Cap Lock Hammer Face Treatment

[troutbum]

Hi again folks,

Am working on a Hawken build from a kit, and have been perusing some of the photos of Taylor's fine work for guidance, and noticed something that was done to the cap lock hammer in a few of his photos. 

There appears to be a notch cut out on the hammer face, at its front (see inside the red circle of the photo below):



Search of this forum and other interwebs didn't reveal a lot of information, but what I did find suggests that this notch is cut: 1) for personal safety, as this provide a path of least resistance for cap fragments & other material, away from the shooter's eye and face, and 2) facilitate cap removal after firing if the cap or remnants stick to the hammer.

Do I have that about right?  If so, I suppose there is typically only one notch cut in the hammer face, away from the shooter?

Thanks for any advice you guys can provide.

[Bob Roller]

You are correct in your ideas as to a vent in the cup of the hammer on a cap lock.I did it on all that I made and some were a "V" slot done with a 3 cornered file or a square one or even a half round cut with a small chainsaw file.I have had blown out caps sting my finger tips when shooting offhand and that is an attention getter ,
Bob Roller

[Daryl]

Like this.



Or this.

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

troutbum...you have the right idea.  The cup is perforated on the forward edge down to the inside flat face of the cup, to vent gases and cap fragments away from the shooter, and to make removal of the spent cap easier.
I start by deepening and enlarging the cup itself, and changing the angle of the cup's base flat if necessary to align perfectly with the nipple angle...the hammer must strike the cap at exactly ninety degrees.  This operation is done in a drill press with a specially ground drill bit.  Then the front of the cup is slit with a hacksaw, and followed up with needle files and a triangular file to finish the lower corners of the cup's lip.

[Daryl]

I might add, that checkering the hammer' spur is quite important as well. That will prevent or cure slippage problems.

[Bob Roller]

I might add, that checkering the hammer' spur is quite important as well. That will prevent or cure slippage problems.
[/quote

Not often found on the old booby trap locks seen on old American rifles.My favorite Hawken hammer was the one with a
deep concave radius for the thumb to get on and then a pattern of checkering on it as well.The fine mechanisms of the
English locks has been my choice since 1962 when I bought the semi military Whitworth from Farris while home on leave
from Ft,Meade.It had a "4 pin" Brazier lock that was superb.The last Hawken lock I made HAS the Low end mechanism
with a "full cock" or nothing and bridle with one screw and a pin at the top and temper colored springs.It is a good copy
of the Archie Peterson lock shown in Bob Woodfill's book on Hawken guns.
Bob Roller