does not matter. he pointed a loaded weapon and it discharged under his control.
G-D HANDS YOU A FIREARM AND SWEARS TO YOU IT IS UNLOADED AND PERFECTLY SAFE. YOU IMMEDIATELY POINT THE MUZZLE IN A SAFE DIRECTION AND CONFIRM FOR YOURSELF THAT THE FIREARM IS UNLOADED AND SAFE. FAIL TO DO SO, INJURE OR KILL SOMEONE AS A RESULT, AND IT IS SOLELY YOUR FAULT! NOT THE FAULT OF THE FIREARM IN ANY WAY, NOR ANYTHING ELSE IN THIS WORLD!
AFTER YOU HAVE CONFIRMED THAT THE FIREARM IS EMPTY YOU PUT IT ON A TABLE, ASK G-D TO MAKE SURE NOBODY TOUCHES IT, GO TO THE TOILET, AND COME BACK.
THE VERY FIRST THING YOU DO IS CHECK THAT FIREARM AGAIN REGARDLESS THAT G-D TELLS YOU IT HASN’T BEEN TOUCHED!
IF YOU HAND G-D THE FIREARM AND SAY “HERE, IT’S EMPTY AND SAFE,” G-D, WHO KNOWS EVERYTHING!, WILL POINT THE MUZZLE IN A SAFE DIRECTION AND CONFIRM THAT FOR HIMSELF! ‘CAUSE G-D IS NOT AN ARROGANT A$$HOLE!
REGARDLESS OF THE MECHANICS AND FUNCTION OF THAT FIREARM ALEC BALDWIN IS SOLELY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE DEATH AND INJURY ON THAT SET. HIS DECLARATION THAT IT WAS NOT HIS FAULT ATTESTS TO THE PUTRID STATE OF HIS CHARACTER AND HIS ALLIGATOR TEARS CONFIRMS IT. HE’S AN ABOMINABLE ENTITY, SOULLESS AND AMORAL!
I HOPE HE’S MADE TO PAY IN FULL MEASURE.
DUH it’s the hammer dropping that makes it go boom!
Thus the term “Drop the hammer!”
Next, Baldwin will say “I didn’t think it had a clip in it, and it was not an assault rifle with 30 rounds so I thought it would be safe to play with it like a toy”
Bigger question:
How does one release the hammer without fingering the trigger?
On my revolvers (as well as my levers), you have to gently squeeze the trigger to ‘unlock’ the hammer and return it to ‘safety’ position.
Baldwin is stupid.
Which is precisely why it has been used for so long on firearms that require a lot of manual manipulation during the loading process. It dramatically reduces the potential for accidentally shooting yourself if you should bump the trigger while you're playing grab-ass with the gun.
This is where I point out that some "gunslingers" of the Old West would use a bit of bailing wire to keep the trigger permanently pulled against the back of the trigger guard to facilitate "fanning" the hammer. There's nothing preventing you drawing the gun and pulling the trigger in the customary fashion and fanning the hammer (which is actually more just pre-loading the trigger, because it can't move rearward when the hammer is still down), but the more devil-may-care short-circuited the process by wiring back the trigger, which also disabled the half-cock safety.
Baldwin admits he cocked the revolver. If by some act of divine intervention the hammer were to fall from the fully-cocked position, and if the trigger wasn't at that instant being pressed, the hammer should have caught on the half-cock.
It shouldn't have gone off.
I wouldn't expect Baldwin to know that's how they operate because it is an emblem of faith among those of his ilk to remain willfully ignorant of firearms, but he's damned himself with his own words.
Unless the gun is defective or was tampered with. And even if that were the case, he never should have touched the firearm without confirming whether it was loaded, nor should he have pointed it at something he didn't intend to destroy. And since he was handling this firearm in a professional capacity, that makes at the very least negligent.
That said, since this was a homicide I think it's safe to presume that the firearm is already is in police custody and their firearms expert already will have examined it. If there were a problem with the half-cock or the transfer bar (presuming there is one), we already would have heard of it.
Bottom line, unless something was found amiss with the revolver, Baldwin pointed a loaded gun at someone and pulled the trigger, period, end of story.
In reality, it depends on a lot of things, which many folks offering opinions never bother to specify. Is the revolver new or used? Who manufactured it? Is it in good repair, or worn, or possibly even broken? Does it contain any non-factory, or out-of-spec factory parts? Has a gunsmith ever modified or repaired the firearm, and was the gunsmith qualified to do so? Has the firearm always been used with factory ammo? If reloads were ever used, were they assembled based on published data? Is the ammunition being used appropriate? What's the 'round count' for the firearm? Etc., etc., etc.
Most of the opinions you see posted seem to based on the assumption that the firearm is either new, or used but in good repair. Why? Because those are the kind of firearms many gun owners have the most experience with.
