix to this. While I realize that one has to be careful about the hammer postion on a gun like this, it is an easy oversight to make and a serious potential for something tragic to occur. I am simply wondering if there is an adjustment that can be made on a single trigger gun like this, or is it something that will need to be done in Big Timber? To me it is worth the 2 hour car ride if it is something that can be readily fixed.
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Lumpy Grits
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Re: Rifle going off on full cock upon closing the action

Post by Lumpy Grits »

PLZ call Shiloh ASAP and ask for Kirk or Lucinda(owners).
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I for one, find it very hard to believe that Shiloh would let this rifle out of the shop, in that condition.
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Re: Rifle going off on full cock upon closing the action

Post by sscrano »

Lumpy Grits wrote:PLZ call Shiloh ASAP and ask for Kirk or Lucinda(owners).
406-932-4266
I for one, find it very hard to believe that Shiloh would let this rifle out of the shop, in that condition.
G.
I called them this morning. Kirk is out of the office off to the NRA show for a couple weeks so I was told to get on the forum and see what comes of it as well.
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Re: Rifle going off on full cock upon closing the action

Post by Don McDowell »

If you load the rifle in the half cock position, and then close the breech, will the full cock notch engage properly?
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Lumpy Grits
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Re: Rifle going off on full cock upon closing the action

Post by Lumpy Grits »

When you close the lever-
Do you ease it into position and control it? Or do you let the lever swing full speed, and slap against the rec'r tang?
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Re: Rifle going off on full cock upon closing the action

Post by rdnck »

Bottom line is you have a guy who says he has never shot a single shot rifle before, and doesn't really know how to run one safely. Common sense says that you don't pull the hammer to full cock and put a cartridge in the chamber and then close the breech. What are you going to do? Walk around with a loaded and cocked rifle until you lower the hammer on a live round? I ask again: why bring the hammer to full cock unless you are ready to shoot? You don't have to come to full cock to open the breech and remove the empty case, so why bring the rifle to full cock to reload it? I'm sure Shiloh will deepen the full cock notch and stop the rifle from doing this, but being as it is a single trigger gun, the trigger pull is going to be significantly heavier than it is now. If the guy would run the gun properly, he would not have this issue. I blame the equipment operator for not being up to speed on the equipment as much as anything else. rdnck.
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Re: Rifle going off on full cock upon closing the action

Post by sscrano »

rdnck wrote:Bottom line is you have a guy who says he has never shot a single shot rifle before, and doesn't really know how to run one safely. Common sense says that you don't pull the hammer to full cock and put a cartridge in the chamber and then close the breech. What are you going to do? Walk around with a loaded and cocked rifle until you lower the hammer on a live round? I ask again: why bring the hammer to full cock unless you are ready to shoot? You don't have to come to full cock to open the breech and remove the empty case, so why bring the rifle to full cock to reload it? I'm sure Shiloh will deepen the full cock notch and stop the rifle from doing this, but being as it is a single trigger gun, the trigger pull is going to be significantly heavier than it is now. If the guy would run the gun properly, he would not have this issue. I blame the equipment operator for not being up to speed on the equipment as much as anything else. rdnck.
All put downs/insults aside, are you then saying that it is perfectly fine for these guns to go off in this circumstance? Are you then also saying that these guns are actually designed to go off in such a circumstance as well? Clearly the safety issue of the hammer position has been addressed/acknowledged ad nauseam or this conversation wouldn't exist. I have indeed figured out that the gun should only be taken to half-cock to load/open etc. Other people, however, may also suffer a tragedy in acquiring this knowledge if it is not well documented that these guns will do this.
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