curious

Question
I have a Browning Hi-Power (9mm).
I was re-assembling it after a field strip and the question occurred to me.
Why does this pistol have a half-cock?
Does it serve a purpose,or is it a relic of mechanical design?
I can not see it ever being needed.
In my opinion,your hammer is either cocked,or down.
Does the half-cock serve a purpose??

Answer
Hello Michael.

The half cock position was primarily intended as an additional safety feature. If your finger slipped while cocking the hammer back to the full cock position then the hammer would be caught in the half cock position instead of striking the firing pin which might result in an accidental discharge. On some guns such as single action revolvers the half cock position is also used to load and unload the firearm, often allowing the cylinder to turn freely without risk of the hammer falling on a loaded chamber.

Please note that on some guns the hammer may still be released from the half cock position by pulling the trigger or cycling the slide, and on older or defective guns the half cock position may not reliably stop the hammer from striking the firing pin, so it is generally not considered safe to carry a loaded firearm in half cocked mode.

Hope this helps.

Bob