The Evans does indeed have an external hammer. It is located under the action, just forward of the lever. See that thing that looks like the...ah, uh...equipment sack on a bull buffalo? The hammer isn't as prominent, but it is there. It can be lowered manually, one-handed, if you are careful. Whether there is an empty chamber can be determined with the action open. Whether the Evans is the "optimum" CAS rifle or not is up to the individual handloader and shooter!