No half cock safety on Win 94

Hardcase · August 11, 2009, 09:46 PM

So after swapping levers between my two 94s, I now notice that the half cock safety on the carbine does not work. There's no click and no mechanical feel as the hammer passes the half cock point. I cannot lower the hammer to half cock, either - it's full cock or on the firing pin.

To be honest, I'm not sure if it would half cock before swapping the levers, so I'm not sure if it's something that I did or something that happened between 1974 and now.

I'm not intimately familiar with the innards of the rifle, at least not the trigger and hammer. I feel comfortable taking the rifle apart, but I'm not exactly sure what to look for. Does anybody have a suggestion or is this one of those things that would be better handled by a gunsmith?

drail · August 12, 2009, 05:40 AM

Newer 94s use a rebounding firing pin in the breech block and there is no half cock on the hammer. Is there a safety button on the receiver? Personally I would not trust carrying any weapon on half cock. Most designs with a half cock notch were intended to catch the hammer when manually lowered in case your thumb slips off of it. It really isn't a safety for carrying the weapon when loaded. I would carry with the hammer down and not chamber a round until you want to fire.

Hardcase · August 12, 2009, 08:46 AM

This one was made before all the lawyering up. It does not have a rebounding hammer or crossbolt safety. I'm with you on the "safety-ness" of the hammer safety, but my concern is that the rifle is not doing something that it should be doing.

I've taken it apart before, so I guess I can take it apart again. If nothing obvious shows up, I'll just take it to the gunsmith. Lord knows, he can use the business!

drail · August 12, 2009, 07:33 PM

Awright din. Changing out the lever shouldn't have had any effect on the hammer operation. I have two of the Trappers with the stupid cross bolt safety. Didn't take me long to eliminate that feature. I sure do love them Winchester lever guns. Don't get more American than that. Enjoy!

James K · August 12, 2009, 11:51 PM

In spite of "modern" thinking, the half cock WAS intended to be the safety on that rifle and on every other hammer gun Browning ever designed until the Army made him put a thumb safety on what became the Model 1911. He had put safeties on hammerless/concealed hammer guns, but if there was a hammer, JMB figured the half cock was good enough. That it would stop a hammer that fell off the full cock notch was nice, but incidental.

Jim

Hardcase · August 24, 2009, 09:47 PM

Found the problem. The sear is loaded with a flat wire spring against the hammer. That spring slipped a little, so the sear was not properly engaging the hammer. Also, it looks like the sear is worn a bit, so it probably needs to be replaced. That's a project for another day.

August 11, 2009, 09:46 PM	#1
Hardcase Senior Member Join Date: April 14, 2009 Location: Sunny Southern Idaho Posts: 1,909	No half cock safety on Win 94 So after swapping levers between my two 94s, I now notice that the half cock safety on the carbine does not work. There's no click and no mechanical feel as the hammer passes the half cock point. I cannot lower the hammer to half cock, either - it's full cock or on the firing pin. To be honest, I'm not sure if it would half cock before swapping the levers, so I'm not sure if it's something that I did or something that happened between 1974 and now. I'm not intimately familiar with the innards of the rifle, at least not the trigger and hammer. I feel comfortable taking the rifle apart, but I'm not exactly sure what to look for. Does anybody have a suggestion or is this one of those things that would be better handled by a gunsmith? __________________ Well we don't rent pigs and I figure it's better to say it right out front because a man that does like to rent pigs is... he's hard to stop - Gus McCrae

August 12, 2009, 08:46 AM	#3
Hardcase Senior Member Join Date: April 14, 2009 Location: Sunny Southern Idaho Posts: 1,909	This one was made before all the lawyering up. It does not have a rebounding hammer or crossbolt safety. I'm with you on the "safety-ness" of the hammer safety, but my concern is that the rifle is not doing something that it should be doing. I've taken it apart before, so I guess I can take it apart again. If nothing obvious shows up, I'll just take it to the gunsmith. Lord knows, he can use the business! __________________ Well we don't rent pigs and I figure it's better to say it right out front because a man that does like to rent pigs is... he's hard to stop - Gus McCrae

August 24, 2009, 09:47 PM	#6
Hardcase Senior Member Join Date: April 14, 2009 Location: Sunny Southern Idaho Posts: 1,909	Found the problem. The sear is loaded with a flat wire spring against the hammer. That spring slipped a little, so the sear was not properly engaging the hammer. Also, it looks like the sear is worn a bit, so it probably needs to be replaced. That's a project for another day. __________________ Well we don't rent pigs and I figure it's better to say it right out front because a man that does like to rent pigs is... he's hard to stop - Gus McCrae

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August 12, 2009, 05:40 AM	#2
drail Junior member Join Date: February 2, 2008 Posts: 3,150	Newer 94s use a rebounding firing pin in the breech block and there is no half cock on the hammer. Is there a safety button on the receiver? Personally I would not trust carrying any weapon on half cock. Most designs with a half cock notch were intended to catch the hammer when manually lowered in case your thumb slips off of it. It really isn't a safety for carrying the weapon when loaded. I would carry with the hammer down and not chamber a round until you want to fire.

August 12, 2009, 07:33 PM	#4
drail Junior member Join Date: February 2, 2008 Posts: 3,150	Awright din. Changing out the lever shouldn't have had any effect on the hammer operation. I have two of the Trappers with the stupid cross bolt safety. Didn't take me long to eliminate that feature. I sure do love them Winchester lever guns. Don't get more American than that. Enjoy!

August 12, 2009, 11:51 PM	#5
James K Member In Memoriam Join Date: March 17, 1999 Posts: 24,383	In spite of "modern" thinking, the half cock WAS intended to be the safety on that rifle and on every other hammer gun Browning ever designed until the Army made him put a thumb safety on what became the Model 1911. He had put safeties on hammerless/concealed hammer guns, but if there was a hammer, JMB figured the half cock was good enough. That it would stop a hammer that fell off the full cock notch was nice, but incidental. Jim