Michigan Hunter Safety Course - Lever Action Firearms

Lever-Action Firearms

Lever Action: The lever-action firearm has a large metal lever located behind the trigger. This handle usually forms the trigger guard as well.

To open the action, push the lever downward and forward, which extracts the cartridge case from the chamber and ejects it. If a magazine holds extra cartridges, another is immediately ready to be loaded into the chamber.
It’s often difficult to tell if a lever-action firearm is loaded. To unload, push the lever downward and forward repeatedly until no more cartridges are ejected. To make sure it’s unloaded, visually check both the chamber and the magazine for additional cartridges.
Most models also have an exposed hammer, which can be dangerous.
Always use extra caution to keep your hands away from the trigger while working the lever action.