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Lever action half cocked safety... how safe?

steeltoe1978
I know that many newer lever actions have an ugly safety that keeps the hammer from falling, but I'm interested in the traditional half cocked hammer safety on many older lever guns. As we all know, any safety feature can fail, but has anyone ever heard of or had any experience with a half cocked safety failing on a lever action? Thanks.
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Comments

16 comments

Date Votes
  • fishkiller41
    It's better'n nothing. I ALWAYS walk with my Winnie,in such a mode..
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  • Sav99
    Half cocked is the position I use with my 336RC .35 Rem. Mine is a 1958 so it has no cross bolt safety.
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  • mrbruce
    You would need to break off the hammer spur before it could fire, and I've never seen it happen.....
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  • iluvguns
    Works great on my 336 Marlin 30-30. Never had a problem with it. It is over 30 years old and has no cross-bolt safety.
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  • ladams
    The safety is a newer feature on lever guns, and it was put there to satisfy the lawyers. Carrying a lever on half cock is perfectly safe, it has been done that way for over 100 years by millions of people.
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  • bigtire
    It's all nonsense! Lever action cross bolt safties, Locks on revolvers, 10 lb trigger pulls.

    Soon there will be little cell phones attached to firearms that will only enable the user to fire after calling for permission from the BATFE![:(!]
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  • guntech59
    My .35 Rem/336 is half cock safety only also. I have never had it fail or get snagged and pulled to full cock. To me it's as safe as any other way.
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  • duckhunter
    As always, keep the barrel pointed in the right direction.
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  • v35
    It isn't only the unlikely event of a safety notch breaking off that
    may cause a hammer gun to fire. Some lever actions have a heavy firing pin that can slam fire a round if the rifle is dropped on the muzzle.
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  • pitbud5
    quote:Originally posted by bigtire
    It's all nonsense! Lever action cross bolt safties, Locks on revolvers, 10 lb trigger pulls.

    Soon there will be little cell phones attached to firearms that will only enable the user to fire after calling for permission from the BATFE![:(!]


    I feel ya
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  • JamesRK
    The cross bolt safety and the Smith & Wesson internal lock are just superfluous additions for potential malfunctions and to ruin the aesthetics of otherwise beautiful guns, and to make the lawyers and the Brady Bunch happy.

    There is no substitute for safe gun handling.
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  • givette
    My Win Model 97 scattergun pump will not cycle with the hammer in the half-cock position.

    What about Win levers? Marlins? Does half-cock prevent the lever from cycling? Thanks, Joe
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  • reddnek
    I've had lots of hammer guns over the years and never a problem. I took my latest Marlin 30-30 to the range after I bought it and it wouldn't fire, nobody told me about the crossbolt safety. I carry it on half cock and dont use the safety. Glad I wasn't shooting at a wild pig or bear.[:D][:D]
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  • callktulu
    I'm glad this topic was brought up, because I have a 1973 Marlin .30-30, and I've always wondered about this. I thought the half cock wasn't that great of a safety, so after I had all my rounds in and one chambered, I would ease the hammer all the way back down.

    I guess that's not the best idea? Better to go around half-cocked? (No pun intended.)
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  • iluvguns
    quote:Better to go around half-cocked?

    Yes! Keep the hammer off the firing pin!! Your Marlin is about the same vintage as mine. Never had a problem with it. The way I figure, those guys at Marlin have been building guns a lot longer than I have been alive. If they put a half-cock safety on the gun, I'd better use it!
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  • Spider7115
    My Winchester 94 is 50 years old and I still feel totally safe carrying it loaded and the hammer set at half-cock.
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