De cocking levers. Why ?

[daddyo]

I'd much rather have a decocker than a negligent discharge.

Not gonna touch that one with a ten-foot pole....

[daddyo]

To carry in Cond.2 hammer down on a chambered rd.

Speaking of negligent discharges... that's just one waiting to happen.

[daddyo]

Only when I'm playing with it.

[Reservoir Dog]

Are any de cockers known to fail?

Never heard of one failing, but it is a mechanical device, so there is always the possibility. However, since most modern pistols have some sort of firing pin block safety, even if the de-cocker did fail, it is highly unlikely that the pistol would discharge,

[DaveTN]

My ruger has a de cocker....im not use to it yet and it freaks me out when i use it wiith a round in the chamber. Are any de cockers known to fail?

Yes, any mechanical device can fail. The Walther PPK had a recall because the weapon may fire when the decocker was activated. Don’t fall into this “A gun can’t fire unless you pull trigger†non-sense. That’s why we always abide by safety rules. Guns have discharged when the slide was dropped, safeties have failed, they can blow up because they failed to completely go into battery, all kinds of things can happen. Yes, there are accidental discharges; they aren’t all negligent. Just make sure when you drop your slide, or activate your decocker, the weapon is pointed somewhere that it won’t do any damage if he goes off.

And then you have Bubba…. If he’s been in your gun or you are buying from him anything could happen.

[TMF]

Speaking of negligent discharges... that's just one waiting to happen.

Especially if that model 1911 doesn't have a firing pin safety.

[daddyo]

Are any de cockers known to fail?

I don't know of any instances personally, but when chambering a round in my Bersa Thunder UC9 and decocking, I make sure I'm not pointing my weapon at anything I'm not willing to destroy.

[Patton]

I did hear of a Sig P228 in the Army that wouldn't drop the hammer when the decocker was activated. Any mechanical device can fail.

[Guest Lester Weevils]

Odd hadn't thought about it before but via sheer accident I have several semi-auto pistols but only the beretta 92fs and cougar have a decock function, and they both use the same mechanism (well maybe not parts-substitution compatible but awfully close). The safety/decocker is one of the features I admire on that design. There must be some mechanical failure mode that could occasionally accidentally discharge on de-cock. But dang if I can figure out how that might happen. Rather foolproof, though murphy's law is quite ingenious. Additionally it is easy to see how the safety/decocker works without even poking into the innards of the gun. Which is a plus for a person of zero mechanical aptitude such as myself.

I'm still curious if anyone personally witnessed an accidental discharge caused by pulling the trigger and slowly dropping the hammer. Am morbidly curious how bad the slide messed up the guy's thumb or fingers when the slide came back (and forward again).

My Henry big boy .357 lever gun the hammer is cocked any time you work the lever and load a round. You have to manual-decock by pulling the trigger and slow-lower the hammer if you want to chamber a round but you don't plan to shoot right away. Then if the hammer is down on a round and you are ready to shoot you have to cock the rifle before firing just like a single-action revolver. Guess many lever guns work thataway?

The Henry literature says there is a firing pin block. So if you grasp the hammer, pull the trigger and let the hammer move slightly forward, then release the trigger to re-engage the firing pin block, then it "ought to be" relatively safe easing the hammer the rest of the way down because even if your finger slips off the hammer the firing pin block "should" prevent an accidental discharge. I usually put a fleshy tip of the thumb a little in front of the hammer so if it was to get away from me, a little bit of the thumb would keep the hammer from knocking the firing pin. Maybe there's a better way.

[TMF]

The safety/decocker is one of the features I admire on that design. There must be some mechanical failure mode that could occasionally accidentally discharge on de-cock. But dang if I can figure out how that might happen. Rather foolproof, though murphy's law is quite ingenious. Additionally it is easy to see how the safety/decocker works without even poking into the innards of the gun. Which is a plus for a person of zero mechanical aptitude such as myself.

I'm still curious if anyone personally witnessed an accidental discharge caused by pulling the trigger and slowly dropping the hammer. Am morbidly curious how bad the slide messed up the guy's thumb or fingers when the slide came back (and forward again).

I've activated the decocker on a 92F with a round chambered somewhere in the realm of 10,000 times, maybe more. Add on to that how many folks with the same weapon I've been on the range with doing the same kinda shooting.... I would say I've been around at least a quarter million decockings of Beretta 92's with no failure on the decocker. The only negligent discharge I've ever seen in that experience was someone who failed to decock and attempted to reholster his weapon, hitting the trigger while doing so.

