I have a three lever VIS 35 that I have owned for many years. It does carry the proper German Waffenamt markings. It is a beautiful weapon that I enjoy shooting occasionally. Had it out today and there was a problem that I just can’t figure out.

The hammer drop safety works fine when the chamber is empty, however it will not engage and drop the hammer when a round is in the chamber. I have not fired it for quite some time, however it has always been meticulously cleaned after each outing, so it is not dirty. I have tried several brands of ammo and still the hammer drop feature will not work on a loaded chamber.

I seem to recall that I was able to lower the hammer safely on a loaded round, but now am not sure because it has been so long since I last fired the weapon.

Is the hammer drop designed to work on a loaded chamber? If so, any ideas as to why it will not work?

Thank you!