Manual

11
The safety is held in its “on” or “off” position by a plunger that is under spring
tension. When the safety is moved to either the “on” or “off” position, a distinct
“click” should be heard. Frequently check the position of the safety to be certain
the safety has not been inadvertently moved. If the safety seems to move too
easily, or if the click is not heard when the safety is moved, stop using the rifle
and return it to the Newport Service Department for repair (See p. 29).
OPERATION OF LEVER
TO OPEN AND CLOSE BOLT
The RUGER
®
MODEL NINETY-SIX is a lever-action rifle.
The bolt is operated by manually lowering and raising the lever located
underneath the pistol grip of the stock. It should be operated briskly and fully in
order to minimize the possibility of improper feeding, extraction, and ejection of
cartridges, but it need not be “slammed” open or shut. The rifle normally will
not fire unless the lever is fully shut; nevertheless, you should still take care to
operate it correctly to its fully open and fully shut positions to properly actuate
the bolt.
The lever should be fully lowered to open the bolt for inspection immediately
upon picking up the rifle. When the bolt is fully open, the rifle is in the correct
condition for inspection of the chamber, cleaning, etc. Do not close the lever
unless the rifle is pointed in a safe direction or you are ready to fire.
Lower Lever To Open Bolt Shut Lever To Close Bolt
Cocking Indicator: When the lever is operated, the internal hammer is
automatically cocked by the action of the bolt moving rearward. A small brass-
colored pin will rise up and protrude about 1/16” above the rear of the rifle’s
receiver whenever the internal hammer is cocked. This pin only indicates
whether the hammer is cocked and does not indicate if a cartridge or fired case
is in the chamber. If the the rifle is cocked and the bolt is closed, you must
assume a cartridge is in the chamber! This is because a cartridge cannot be
loaded into the chamber unless the bolt is first opened, thereby cocking the
hammer. However, never assume that if the cocking indicator does not protrude
the chamber is empty -- the cocking indicator, like any mechanical device, might
malfunction, or a misfire may have occurred. Always operate the lever and
visually check to be sure whether a cartridge is in the chamber. Closing the lever
will chamber a cartridge if one is in the magazine, or ready the rifle for firing if a
cartridge has been manually inserted into the chamber (see “To Load and Fire”,
pp. 14 - 17).