Winchester Repeating Arms 63 (Historic Manual) - Manual (Page 14)

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T O U NLOAD THE M AGAZINE
AND C HAMBER
ALWAYS KEEP THE MUZZLE OF YOUR
RIFLE POINTED IN A SAFE DIRECTION
WHEN LOADING OR UNLOADING YOUR
RIFLE.
Place the safety in the “ON SAFE” position. Lock
the action rearward by locking the operating sleeve
tip rearward.
With the muzzle pointed downward
withdraw the inside magazine tube from the rifle.
Then carefully tip the rifle muzzle up, buttstock
down, allowing the cartridges to slide out the outer
magazine tube into a suitable container. Replace the
inside magazine tube into the buttstock and lock in
place. Release the operating sleeve. Work the
action several times by pushing in and releasing the
operating sleeve to assure that there are no rounds
in the magazine, in the chamber or in the action
feed areas. Lock the action open again. Look into
the open action making sure there are no cartridges
in the action, and observe the empty chamber and
the magazine follower (see Figure 17).
Always unload your gun and lock the action rear-
ward when you have finished shooting, and before
sleeve tip until it unlocks. This will release the oper-
ating sleeve to travel fully forward and close the
action. There is only one position of the tip that the
sleeve will unlock — simply turn the operating
sleeve tip until you are in alignment with this posi-
tion and the operating sleeve will release forward.
There is a slight radius shape cut on one side of the
tip. When this is facing up, toward the barrel, the
operating sleeve is in the released position (see
Figure 16). If you turn the tip until it stops and the
operating sleeve does not release forward it is
because you have turned it until it encountered the
limiter. Simply turn the operating sleeve tip in the
opposite direction until the operating sleeve releases
and goes fully forward, at the same time closing the
action.
CAUTION: IF THE MAGAZINE IS LOADED,
RELEASING THE OPERATING SLEEVE
LOCKING MECHANISM WILL ALWAYS
MOVE A CARTRIDGE FROM THE MAGA-
ZINE INTO THE CHAMBER. WITH THE
SAFETY IN THE OFF SAFE POSITION AND
A ROUND IN THE CHAMBER YOUR RIFLE
CAN BE FIRED BY SIMPLY PULLING THE
TRIGGER.
F I G U R E 1 6
Operating sleeve in the released position.
Look into the action to make sure
there are no cartridges in the cham-
ber or feed mechanism.
F I G U R E 1 7
Make sure you can see the magazine follower.