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Weekend near tragedy

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Weekend near tragedy

Old 06-01-2004, 10:00 AM
  #1  
Typical Buck
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Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Cottage Grove Oregon
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Default Weekend near tragedy

Well what a weekend! Where to start, first for the good news I am hooked. Sighted in the new Traditions Pennsylvanian BP. Used 777 powder and Balls and loved it, got to where I could consistently put shots inside the #8 ring every time with 75 grains. Now that is the first time in a long time I shot Iron sights being half blind and all, actually just the normal 54 year old loss of 20-20. First story, found a design defect I think. Specs - double trigger double position hammer. Here’s what the manual says and what I was doing. With BP loaded pull the hammer back to the first stop and put the #11 cap on. Pull trigger back to the second stop. Release (pull) the rear trigger (now ready to fire using the hair set front trigger. This worked just fine. After setting the trigger to the first stop and adding the cap I was pulling the trigger to the second stop and it slipped off my finger. The trigger jumped forward and skipped the mid way stop and off went the gun. Well I was dam glad I had it safely pointed down range. Nearly crapped my pants. I tried to repeat this several times and it jumped to the full closed hammer position each time. Do all double triggers do this?

Safety rule # 1 always point the muzzle in a safe direction saved my but!!!! More stories later.
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Old 06-01-2004, 12:20 PM
  #2  
Nontypical Buck
 
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Kerrville, Tx. USA
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Default RE: Weekend near tragedy

I don't know if mine does that or not, I will have to get it out and try it.

Glad you practice good gun safety!
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Old 06-01-2004, 02:58 PM
  #3  
Dominant Buck
 
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Default RE: Weekend near tragedy

All I can tell you is how I work my double triggers. Next time cock the hammer all the way back. Then cap the nipple. Now the back trigger or rear trigger is the set trigger. Pull that all the way back and you will hear or feel it set. Now the rifle is fully cocked and the triggers are on. You touch the front trigger that rifle is going to fire.

If you want to cock the rifle with out making any noise, here is how mine works Pull the front trigger back. Now cock the hammer all the way back while holding the front trigger. When you believe you have the hammer fully cocked, release the front trigger and gently ease the hammer forward. It should catch in the full cock. Now if you pull the back trigger you have engaged the hair trigger of the rifle. You are ready to fire.

The only time I use the half cock feature of the rifle is to cap the nipple sometimes, or when stalking around the woods.
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Old 06-02-2004, 03:37 AM
  #4  
Typical Buck
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Default RE: Weekend near tragedy

Thanks guys good info. Went to Traditions shop yesterday and tried a few off the wall double trigger BPs and they did not skip the 1/2 cock so its an adjustment problem.
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Old 06-07-2004, 12:21 PM
  #5  
Giant Nontypical
 
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Default RE: Weekend near tragedy

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!
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Old 06-08-2004, 08:12 AM
  #6  
Nontypical Buck
 
Join Date: Mar 2004
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Default RE: Weekend near tragedy

I had a T/C renegade with double triggers. I always cocked it fully before using the set trigger. Never tried to set the trigger with the hammer at half cock. Don't know why you'd want or need to. Can't say if that lock would allow the hammer all the way back down past halfcock after setting the trigger, and then relaeasing the hammer while trying to fully cock the hammer. Got rid of that gun, and got a Renegade with a single trigger and larger trigger guard when they first came out back in 1989. I know that this gun will not allow the hammer to contact the nipple if the hammer is released between half and full cock.
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Old 06-09-2004, 03:38 AM
  #7  
Typical Buck
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Default RE: Weekend near tragedy

Hay Uncle, guess I wasn't clear, I had half cocked the hammer to insert the #11 cap as recommended in the instructions and the hammer slipped off my finger on the way to the full cock, never touched either trigger. Thanks for the input. Phil
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Old 06-09-2004, 10:00 AM
  #8  
Nontypical Buck
 
Join Date: Mar 2004
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Default RE: Weekend near tragedy

Well, that is BAD. Once you pull the hammer beyond half-cock, it should not fall down past half-cock if the hammer should slip. I guess i would try to get it to happen again, and if it does I would see if there isn't something wrong in the lock, like a bunch of rust or mayeb a broken part. If the lock is working "right" I guess you know you have a rifle with no real half-cock as far as safety goes. I'd still use it if I liked the gun, but I would be super careful.
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Old 06-10-2004, 04:11 AM
  #9  
Typical Buck
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Default RE: Weekend near tragedy

Uncle, I can get it to repeat if I drop the hammer just before it clicks into the second position. I full cock it before putting the cap on now and it seems to be an ok way to do business. The double trigger is a pretty good safety since the set trigger needs a lot of pressure to set the firing trigger. By the way I did go to Traditions and told them the problem and they were way to nonchalant about it. They said it probably needed an adjustment. Kind of strange that I went through three Traditions people in 10 minutes or so. at their show room, they kept disappearing. I did not bring the BP with me because I stop on the way home from work its 70 miles from home to Traditions and 20 miles the wrong way from work. At Nuc plants you can't even have a BP in your trunk!!! Thanks for the advice Phil
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Old 06-15-2004, 10:45 AM
  #10  
Nontypical Buck
 
Join Date: Mar 2004
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Default RE: Weekend near tragedy

If your gun is anything like mine, you can take the lock out with a screw or two. Will you run into trouble having just the lock in your posession?

I would get those folks to tell me whether it's right or not and if not I'd get them to fix it or replace it. Customer service is lacking these days, and I get real tired of MFRs that won't stand behind their products. Suing them sure does get their attention though. Maybe they're waiting for someone that is a little less careful than you were to have the same problem.
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