eldeguello

NEVER set the trigger (by pulling the back trigger until it catches) until AFTER you have the hammer all the way back to full cock! If your set trigger is too touchy, increase the weight of pull by backing the adjusting screw (between the triggers) out a little at a time until the front trigger touches off at the weight you like. You can set it and "squeeze it off" with the hammer fully down in the uncocked position as you make the adjustments. The function of the set trigger is completely independent of the lock mechanism. (This is the way I dry-fire my rifles for practice that have DST's.) Once you have the letoff set to your liking, put a drop of nail polish on the adjusting screw threads to keep your setting from changing!

IF your hammer falls all the way down onto the nipple after you have pulled it a little bit past half-cock while cocking it, the half-cock notch should catch it and stop it to prevent accidental discharges if it slips while you're pulling it back to full-cock! However, if your lock is the "fly-in-tumbler" type, the halfcock notch may be blocked by the tumbler fly, and a discharge can result from a slip!

You need practice cocking and uncocking your rifle at home when it's empty, and setting and unsetting the trigger! Handle the rifle and manipulate the trigger and hammer it until you are able to handle it safely as a matter of instinct! You can do this with an empty gun! Don't load it again until you are confident that you can use it safely!