Can't seem to make the safety notch work

[PaducahMichael]

I've had varied success trying to park the hammer in the safety notch between cylinder chambers. Any old timers have advice to make this easier?

I have several Minis and seem to have a hard time with each of them from time to time.

Help?

[OV-1D]

 Just make sure its unloaded and keep your finger off the trigger when monkeying around , thats my advice , oh and keep trying .

[Javier C.]

I presume you will practice with an empty cylinder until this procedure becomes second nature.
When you load the cylinder into the frame, the hammer is at a "half-cock" position so that the ratchet pawl (small claw which rotates the cylinder) is retracted into the frame.
Set the cylinder in the frame and insert the retaining pin until clicked into position. 
Then, with the revolver pointed in a safe direction, hold the cylinder with one hand (not covering the barrel), while the other hand's thumb rests on the half-cocked hammer. 
Gently pull the hammer about 1/8 of an inch or slightly more, until the cylinder begins to rotate freely, moving it between two chambers and remaining there. 
The finger hovering over the trigger gently presses it, allowing the hammer to release and move forward with your thumb slowly letting it seat completely into the safety notch.
Remove your finger from the trigger, and your thumb from the hammer, and try to rotate the cylinder.
There should be some slight free-play in the movement from side to side, but stopping rotation without any of the chambers moving into alignment with the barrel.
That is all there is to it.
Best of luck.

[the hammer]

I noticed with mine ,I have to ever so slightly ease the hammer down with trigger depressed to ease into safety slot. Please practice with a empty cylinder and keep muzzle pointed in a safe direction, you know the drill follow all the rules.Hammer out

[boone123]

This might not be for everybody, but to get into the safty notch, I do it one handed pointed away from me. You can see the back of the cylinder and get the hammer into the notch between two chambers, and see from the back where its at.

[grayelky]

Javier covered it pretty well. Practice with an EMPTY gun. Any holes in your Big Screen are your responsibility.

If your cylinder has flutes, when your hammer is in a safety notch, you will have a flute visible from the top looking down, on each side of the top strap (the portion of the frame between the rear sight area and the area where the barrel goes into the frame).  When the hammer is on a cylinder, you will have smooth steel on either side of the top strap.

[PaducahMichael]

I can get it lined up right, but can't always get the hammer to seat properly. Guess I'll just keep on practicing!

[boone123]

Sometimes you have to rock the cylinder back and forth a bit with your thumb and index finger so the hammer drops in.

[glenn]

And some of them don't drop in very well at all ... and may even turn at the slightest nudge of the hammer.   These should be sent back to NAA and adjustments made.

[cfsharry]

Glenn May have a point. When it is in the notch how secure does it feel?

[Dinadan]

Paducah Michael - Since you say you have several minis it is not just one gun with a bad cylinder. I have no ideas that others have not suggested. If it is just a matter of concentration maybe if you loaded up a magnum cylinder when you practice, that may help you concentrate ... just kidding!!

[boone123]

Are you holding the trigger back far enough so the hammer is free to ease  into the notch with your thumb on it?
You DO have to hold the trigger back so the hammer is free to drop into the notch, you know.

[PaducahMichael]

Yes, Boone, I've got the hammer back far enough to clear and for the cylinder to rotate into position...but when I release the trigger it doesn't want to go "down" far enough to seat firmly. I dunno.

[OV-1D]

 Theres a problem with that piece Mike , send it in . Happy New Year also .

[Dinadan]

Okay, You do know that when the hammer is properly placed in the safety notch it requires a movement of a millimeter or less to release it? When the hammer is resting on an empty chamber it requires a movement of about six millimeters to release it. So the hammer is never going to be locked down in the safety notch like it is on an empty chamber. That is the exact reason that a few folks carry with the hammer on an empty chamber.

I decided to make this point since I am little uncertain about the nature of your problem.

[moonshinegrrl]

Well I am glad I am not alone, I read the instructions and practiced much got to were I could do it pretty good, then put it up for a while now I am back to can't do it again.

[PaducahMichael]

The nature of my problem was operator error.

I finally figured it out. Hard to put into words, but I wasn't holding my mouth right. Anyway, I think I've got it down now.

