If the chamber is loaded, the hammer should always be at half-cock until ready to fire. Hammer-down is fine on an empty chamber.

 

I recently picked up my first lever rifle, an 1894 in .44. Shooting it has made me realize how much my offhand shooting skills have degraded since my days of regular muzzleloader shooting. But between regular fondling of the rifle like you’re doing (my dad used to call it “making new friends”) and a few bricks of .22 shot offhand though a bolt gun, it’s starting to come back to me. It’s surprising how much you can learn about the rifle just by holding it and feeling how it moves in your hand

 

Great pics and a beautiful rifle! Bring on the pig meat!!!

 

So how many pigs have meant their demise?

 

Years back I had my 1894 357 mag discharge going from half cock to hammer down--with my thumb on the hammer extension. It was outside and pointed in a safe direction, so no harm done. But it sure did wake me up.

I don't recommend dropping the hammer from half-cock to down on a live chamber. Especially not in the house. Unless you don't mind more ventilation in your house. All it takes is letting that hammer go down a little bit faster than you intend.

 

Happened to me at home with my Henry .22. Something sound odd, and then looked at my ceiling and saw a little hole. Good wake up call to not be an idiot that’s for sure

 

Hammer manipulation in the house with one in the chamber, really ?

Sounds like an accident waiting to happen. Especially with those sausage fingers...

 

Hammer manipulation in the house with one in the chamber, really ?

Sounds like an accident waiting to happen. Especially with those sausage fingers...

Yeah, no gratuitous handing of loaded fire arms in the house. Sausage Fingers, haha.

I know about sausage fingers and otherwise.

 

I think it would be best to acquire some snap caps or make some dummy rounds for your evening sessions. You can never be too safe, especially with loved ones on the other side of the wall.

 

Well. I’m pretty much done with “making a new friend”. I think I accomplished what is able to accomplish. I’ll take all advice to heart though since I’m new to the lever.

 

How hard is it to leave the chamber empty and cycle the lever when Porky comes calling?

 

I guess I feel like it’s the same as having all six of my revolver cylinder loaded. I’ve heard of people leaving the 12 o’clock hole empty. I do not leave it empty. And most likely racking the lever would be no problem but in the slim chance I sneak up on one it would be crucial to not make the noise.

 

I'm more curious why you lock it up at night. I have two S&W's loaded and ready to go at all times. Thankfully, those cartridges haven't left the cylinders in over a decade.

 

I put it in the safe, the safe is in my bedroom. So it’s not available to an intruder. I don’t lock the safe unless I leave the house. And yes I gave two revolvers and a shorty .20 ga ready to go if someone breaks in

 

I play with my rifles all the time.
I have put together an assortment of snapcaps for all my centerfires.

 

Why not lock the safe? It is just one less thing to concern yourself with. We are only human and stuff happens.

 

Just my opinion, take it for what it's worth, and buy a cup of coffee with the change.

Leave the chamber empty. Learn how to chamber a round silently when/if Porky shows up. Safety first.

 

Just my opinion, take it for what it's worth, and buy a cup of coffee with the change.

Leave the chamber empty. Learn how to chamber a round silently when/if Porky shows up. Safety first.

I sort of agree with you for one reason. It’s not the fact of having one in the chamber, I think that is safe with the gun at half cock. It’s the fact that when you close the action with a round going in the chamber the hammer is at full cocked. To me that’s the worst part. If you slip going to half it could easily go bang. I may start leaving the chamber clear for that reason.

 

Holy crap! How the OP stores his weapon is his business not ours! You donknow his circumstances. Sorry but sometimes I get grumpy. There us no reason to jump all, over the OP.

Padraig

 

Holy crap! How the OP stores his weapon is his business not ours! You donknow his circumstances. Sorry but sometimes the I get grumpy. There us no reason to jump all, over the OP.

Padraig

I don’t feel jumped on. A couple of the points were valid. Comments that don’t apply are easily ignored. I’m a safe gun owner. I try to understand all my firearms thoroughly. This style gun is new to me so maybe some of my procedures can be improved. One thing I have never done is assume every worst case scenario is bound to happen. I would not own guns if that’s how I thought. For instance with just me and my wife in the house I see no need to lock the safe. If someone always locks theirs that’s ok too. I only lock it when we both leave and ALL the guns get put in except anything we carry and then CLICK right before we step out the door.

 

Well, things are a bit different up here, ( please lets not get into the politics of it, I already had a thorough spanking on another thread), in the 60+ years I have walked this earth, I have been in a few life threatening situations. None of which could have been resolved with a loaded gun, ( falling through a rotten hay loft, flipping the tractor and maybe some stupid decisions). Maybe the time I shot a bear at 40 steps from me, but in that case I travelled several hundred miles to deliberately put myself in its path and it is debatable weather my life was at risk. I have a walk-in vault with, lets say some guns in it, not a single one is loaded, nor do I feel they need to be. Having said that, the BLR is in a very handy spot with the clip detached but stuffed full. I doubt I will ever need it but as a former Scout Leader ( 16yrs), the Scout motto "Be Prepared" is always a part of my life. Back on topic, manipulating a firearm with a live round in it, is something I would not do personally.

 

As a side note to @Chrisj357's post, he needed a rear sight dovetail blank, and I had one that belonged to my late wife. He installed it on his rifle, so now when he takes out his 1894, for whatever reason, a little bit of Trudy Mae goes with. He sent me a PM recently, saying that he remembers where that blank came from, and how appreciated it is.

It's the little things that make MO and our members great.

 

Thats a nice looking '94. I love your "Mantle Mount". Did you design that your self?

 

Thank You. Yes. I had some left over cherry and I had the perfect fireplace, it was calling out to have a lever gun to display

 

Mine are in the safe or out of reach for great grandkids all the time. The safe is always locked unless I am in the gun room with it.
Have a great day.
Jim

 

Mine too if the grandkids are coming over. 90% of the time it’s no worries, no one but the wife and the dogs.

 

So you can shoot a hog in your front yard and you live in a neighborhood? If I did that I'd probably be spending the night in jail. You must have a big lot in a gun friendly state unlike where I live.

 

Yep. Hogs are a nuisance and considered a threat. As long as the shot was safe and I can reasonably say my family or pets were threatened it’s legal here to shoot them.