Over the past several decades, I've encountered two firearms that would fire under certain circumstances, without the trigger being touched by the person holding the firearm. One was brand new, and the other was used, but seemingly in good repair. One of them was (coincidentally) a single action revolver...
“...possible, but improbable.” [referring to hammer fall without trigger pull] [budj, post 1]
“...the cowboys in the old movies used to just fan the hammer for rapid fire.” [KTM rider, post 3]
“Trigger must be pulled” [dirtymac, post 9]
“On a single action revolver if you have the trigger pulled back and you pull back the hammer and then release it the gun will fire....” [bruoz, post 11]
“Fanning ...trigger must be held back in the firing position
and many times the gun exploded” [dirtymac, post 14]
“...The half-cock sear notch was broken off of the trigger assembly (which can happen, and is the origin of the phrase ‘don’t go off half-cocked’)...” [one of three possibilities noted by Yo-Yo, post 14]
“...(1) He didn’t pull the hammer back far enough to engage the sear (lock) (2) A defective or worn sear might not hold the hammer. ...Gun parts, including safties, are mechanical devices, and can fail. ...” [Fido969, post 19]
Wouldn’t you have to pull the hammer back until it hits a ‘click’ that holds the hammer back?...” [SkyDancer, post 27]
“Have to pull the hammer all the way back for the cylinder to fully rotate to the next cartridge and go into full battery. The hammer won’t fall unless the trigger is pulled.” [Roklok, post 30]
“...I’ve also read where the trigger sear can get worn after use even if the “click” happens at half-cocked. ...” [A Navy Vet, post 37]
“Note the over-travel of the hammer under momentum, and that it returns to a spot slightly back from where it begins the cycle.” [gundog, post 52]
“...I have a single action Italian reproduction Colt 1851... If I pull the hammer back and release it prematurely then the cylinder DOES NOT ROLL BACK...” [central_va, post 57]
“...When in the half-cock position, pulling the trigger alone does exactly nothing except make your finger tired...If by some act of divine intervention the hammer were to fall from the fully-cocked position, and if the trigger wasn’t at that instant being pressed, the hammer should have caught on the half-cock...” [Paal Gulli, post 59]
We all need more information on metallurgy and parts fitting, and tolerances.
Colt’s Single Action Army (and most replicas) don’t have a separate sear. The upper tip of the trigger engages the full cock notch on the hammer directly. These parts are very small and delicate; subject to the great forces imposed by springs, they endure tremendous stresses and unless made of quality material, properly tempered and fitted, they can wear to the point of being unsafe. Many owners modify them to get “better” trigger pull feel without regard to safety.
The Single Action Army actually has three notches in the hammer: from first to last while thumbing back the hammer, they are: (1) safety, (2) loading, (3) full cock. 1 and 2 are undercut so the hammer must be manually moved to disengage: a natural consequence when one thumbs the hammer all the way to full cock. (the loading notch depresses the bolt so the cylinder can be manually rotated (forward) to load chambers).
If the hammer is allowed to fall from full cock, its momentum at impact can fracture the trigger tip if the trigger is not being pulled deliberately. It’s also possible to physically pull the trigger with enough force to break off the forward portion of the safety notch or the loading notch; the arm is not at all safe to use and results cannot be predicted.
I’ve repaired dozens of revolvers, single action and double action, made by many different firms. All cylinders can roll backwards if the parts are improperly fitted or worn beyond the point of safe use. Revolver timing is an art best learned from properly qualified and trained technicians.
Consult the late Elmer Keith’s book “Sixguns.” Among many other things, he wrote about slip-hammer single actions, used by some gunslingers and law enforcement personnel in the day. Triggers were removed and the hammer spurs were altered to allow the thumb of the gun-holding hand to hold back the hammer until firing was required. Improved reliability considerably.
Not sure where gundog obtained the link to the vid he posted in his Post 52. But it errs in depicting the Colt’s Single Action hammer movement. Rebound is not a design element and no P frame hammer rebounds unless improperly fitted or worn. Rebound is, however, a feature on numerous double action designs, from the late 19th century to the present day: Colt’s, S&W, the British Webley revolvers of international fame.
Worn half-cock notches were a real hazard before metallurgy improved. The lock parts on muskets issued during the American War of Independence would sometimes wear past the point of safe operation, reinforcing the truth of the phrase “going off half-cocked,” already known. General Washington issued written order that troops must use frizzen covers: small leather sleeves that cover the striking surface of the pan cover or frizzen. That way, if the sear or tumbler failed, or engaged improperly, the flint would hit the leather instead of sparking on hitting steel.
https://thegunfeed.com/cnn-definitively-proves-alec-baldwin-is-lying-about-not-pulling-the-trigger/
The headline on this page is being a bit optimistic. It doesn't "prove" Baldwin was lying but it does clearly demonstrate that his account ignores some indisputable facts, and that barring some (unexpected) discovery regarding the functionality of the firearm's safety provisions, Alec did it all by his lonesome.