Pushing the lever down or forward will allow you to open the action. By doing so, the cartridge case is being extracted from the chamber and therefore ejects it. To unload your lever action rifle, push the lever down and forward continuously until there are no more cartridges being ejected. To ensure your lever action rifle is unloaded, which can be hard to determine, visually check the magazine and chamber for cartridges. To ensure safety when using your lever action rifle, keep your hands clear form the trigger when working then lever action, and always be cautious of models that feature an exposed hammer.