westerner wrote on Dec 27^th, 2016 at 9:46am:


The best reason why, for a match rifle anyway, is that it can be used as a "decocking" lever.
This allows a shooter to have his rifle loaded while getting into position to shoot and then cocking the rifle once settled in.
Can this Ruger be decocked with the external hammer?

Most George Gibbs match rifles were built this way although only the very early examples looked like a hammer.  They have no other safety mechanism other than the decock.

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