When hunting with a bolt action, I seldom have a round in the chamber until needed. A round can very quietly be put in the chamber.

However, my 1886 seems to be noisy when levering a round into the chamber .... I assume that's true for all varieties of lever guns by the nature of their actions.

Can I assume that a sound 1886 with a round chambered and on half-cock is "safe"? Opinions, please.

I have been hunting with lever actions for 45 years. I carry mine with a round in the chamber and on 1/2 cock. They are too noisy to cycle as you shoulder the rifle if you want the game unaware.
In one of Jeff Coopers books, he advocated an empty chamber and levering as the gun came to the shoulder. So, it is not an unherd of practice to me, just not practical.
I do open the lever and eject the chambered round to crawl under a fence or climb over a fence or cross water-- then close the action and put the round back in the tube.

Oh my, here we go again...



I've only hunted with my 1886 a couple of times. Each time I've carried mine with a round in the chamber while out hunting. Mine is the "new" version, made by Miroku, so it has the rebounding hammer and tang safety. As such it doesn't have a half-cock position.

To answer your question about the half-cock carry, that is what John Browning had in mind when he designed it. To be able to carry it with a round in the chamber.

What Slim said, plus one!

Rich

quote:

To answer your question about the half-cock carry, that is what John Browning had in mind when he designed it. To be able to carry it with a round in the chamber

To follow on that idea..which is correct btw.

From half cock (old) or on the new style hammer you can also avoid the click of the full cock, while being totally silent by pulling the trigger while your thumb pulls back the hammer.

Then let your hammer down on the sear at full cock. Totally silent when done right.

Take your unloaded rifle and play with it a bit and you find it easy with just a few minutes practice.

I carry my 86 while hunting with an empty chamber. As I get into a situation that I need one I slowly open it an load one into the top. I do this and there is almostly no noise. IfI need it RIGHT NOW then I rack it in.
You never knwo when your safty might not work, drop it on a hammer or jsut an O SH*T happens.
Out west or in Aferica it can be carried this way in a vehical and it is real fast to load.

Question? Don't the original Winchesters have a firing pin that protudes from the breech face when the hammer is down?

It appears the new Winchester clones have a spring loaded firing pin that is still behind the breach face it you modify the rebounding hammer to carry it hammer down. Much like the Browning system in a 1911 pistol.

If the firing pin does protrude on the earlier guns it might give me a 2nd thought using the half cock on the early Winchesters (Brownings?) as a safety with a loaded round in the chamber.

We want to know about AFTER you get out of the vehicle, we all carry empty in the Bakkie.

Rich

quote:

Question? Don't the original Winchesters have a firing pin that protudes from the breech face when the hammer is down?

Yes, I believe you are correct on this.