Manual

floorplate into place until retained by the magazine latch. If a round has

already been placed into the chamber with the action open, a round may

be chambered by depressing the bolt release lever and allowing the bolt

to slam closed. If the action is closed, a round may be loaded into the

chamber by pulling the operating handle rearward and releasing it.

Once a round has been chambered, the magazine floorplate unit may

again be opened at any time desired for refilling to capacity.

LOADING A CARTRIDGE INTO THE CHAMBER

If it is desired to load a round into the chamber prior to loading the

magazine, the following steps should be taken. First, be sure the

“safety” is in the “on safe” position. Hold the gun on its side with the

barrel pointing in a safe direction with either hand at the rear of the

forearm, as described earlier. With the rifle held in this position the

ejection port in the receiver should be facing up. Next, with the

magazine floorplate open and the bolt locked open, insert one round

into the ejection port, allowing it to drop completely into the

chamber. Then, close the bolt by depressing the bolt release lever. The

bolt should be allowed to slam closed from its open position. If the

bolt is not allowed to close in this manner, there is the possibility that

it will not close completely, in which event the rifle will not fire.

It is safer to hunt with an empty chamber until in the presence of game.

In this situation, quietness in chambering a cartridge is sometimes of

prime importance. To accomplish this, cycle the action slowly and quietly

by pulling the operating handle to its full rearward position and releasing

it while keeping the operating handle controlled, making sure the bolt

closes completely. To verify

the bolt is closed completely,

make sure the operating

handle is in front of the red

bolt forward indicator dot

located on the receiver near

the ejection port (Figure 6).

You may want to first practice

this with an empty chamber.

FIGURE 6

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