There are many times that you will need to perform this operation: When doing dry-firing training, when you start cleaning your firearm, when you hand the firearm to someone else or when you are packing your firearm away before you head home. Never practice loading and unloading with live ammunition! You can purchase “dummy” ammunition from sporting goods stores and guns shops.
Point the weapon in a safe direction with your finger outside the trigger guard: Do not point your weapon at a person or the walls. Do not point your weapon at anything you wouldn’t be willing to shoot if the weapon were loaded.
Keep your finger off the trigger!
Remove the magazine from your weapon: Press the magazine release and remove the magazine.
Set the magazine aside: Just because the magazine is set aside does not mean the pistol is unloaded. Ammunition may still be inside the chamber.
Lock the slide to the rear using the slide stop.
Visually inspect the magazine well and the chamber: Look to see there is no magazine and there is no cartridge in the chamber.
Use your index finger to check for a round in the chamber. Check the magazine well and the chamber. If there isn’t a round your weapon is cleared.
by Michael Kurcina
This post first appeared on Spotterup.com
