premise: go off half cocked Muzzleloaders , then as now , had a half cock , or safety position , for a gun 's hammer that partially back-locked the trigger mechanism so that the weapon could not be fired .
hypothesis: go off half cocked Muzzleloaders , then as now , had a half cock , or danger position , for a gun 's hammer that partially back-locked the trigger mechanism so that the weapon could not be fired .