Winchester Repeating Arms 1886 (Historic Manual) - Manual (Page 19)

To place the safety (hammer stop) in the “off” posi-
tion:
Push
the safety fully forward, covering the “S”
inscribed on the rifle, and exposing the red warning
dot. When the red dot is visible below the safety it is
in the “off position (Refer again to Figure 7-B). The
safety can be actuated with the hammer in the
rebound or cocked position.
L
OWER
I
N
G THE HAMMER —
At any time the hammer can be cocked either manu-
ally or by cycling the finger lever fully. Unless shoot-
ing is imminent it is important to lower the hammer
immediately to the rebound position from the cocked
position. To do this:
1. MAKE SURE THE BARREL IS POINTED
IN A SAFE DIRECTION AND THAT THE
SAFETY (MANUAL HAMMER STOP) IS IN
THE “ON” POSITION.
2. Get
a stable grip on your rifle with your hand in
shooting position. Place your thumb on the hammer
and firmly
hold
the hammer back slightly with your
thumb.
3. While holding the hammer back, apply just
enough pressure on the trigger to release the hammer