A cocking knob was pulled until cocked. This gun was cocked with external cocking levers on the side of the breech. When the trigger is pulled, the striker is fully cocked and released, firing the pistol. The new safety could be engaged both when the rifle was cocked and uncocked. The shooting started when Billy Clanton and Frank McLaury cocked their pistols. This gun automatically cocked itself when the breech was closed. As the trigger is pulled, the firing pin is then fully cocked. The tail is cocked and pointed towards the head. The hammer is cocked when the breech is opened. The firing mechanism is manually cocked by raising the rear sight. The hammer still had to be cocked manually before each shot. Its hammer is cocked six times, although its trigger is pulled only five times. To load this weapon the hammer is cocked. To fire again, the hammer must be manually cocked again. A simple safety could be engaged while the bolt was in the rearwards (cocked) position.