Gun Digest's Defensive Handgun Loading eShort. David Fessenden

      

      Contents

       Cover

       Defensive Handgun Loading

       Copyright

      These techniques involve the physical act of altering the status of a particular weapon. Unloading and loading start and end with a chamber check – without fail!

       Unloading

       Semiautomatics

       Thumb safety off. Thumb back the hammer.

       Put the safety on and remove the magazine and place it in an empty pocket.

       If a round is in the chamber, put the safety off, muzzle pointed downrange. Holding the weapon in your firing-side hand, rotate it 90° to the horizontal, form a large cup with your palm of your support-side hand and place it over the ejection port.

       With the muzzle facing downrange, elevate it slightly and press the slide slowly to the rear and let the ejected round fall into your hand. Stow the round in a pocket and perform another chamber check. Put the safety on.

       Revolvers

       Simply perform the standard chamber check procedure and press back on the ejector rod to unload all the chambers in the cylinder.

       Loading

       Semiautomatics

       “Wedge” chamber check method.

       Safety on. Insert a fully loaded magazine.

       Safety off. Rack the slide briskly to the rear with your support-side hand, release it and let it go forward under it own spring tension.

       Your support-side hand should make contact with your firing-side shoulder to ensure that you have released the slide completely and have not eased it forward. Easing the slide forward with the support-side hand may induce a malfunction.

       Perform another chamber check with the safety off. Then safety on and either holster your weapon or stand by at the ready position.

       Revolvers

       Perform the standard chamber check, leaving the cylinder in the open position. Use a speed loader or load individual rounds into each chamber.

       Check to be sure all chambers are full

       and close the cylinder.

       BONUS: Legal Considerations

       Formerly affiliated with Lethal Force Institute and now director of the Massad Ayoob Group, best-selling author Massad Ayoob is an expert in handguns, defensive handgunning techniques and the justifiable use of force.