Flagging PCC

[PA_USPSA]

I'm thinking about trying PCC.  I understand unload and show clear for a PCC.  Then hammer down and flag.  The thing is, when I pull the bolt back to put the flag in it cocks the hammer.  Is it acceptable to have the flag in with a cocked hammer?  I tried many different ways to put the flag in and every time the hammer ends up cocked.

[RJH]

5 minutes ago, PA_USPSA said:

I'm thinking about trying PCC.  I understand unload and show clear for a PCC.  Then hammer down and flag.  The thing is, when I pull the bolt back to put the flag in it cocks the hammer.  Is it acceptable to have the flag in with a cocked hammer?  I tried many different ways to put the flag in and every time the hammer ends up cocked.

 

 

Yes, the hammer will be cocked when you do that. The important part is that you drop the hammer on an empty chamber first to prove the chamber is empty, then insert the flag.

 

 

[IVC]

That's how it works - you pull the bolt back twice, once to show clear followed by closing it and pulling the trigger, then you pull it back to insert the flag. 

 

You can pull the trigger on the flagged PCC if you want, but the question is whether it's a good idea or not. If you do, the hammer will be resting at an angle against the back of the bolt because the bolt won't be in battery due to the flag. The falling hammer will also hit the bolt at this angle instead of hitting the firing pin. If you just keep the hammer cocked, there is no harm whatsoever because the springs weaken from contracting and expanding, not from being either contracted or expanded. Compare to magazine springs and endless discussions about whether it's acceptable to keep magazines loaded...

[barry]

The hammer will not fall when you pull the trigger on a flagged gun. The disconector de activates the trigger from the sear unless the bolt is fully in battery.

[PA_USPSA]

Thank you to everyone for the clarification.  After pulling the trigger on an empty chamber, I'll just pull the bolt back, put the flag in, and leave the hammer cocked.  I'm not worried about the hammer being cocked.

[Haywizzle]

Yep you got it now.

 

Although not necessary, I've seen some shooters flip on the safety on the second pull of the bolt while they are flagging. On the next stage, I like to dry fire at the start of making ready so I don't do this.

[IVC]

17 hours ago, barry said:

The hammer will not fall when you pull the trigger on a flagged gun. The disconector de activates the trigger from the sear unless the bolt is fully in battery.

I'm pretty sure all my AR-pattern rifles "fire" with the flag in. By "fire" I mean that the hammer drops, even if it doesn't actuate the firing pin. 
 

The design of the AR-15 is that the bolt must be fully forward (in battery, locked) before the angle of the hammer is such that it can reach the firing pin. But the hammer will drop when the trigger is pulled way before the bolt is in battery. 

[Blackstone45]

On 2/14/2024 at 10:11 AM, barry said:

The hammer will not fall when you pull the trigger on a flagged gun. The disconector de activates the trigger from the sear unless the bolt is fully in battery.

On an AR the hammer will fall even when the bolt is out of battery. This is how you decock a 22lr AR-15 without 'dry firing' it.

[rtkwe]

The goal of dry firing during the end of stage steps is to prove the gun is empty so it being recocked isn't really that big of a deal since there's proven there's no round in the gun AND you're putting a flag in that at the very least will keep the bolt and thus firing pin separated from the gun even if a round was somehow wedged in the gun at that point.