Owner's Manual

14
LOADING AND FIRING THE THOMPSON
Practice this important aspect of firearm handling with an unloaded rifle until you
can perform each of the steps described below. This procedure begins with an
empty rifle with the magazine out.
1. Be certain the muzzle is pointed in a safe direction.
2. Before inserting the loaded magazine lock back the bolt according to the
instructions on page 9. Verify the chamber is empty and move the safety lever to
the “SAFE” position.
3. Insert the loaded magazine into the receiver and immediately draw the bolt
handle all the way to the rear and release it, allowing the bolt to snap forward under
full spring tension. A cartridge will be stripped from the magazine and chambered.
4. The rifle is now cocked and a loaded cartridge is in the chamber. Visually confirm
that the safety lever is in the “SAFE” position.
5. When you are ready to fire the rifle move the safety lever to the “FIRE” position.
Never touch the trigger until you are ready to fire. Always keep the safety lever in
the “SAFE” position until you are actually firing the firearm.
6. The rifle will fire one shot each time the trigger is pulled until the magazine is
empty. Each time the bolt is pushed rearward by the energy of the cartridge, a
spent case is ejected, the firearm is recocked and a new cartridge is chambered
from the magazine into the chamber.
7. Immediately following the firing of a shot if another shot is not to be fired at once,
put the safety lever in the “SAFE” position while the rifle is still pointing in a safe
direction down range. The safety lever should be moved to the “SAFE” position as
soon as firing is completed.
8. When the last cartridge in the magazine has been fired the bolt lock will remain
open when using stick magazines. The bolt will close on a drum magazine. Before
following the procedures on page 13 to remove the drum magazine manually pull
back on the bolt handle just enough to visually inspect the chamber to confirm it is
empty. Always confirm that no bullets remain in the opening of the drum magazine.
To Unload the Thompson
1. Always keep the muzzle pointed in a safe direction at all times and keep the
fingers outside the trigger guard.
WARNING: THE UNLOADING SEQUENCE MUST BE
FOLLOWED EXACTLY AS SPELLED OUT. FAILURE TO DO
SO CAN RESULT IN THE RIFLE’S CHAMBER BECOMING
UNINTENTIONALLY LOADED WITH A CARTRIDGE.