[DennisR]

It looks like Baldwin pulled back the hammer and then released it. I do not believe he would have had to pull the trigger to fire the gun.

[gundog]

At 2:20, Schneider tries to cock the hammer and loses it. The half-cocked sear catches it. I’m wondering if the hammer on the actual weapon is worn. Hollywood dummies could have been abusing it. And I wouldn’t trust this film’s “armorer” to catch it.

[TigersEye]

He absolutely had to pull the trigger to release the hammer. Here is a video with a good description of how a SAA works.

How Alec Baldwin's single action army revolver fired 6:25

But this comment left below that video is the best description of exactly how the trigger mechanism works with the hammer and what can and cannot happen.

Jim Ivy

I have been using single-action Colt recovers for over 60 years and have never had one fire unless I pulled the trigger. The hammer on this style of revolver has 4 positions: 1) un-cocked, 2) quarter- cock, 3) half-cock, and 4) full-cock.

In the un-cocked position, the firing pin is fully forward. If the revolver is dropped and if there is a cartridge beneath the firing pin, and if the revolver lands on the hammer, then the revolver could fire. That is why those who are familiar with this revolver will load only five cartridges. You always leave an empty chamber beneath the firing pin.

Quarter-cock is the "Safe" position. In quarter-cock the trigger sear engages a notch in the hammer. This notch has a hook that captures the trigger and prevents it from being pulled. The trigger cannot be pulled and the revolver cannot fire from the quarter-cock position. Again, if the revolver is dropped and lands upon the hammer, there is a slight possibility that the steel hook that captures the trigger could break and allow a cartridge beneath the chamber to fire. Another reason why intelligent people do not load a full six cartridges in this type of revolver.

Half-cock position, like quarter-cock, captures the trigger so that it cannot be pulled. Half-cock position allows the cylinder to be rotated for loading and unloading the weapon. In half-cock position the cylinder does not line up with the hammer. In half-cock position even dropping the revolver on it's hammer will not fire a cartridge because the quarter-cock notch would capture the hammer before the firing pin could hit the cartridge.

In full-cock position the trigger can be pulled and as long as the trigger is held back, the hammer will strike the cartridge and fire the revolver. However, the trigger must be pulled and held throughout the full length of the hammer fall. Otherwise, the half-cock notch will capture the hammer and not allow the revolver to fire. If the half-cock notch were to fail, then the quarter-cock notch would capture the hammer and the revolver would not fire.

If the hammer is released while it is between positions, and if the trigger has not been pulled, then the hammer will be captured before it can strike a cartridge and fire.

In short, there are only two possibilities: 1) The revolver mechanism had been altered to bypass the safety features that were built into the design and that have been working reliably for well over 150 years, or 2) Baldwin is not speaking the truth. Since the New Mexico authorities have the weapon, it should take no more than a few minutes to verify whether or not the revolver was in good working condition. If it is in good working condition, then Baldwin is for one reason or another not speaking the truth.

A few nights ago I tried every variation possible with my SAA and came to the same conclusions this guy did but he describes it better than I could.

[Celtic Conservative]

The hammer on the gun in question has to be pulled through 4 separate detents to be fully cocked. Then the trigger must be pulled. Now, if the individual holding it held the trigger back while pulling the hammer back to its final detent it will fire. However. Lets think about the number of affirmative actions that need to happen for this tragedy to have happened:

1. Somebody loaded the weapon with live ammo.

2. AB drew the weapon.

3. He pointed it at the Cinematographer.

4. He pulled the hammer back, while;

5. Simultaneously holding the trigger back.

Of all of those affirmative actions AB performed all of them except #1.

As he was the one holding the weapon, AB was responsible, whether he or somebody else loaded it for its condition. This was a preventable tragedy perpetrated by a man whose careless actions caused a tragedy.

CC

[.44 Special]

If he hadn’t pulled the trigger the hammer would have been cought by the half-cock notch. If he handn’t pulled the hammer back far enough to engage the half-cock notch the cylinder would not have indexed. Next?

[Cobra64]

You need some serious firearms instruction.