Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Single Shots Decocking 1885 or 78

I acquired two 1885s and a 78 recently. All are scoped. When hunting I normally carry my Ruger No. 1 rifles loaded. I am concerned about the difficulty of decocking the 1885 or 78 when loaded, i.e. to put them on half cock. There is very little room between the scope tube or bell and the hammer. I don't think letting the hammer down can be done safely with a gloved hand. I could close the action using the lever and with the trigger pulled on the 1885's and then go to half cock but the 78 doesn't let the hammer down when you do that. I am thinking that the only safe way to hunt with one of these actions is to carry it with the action open and a shell in your hand. How do those of you who use these models hunt with them? Loaded or unloaded?

Unloaded. All of them.

If my arms are unloaded, then I'm not hunting. One option is a scope with more eye relief. I can run the hammer on this one while wearing boxing gloves.

In fairness, in the country I hunt, we generally have a lot of time.
I have not found an unloaded rifle to be even a small handicap.
When I was young and hunted blacktail in the brush with a 30-30, they were always loaded.

One thing I noticed about the 1885 and 78 hammer is how strong the spring is. My Win 94 is much easier to let down, and more so without the scope. The scout type scope would certainly help the issue, that is a thought to look into. I agree that walking around with an unloaded gun, while safe, doesn't do much for getting in a quick shot if you need to. Where I hunt you can run into places where you will have sufficient time to load and others where you better be ready when they get ready to get out of the timber.

Thanks for the comments. I am going to look into the scout scope like shown on the Marlin. That just looks like it would work well.

Fingerless gloves only with a scoped B78... Scoped, these rifles make you hyper aware during decocking. I know your concern all too well

I gave a close look at what you'd be gaining by going to a shorter scout style scope and don't think you'd be gaining all that much space. The only real thing you'd be gaining with the same exact scope would be the loss of the ocular focus lock ring and if you are running a variable, the power ring.

If I were to do this rifle again, I'd find one with a little more eye relief, longer main tube, fixed power, no ocular focus lock ring and move the scope back a half inch more so I only had to deal with the scope main tube directly over the hammer area.

On one of the rifles there is a Weaver 6x K6. It is set as far back as possible in the rings and there is only scope tube above the hammer. One of the others has a 6x Burris mini which is a small scope and the bell is right over the hammer even set as far back as it can go. The third one came with a 1 1/2-5 Leupold and is a little better as I can set it back quite a bit with the straight tube.

The scout scope with 9 1/2" of eye relief might work, although I have only shot a rifle with one of those scopes on it one time. Maybe, since most of the shots will be less than 200 yards its time to install a front blade and rear peep sight and get full access to the hammer.

I also thought about putting a hammer side extension on if it will fit. That would get it out from under the tube/bell perhaps.

Thanks for the thoughts, something to think about is always good.

Hammer extension will work, been useing one for years , no idea what brand as it came on gun, google it and you mite find one good luck jrh55

I uncock my BPCR without a glove. I release the hammer and make a conscious effort to get off the trigger quickly.

I guess one could lower the lever while it's cocked, unload, close the breech and then uncock. I've never done that, but seems like it would work.

DF

jrh55: re your hammer extension.

Is it on a M1885,a dn its clones or what?

I do not think an extension would work on the Miroku Brownings or Winchesters. On a whim, I examined my Browning .30-30 Hunter and Lo Wall. 223 as well my Winchester 1885 Limited Series 1885. From what I observed on those rifles, the hammer drops too far down into the action and action sides extend too far back to mount a hammer extension.

I did the same thing with my 78. It drops below the sides of the action too far to install a extension.

To hunt with it loaded but at half cock you could use the lever and pull the trigger as you close the action. Then move it to half cock. On the 1885 that would work. On the 78 it doesn't. The rifle stays cocked when you close an open action with the trigger pulled, on the one have at any rate.

Do my best to discribe it , first it's on an older model 78 243 Winchester, aprox. 1 and 1/16 long by 3/8 wide and 3/16 inch thick , slot milled on bottom the with of hammer, checkered on top with one hole drilled in center of hammer slot and matching hole in center of hammer that is tapped for what looks to be a scope base screw, then blued , it may be homemade but whoever did it was pretty good . don't know anything about posting pictures or have a camera to do it with, spend my money on guns and shooting and grand children goodluck jrh55

jrh: wish you could post a picture of it. Sounds like a usefull accessory.

jrh I would also like to see it. Since you stated you don't have a camera could you see if one of your friends would help you with it? I would appreciate seeing it.

i would also like to see that hammer extension. I think I can imagine how it could be done since it is screwed to the hammer, but it must be pretty thin since the shell has to come out over the hammer too.

One of the big differences between the 1885 and the 78 is the trigger mechanism. The 85 has what Browning called an inertial sear that makes it somewhat safer. The hammer has to be moving at high speed to make it past the half cock position. You cannot let the hammer down all the way to the firing pin.

The 78 doesn't have this feature and it is possible to completely mess up the function of the trigger if someone has played with the adjustments. The half cock position can disappear completely.

Jerry

Yup learned that the hard way - got in a new 1885
(my first) and in learning the ins and outs of it, thought
something was wrong with it because I couldn't bring the hammer to reach the firing pin no matter what I tried.

Then I remembered I had some primed brass sitting on the table, chambered one stuck it out the door and POP