That's what my computer pals call an " I D ten t" problem. Makes more sense if you spell it this way: ID10T.

Thanks for all the help.

[Dinadan]

moonshinegrrl - welcome to the forum! If you have problems with or feel uncomfortable with the safety notch there is nothing at all wrong with carrying your mini with the hammer down on an empty chamber. That is how I carry mine. Yes I have only four rounds instead of five, but I am fine with that.

PM - glad to read that you got it figured out!

[heyjoe]

moonshine i think the problem  may well be that you arent holding the trigger back long enough when you are lowering the hammer into the notch. its not like a ruger vaquero where you release the trigger right away after you release the hammer to lower it. pull back the hammer to half cock, then pull it a little more to release the cylinder, line up the notch, watch the notch that the cylinder doesnt rotate, still holding the hammer back with your thumb then  release the trigger, hold it back while gently lowering the hammer until its in the notch. again just watch and make sure the cylinder doesnt move on you while you are doing it. you can hold it with the other hand if you like.
even after all these years i sometimes release the trigger too soon and  the hammer doesnt go all the way down into the notch. 

[grayelky]

Moonshine- WELCOME!

You have to hold the trigger down until the hammer is allllll the way down.

[RogueTS1]

Yes, Boone, I've got the hammer back far enough to clear and for the cylinder to rotate into position...but when I release the trigger it doesn't want to go "down" far enough to seat firmly. I dunno.

You have to keep the trigger pressed while dropping the hammer all the way into the safety notch or it will not seat all the way.

[shoe2]

I wrote a post on how I make the safety notch work on my mini, along with some pictures that may be helpful.

Do a search for Shoe2, and look for a post on September 7, 2013

Shoe2

[Kensterfly]

I posted a similar issue in another thread.  Didn't see this one.  I have the same problem.  No matter how I try I cannot get the hammer into the detent.   My convertible was purchased around 1986 or so.  Is it possible that the safety wasn't the same back then.  I tried to call NAA Thursday but they were already closed for the weekend. 

Anyway, what is real danger here?  It's not too likely someone would accidently pull the hammer all the way back is it?  Is the gun likely to fire if the hammper just taps a round?  No one worries about that with other revolvers, like my Smith .38s.

Not being argumentative, just trying to learn.

Thanks!

[Dinadan]

Kensterfly - I think that the primary danger is that if the hammer is on a live round and you should drop the gun and it lands hammer first. Unlikely it would land that way but possible. My feeling is that if you are not satisfied that the hammer is safely in the safety notch, you should probably carry the Mini with the hammer down on an empty chamber. You sacrifice one round that way but in my opinion that is a decent trade off. I have no problem seating the hammer in the safety notch, but I still carry on an empty chamber because it takes a lot more movement to get the hammer off of an empty chamber than it does out of the safety notch.

[Javier C.]

Yes, Boone, I've got the hammer back far enough to clear and for the cylinder to rotate into position...but when I release the trigger it doesn't want to go "down" far enough to seat firmly. I dunno.

Michael, when you hold the trigger as your thumb slowly lets the hammer forward, you do not release the trigger first, but the hammer after it stops moving forward.  As you lightly try rotating the cylinder, while still depressing the trigger, you should find that slight free-play movement which stops when the notch comes against the side of the hammer's firing pin.  Then you can release the trigger, knowing the hammer has fully seated.  A visual inspection should show the hammer face fully in contact with the frame (no gap visible), while the chambers are not aligned with the barrel.  If the hammer won't seat all the way while depressing the trigger, then you have a potential malfunction and need ship it back to NAA.  Let the company check it out.

[OV-1D]

  Michael you gotta find it on your own now .

[boone123]

When your trying to get the hammer into the safty notch, and the hammer is down on the cylinder, rock the cylinder back and forth with the other hand till the hammer drops into the notch. Keep that hand behind the front of the cylinder, and the gun pointed in a safe direction. Gun empty till you learn. I mostly do mine with one hand. You can see the back of the cylinder and by looking at the chambers see when notch is about lined up.
Take the cylinder out of the gun and drop the hammer down, and then look inside the cylinder window and you will see the firing pin poking through. Thats what has to fit in the notch.. Line things up.