Winchester Repeating Arms 1885 Centerfire - Manual (Page 13)

O PERATION OF THE H AMMER
Like most lever action rifles with exposed hammers,
the Winchester Model 1885 does not have a separate
manual safety. The exposed hammer is an excellent
indicator of the status of the rifle. The hammer has
three positions: full cock, half cock, and dropped
or fired.
F ULL COCK POSITION —
The hammer is all the way to the rear (Figure 4). At
this point, any pull or tug on the trigger will force the
hammer to fall, firing the rifle.The hammer can be
placed in this position in either of two ways. First,
every time the lever is cycled lever linkage will leave
the hammer in the full cock position. The hammer
may also be placed at full cock by manually moving
it rearward with the thumb until it engages the full
cock notch. Be sure to keep your finger off the trigger
while cocking the hammer.
H ALF COCK POSITION —
The half cock notch on the hammer is a safety
feature designed to protect against accidental
discharge of the rifle in the event the hammer slips
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F I G U R E 4
Full Cock (fire) position
of the hammer
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