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Half-cock is when the position of the hammer of a firearm is partially—but not completely—cocked. Many firearms, particularly older firearms, had a notch cut into the hammer allowing half-cock, as this position would neither allow the gun to fire nor permit the hammer-mounted firing pin to rest on a live percussion cap or cartridge. The purpose of the half-cock position has variously been used either for loading a firearm, as a safety mechanism, or for both reasons.[1][2] The still commonly used English expression of "going off half-cocked" derives from failing to complete the cocking action, leading to the weapon being unable to fire. This is often used to describe someone acting prematurely, as in the case of one preparing to shoot their weapon without having set the firearm into "full-cock" position.[3]
- ^ "Glossary". SAAMI. Archived from the original on 9 June 2016. Retrieved 11 June 2016.
- ^ Voth, Al (11 January 2010). "Dropping the Hammer". BigGameHunt.net. Carbon Media Group. Retrieved 11 June 2016.
Any discussion about hammer guns and in what condition they are safe to carry invariably turns to the half-cock or safety notch.
- ^ Dvorak, John C (22 August 2012). "Microsoft Goes Off Half-Cocked". PC Magazine. Retrieved 11 June 2016.
Personally, I did not know you could half-cock a gun. It sounds like a product liability lawsuit waiting to happen.