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Intercepting Sear

A second sear, poised just behind a second notch in the hammer.

It is possible that when a cocked firearm is dropped or sharply jarred, a single sear could jump out of its notch and the hammer could fall, firing the gun accidentally. In this event, an intercepting sear would engage before the hammer could fall completely, preventing an accidental discharge. On a gun with intercepting sears, only by pulling the trigger are both sears moved out of the way simultaneously, allowing the gun to fire.

Go to the Hallowell & Co website for more info and more pictures.

Thanks for posting

That's a good visual representation of an intercepting sear arrangement. In effect giving a two stage trigger, the first stage lifting the intercepting sear clear ready for the release of the primary sear?
In this case it looks as if the first stage would be a reasonable 'length' of pull on the trigger?

They have an impeccable reputation, I only had them on a Browningm Superposed shotgun, I understand they produced a few of them but they were too expensive to build..

I loved them and wow! on a DG double they would be the berries, in that you could just pull either trigger twice and still have the solid soft option without selecting. I would cherish those triggers.

quote:

Originally posted by Atkinson:
They have an impeccable reputation, I only had them on a Browningm Superposed shotgun, I understand they produced a few of them but they were too expensive to build..

I loved them and wow! on a DG double they would be the berries, in that you could just pull either trigger twice and still have the solid soft option without selecting. I would cherish those triggers.

Ray;

I am having a bit difficulty understanding what you are saying your comment; mainly because I do not know if your comment is to the post just above your post or which one. Are you talking about having the pictured H&H style intercepting sears on a Browning superposed in the past, or are you speaking of something else such a different trigger design than typical on a superposed Browning? Please be kind enough to explain.

Regards;
Steve

quote:

Originally posted by eagle27:
That's a good visual representation of an intercepting sear arrangement. In effect giving a two stage trigger, the first stage lifting the intercepting sear clear ready for the release of the primary sear?
In this case it looks as if the first stage would be a reasonable 'length' of pull on the trigger?

Properly fitted intercepting sears on a double rifle is one of the best safeties one can have in case he slips and falls dropping his rifle. The rifle is far less likely to fire having two sears on each barrels tumbler. The intercepting sears acts like a second safety if the rifle is dropped after the thumb safety has been disengaged. When combined with the thumb safety the intercepting sear is a back up.

The intercepting sears are an expensive addition, but is well worth the cost to avoid any kind of accidental discharge other than a strumming D.D. The price of another's life far outweighs cost of the I-sears.

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I agree, Mac. IMHO intercepting sears, functioning unobtrusively and only if needed, are much more important than a 'stalking safety' - which might be forgotten in the heat of the moment.

I would not mind having both, of course, but wonder whether having the safety block without the intercepting sears could still see an accidental discharge if the piece is dropped.

quote:

The intercepting sears acts like a second safety if the rifle is dropped after the thumb safety has been disengaged.

Stalking game with the rifle safety OFF ??

An acquaintance of mine did that hunting elk in Colorado. Trying to sneak in (with the safety off and finger on the trigger) to see what was moving in front of him, he tripped and fell, his left hand slid to the muzzle, and when the rifle fired, the air from the muzzle brake lacerated his left hand badly. If he had not been hunting with a doctor friend, he might have bled to death.

My friend did many things wrong and lecturing him would do no good, so I wished him a fast recovery from surgery and never hunted with him again.

quote:

Originally posted by crshelton:

quote:

The intercepting sears acts like a second safety if the rifle is dropped after the thumb safety has been disengaged.

Stalking game with the rifle safety OFF ??

Forgive me! I may have a reading problem, but I simply fail to see in my quote above where I said anything about stalking with the safety in the off position. When one contacts his target it is a little hard to shoot him with the safety in the on position, but sometimes one must move a little to get a clear shot to clear an object in the bullets path to the vitals, and one step to one side or the other and step in a hole and down you go dropping the rifle. Even with the safety on dropping a double rifle or shotgun can cause the sear to disengage causing an accidental discharge. That is what was meant about the double with intercepting sears being a back-up to the safety. The rifle being dropped can cause a firing no matter whether you finger is in inside the trigger or in your pocket, safety or not.

I feel sorry for your friend, but what he did had nothing to do with my post. a Safety, on or off, one never puts his finger on the trigger till he has his sights on and is ready to shoot something!

We had a PH loose an arm because a client tried to jump a stream with the double loaded, and fell dropping the rifle which fired shooting the PHs arm completely off. If that rifle had had intercepting sears that might not have happened. but you are right the rifle should have been unloaded before jumping the stream. Still the I-sears maybe could have saved the mans arm.

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This is the Kersten version of the Anson and Deeley box lock, recognizable by the small screw head located just behind the fence on the left side of the action.







Some have interpreted this screw to indicate that an intercepting safety has been added to the lock, but that is not the case, as this diagram reveals. Instead the A&D sear had been relocated so that it pivots at the top and changes the geometry of the sear/hammer relationship, making it possible to achieve a lighter trigger pull without reducing the engagement of the sear.

If I were to walk around with the safety off, when the moment came for a shot I would be pushing on it, wondering why it wouldn't release.

quote:

Originally posted by sambarman338:
If I were to walk around with the safety off, when the moment came for a shot I would be pushing on it, wondering why it wouldn't release.

True! I have no idea why anyone would walk around with the safety catch in the fire position.

The case of the PH loosing his arm the double rifle was loaded with the safety in the ON position but the rifle did not have Intercepting sears. When the rifle was dropped it jarred the sear engagement loose firing one barrel of a 470NE double. If that rifle had intercepting sears they may have stopped the accidental discharge, saving the PHs arm!

That is what I meant by the intercepting sears being a back up for the manual safety.

However the biggest mistake the client made was not taking the cartridges out of the double before trying to jump the stream. If he had done that, nothing would have happened at all because if a hammerless double rifle is loaded it is cocked and can be fired by being dropped!

The two exceptions to this are the Kreighoff,or Blazer with the DE-COCKER system which actually relieves the tumbler springs. One of those two is not well designed but both do avoid a accidental discharge with the loaded rifle is de-cocked.
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quote:

Originally posted by xausa:
Instead the A&D sear had been relocated so that it pivots at the top and changes the geometry of the sear/hammer relationship, making it possible to achieve a lighter trigger pull without reducing the engagement of the sear.

This is how the HEYM intercepting sear is positioned. It pivots on a pin at the top of the action.

quote:

Originally posted by new_guy:

quote:

Originally posted by xausa:
Instead the A&D sear had been relocated so that it pivots at the top and changes the geometry of the sear/hammer relationship, making it possible to achieve a lighter trigger pull without reducing the engagement of the sear.

This is how the HEYM intercepting sear is positioned. It pivots on a pin at the top of the action.

Can you post a diagram of the HEYM intercepting sears as you described above?