This is why you keep the gun pointed in a safe direction at all times...

[SideArmed]

I'm not trying to be argumentative, just trying to understand the implications of what you're saying. That was a hammerless revolver. Is it possible for the weapon to have ended up with the hammer locked back, ready to fire? Surely you're not suggesting that my boxes full of ammunition might start going off on their own. I was assuming that in this case the only way the firing pin would get hit was if he had pulled the trigger. But I don't know if it's possible on that particular hammerless revolver to lock the hammer by using the trigger, without actually firing the weapon, which would then leave it in a dangerous state ..

?

Now you gone and done it.

Shootrite in 3....2.....1.....

 

[jerryv]

Now you gone and done it.

Shootrite in 3....2.....1.....

Uh .. now I'm confused. It was a real question .. I've never had a hammerless revolver in my hand .. don't know how they operate. Did I step on a toe unknowingly?

 

[MikeDVB]

I'm not trying to be argumentative, just trying to understand the implications of what you're saying. That was a hammerless revolver. Is it possible for the weapon to have ended up with the hammer locked back, ready to fire?

You can't say it's impossible - for example... Say there was gunk on the firing mechanism that caused the hammer to lock back and it just happened to release at an inopportune time.

That's just one plausible reason for the firearm to go off on it's own without the trigger being pulled. Nobody said it couldn't be acted on by an outside force [gunk in the action, gravity, a hard fall, etc]. There are certainly other possibilities I've not thought of.

Surely you're not suggesting that my boxes full of ammunition might start going off on their own.

All Kirk is saying is that it's possible for a firearm to discharge without the trigger being pressed. More often than not it's due to a mechanical issue or being dropped. One easy example is if your sear is damaged and engaging the safety on the firearm causes the hammer to drop on the firing pin [I've seen this]. You wouldn't have had to have touched the trigger for it to go off.

Nobody is implying that ammunition by itself can go off on it's own.

I was assuming that in this case the only way the firing pin would get hit was if he had pulled the trigger.

I'm sure there are other possible situations even if it's 1 in 1,000,000,000 you can't say it's impossible.

But I don't know if it's possible on that particular hammerless revolver to lock the hammer by using the trigger, without actually firing the weapon, which would then leave it in a dangerous state ..

Gunk in the action could certainly cause that as an example. Water damage/rust, anything that could cause the hammer to get stuck or the action to bind up only enough to barely hold the hammer back.

 

[jerryv]

Thanks Mike. I appreciate the feedback and information.

I don't like the idea of a hammerless revolver .. seems like the hammer position conveys important information .. although I understand that it can be a nuisance, snag clothing, etc.