Single Lever Set Triggers on Southern Guns

[bluenoser]

In need of a little guidance.

Do mid 19th century Southern guns with single lever set triggers generally have a half cock notch?  If so, do they have a fly and how is the hammer lowered from half cock?
I have a Western NC rifle likely dating to the first quarter of the 20th century that has a single lever trigger and no half cock notch.  Have a project on the bench and particularly interested in Hampshire Co. VA (now WV) rifles dating about the mid 1800s. Lock was missing.
Any and all assistance would be most appreciated.

[Bob Roller]

What you described is a common type of American rifle. Trigger must be set before the lock which has only full cock or at rest on the nipple. Once in a while I got requests for this type of lock and triggers.The last trigger of this style I made went to Canada right after I joined this forum.The last Hawken cap lock I made was full cock or down and no half cock or fly.This style of trigger can be altered so it does not have to be set to allow the lock to be cocked because of  the single position tumbler.Few American rifles had sophisticated locks and triggers.Making the triggers with no milling machine was a job and required a lot of sawing and filing and today I would not try to make one of them.
Bob Roller

[bluenoser]

Thanks Bob.  I figured that was likely the case.  Time to fess up.  I fitted a lock having only a full cock notch and then set about second guessing myself.  Not too late to make a change.  The mainspring in the set trigger was also missing, so not a lot remained to indicate how it was set up.  I set it up so that the trigger does not have to be set before cocking.  That did not require any modification of remaining parts.