I have never worked out how you are supposed to cock these properly
, but I turn the pistol upside down across my left thigh and push on the frame with my right hand. They are a swine to cock and although well made, not a great design in my opinion.
My thoughts on the pistol shown are that maybe it has been modified for a child or woman with small hands. The extension to the frame would held keep the hand on the grips and my feeling about the notches on the right is that they are there to encourage the shooter to keep the trigger finger on there, fully extended, until the gun has been brought up to eyeline. It is something I tell first time shooters to do, so there are no accidental discharges, while they picking up the basics.