The cylinder was taken out by the hammer being at
half cock and the center axis pin removed.
Their single actions now have the traditional Colt action of opening the loading gate, putting the hammer on
half cock and rotating the cylinder.
The pistol must be carried on
half cock if the user chooses to carry a chamber loaded TT-33.
Its function is to keep the hammer off
half cock when the gun is being fired.
Especially notorious in this regard are the
half cock safeties on vintage type rifles and handguns like Winchester levers and single action revolvers.
But here, it went off at
half cock. Melanie Teall did her level best to achieve lift-off, but remained resolutely earthbound.
"They were playing at
half cock and it looked to me as if they were here for the beer.
To unload, again draw the hammer to
half cock and open the loading gate.
Having grown up shooting a Colt Single Action Army, to this day I cannot pick up a Ruger to load it without my muscle memory kicking in and automatically trying to put the hammer at
half cock.
The hammer has a
half cock notch which was popular and traditional on Colt single actions and first generation Ruger Hawks.
The safety does not block the slide, and it may be engaged with the hammer cocked, uncocked, or even at
half cock. There is no de cocking function.
And advocate Ron Watson, for Martin Barr, said that if they didn't get the chance to examine them, the case would "go off at
half cock".