77/97 de-cocking?

[forgeron]

Hi,
On a thread I read last night it seemed that the overall consensus was that you couldn't de-cock a 77 unless it was not functioning normally(I'll use uncock from now on, de-cock makes me think of Americans de-planing etc.)

I thought I read about this sequence on a different forum but I think I may have misunderstood instructions to reset the safety.

This worked on my 77 and 97 but it may not be safe on yours:

1.Safety must be on, if not pull back underlever to reset, and put underlever back up.
2.Pull trigger and hold down.
3.Open underlever all the way.
4.Release trigger-should now be floppy.
5.Hold underlever back as far as it will go and take up tension.
6. Still holding stock and underlever firmly, push in safety, spring will release, return underlever back into place.

I would say that I don't do this any more as a regular thing as- the first half of the sequence blocks the anti-bear trap slide against the trigger sear, I got the impression that my one did seem to get worn from doing this.
Also using the safety as a trigger takes more pressure than usual and makes it click fairly loudly- although this may be specific to my trigger, I have remade the sears and the shapes are no longer standard. ( the sequence still worked when the trigger unit was untouched)
However- there have been times when I really wanted to uncock rather than fire, and this has done it.

Does anybody else use this sequence an a regular basis- any long term problems / reasons not to do it found?

[roblade]

cant say i liek the idea of usoing the safty as a release.

the HW77 i had was probably an early model and there was no problem with releasing it using the trigger and returning the lever under control.

ROB

[GaraGun]

Sounds 'king dangerous to me! Even after reading it several times

I would suggest - not to be tried by novices maybe

[forgeron]

I agree- It sounds dangerous-even when I used to do it as a matter of course, I always used to wince.
I wasn't recomending it just wondering if anybody else had tried it. I did after all think I read this somewere, but it seems not to be the case.

[shrendi]

I always remove the beartrap and would rather keep hold of the lever at all times.

[chris ballard]

De cock mine all the time, no more dangerous than loading the thing (your hand should always be on the lever anyway).

Notsure if it's u/s or not, but its safer to de-cock then climb a gate rather than rely on that feindish device the safety catch

As I said on the other thread, it works, but whether its right or not

[Excypher]

do NOT like the idea of using the safety as the release, would put unneccisary strain on the trigger parts and the safety

if it wern't meant to be done, dont do it! if you want to decock do as shrendi says and remove the anti beartrap, all it does on the 97 is block the trigger, so just be sensible and youl be fine

[fullmetaljacket]

sounds potentially more injurious to a beloved wiehrauch that just loading a pellet and discharging it into a thick cushion or similarly quiet backstop...