I don't suppose you'll find to many people willing to admit having an ND while riding the hammer forward. I'm sure it happens quite a bit though. That's probably why those really smart people came up with the concept of a decocker.

[Patton]

I'm still curious if anyone personally witnessed an accidental discharge caused by pulling the trigger and slowly dropping the hammer. Am morbidly curious how bad the slide messed up the guy's thumb or fingers when the slide came back (and forward again).

My father did it on a DA Revolver when I was a kid. We heard someone at the door and my mom grabbed the revolver and pulled the hammer back. When Dad got home and scared the "stray dog" away he was riding the hammer forward and talking on the phone when it went bang.

[Guest motonut]

My Sigs (SP2022, SP2340, P6, P220 & P229) all have decockers and I love them for it. During each range session that I'm shooting one of the Sigs I test the function of the decocker (gun ponted downrange naturally). I've never had a problem with one of them.

I do like the Sigs......

Edited July 22, 2012 by motonut

[Guest boatme99]

Because after the first round it is too dangerous to ride the hammer forward with your thumb.

We have a winner!

How many people have been shot while "lowering the hammer"?

I love decockers-watch out on that CZ52 though!

[Guest Lester Weevils]

I've activated the decocker on a 92F with a round chambered somewhere in the realm of 10,000 times, maybe more. Add on to that how many folks with the same weapon I've been on the range with doing the same kinda shooting.... I would say I've been around at least a quarter million decockings of Beretta 92's with no failure on the decocker. The only negligent discharge I've ever seen in that experience was someone who failed to decock and attempted to reholster his weapon, hitting the trigger while doing so.

I don't suppose you'll find to many people willing to admit having an ND while riding the hammer forward. I'm sure it happens quite a bit though. That's probably why those really smart people came up with the concept of a decocker.

Thanks TMF. Sounds pretty reliable.

My father did it on a DA Revolver when I was a kid. We heard someone at the door and my mom grabbed the revolver and pulled the hammer back. When Dad got home and scared the "stray dog" away he was riding the hammer forward and talking on the phone when it went bang.

Thanks Patton. That would get yer attention. My two S&W DA revolvers are so close to a hair-trigger when cocked I'd never cock em until already aimed on target. Maybe they are not all like that. Didn't start shooting pistols til 15 years ago, but since then-- It is so common in the movies- Scenes where somebody cocks a revolver and sticks it in somebody's face. I guess such scenes are sposed to be scary, and they sure give me the willies after discovering you don't have to do much past touch the trigger to set em off in that state.

Not criticizing your mom. Its just a kewl story mainly because nobody got hurt.

[Oh Shoot]

...Thanks Patton. That would get yer attention. My two S&W DA revolvers are so close to a hair-trigger when cocked I'd never cock em until already aimed on target.

I'm sure I must have cocked a loaded revolver a time or three at ranges and decided not to fire it, but can't remember; at any rate, as long as you're pointed downrange on empty range, not much risk decocking it.

But I do well remember one time about a year ago, had just cleaned my (newer) Blackhawk here at home, loaded it up, spun the cylinder, and for some absurd reflex reason cocked it. Spooked me a bit instantly as I did it, and though I've one hand decocked it empty a bazillion times, I actually put my opposite thumb under hammer as I eased it down. Even though as soon as hammer starts down, if you've let off the trigger, the transfer bar mechanism wouldn't let it fire if hammer slipped and fell, it still seemed pretty scary here in the ole abode.

And yeah, I've generally had a .357 or .38 revo around all my adult life, and have often thought just how cavalierly the movies show these babies being bandied around cocked, whether in oaters or tec flicks.

Anyway, my Beretta 92 is only semi-auto I have with a hammer, am I'm quite pleased it has a decocker.

- OS

Edited July 28, 2012 by OhShoot

[Patton]

Not criticizing your mom. Its just a kewl story mainly because nobody got hurt.

She was a anti back then. A true liberal, she had never fired a gun that she could remember. Her father and uncle were in law enforcement but she hated guns. She honestly didn't know not to cock the hammer back.

She has reformed and is a concealed handgun carrying citizen in Alabama now. She rides motorcycles and drinks alcohol now to. I can't believe it's the same woman sometimes.

[Sam1]

I'd much rather have a decocker than a negligent discharge.

^ this