There are some universal truths in this world; things everyone needs to know. Every adult should know how to change a tire, build a fire, stop bleeding, grill a steak, and unload a gun. Can you guess what we are going to talk about in this column?
Even people who don’t own firearms should know how to safely unload any firearm and should pass that information to their children. Teaching a person safe gun-handling skills ensures that if someone, anyone, comes across a firearm, that person can make the gun safe before figuring out what to do next. Let’s start with auto-loading pistols.
To unload and make an auto-loading pistol safe, start by removing the magazine. The magazine release on most modern auto-loading pistols is on the left side of the gripframe—very near where the trigger guard meets the gripframe. Typically it is a button or lever. Keeping the pistol pointed in a safe direction (usually down, but not at your feet or legs), press the magazine release and allow the magazine to fall into your other hand. Set it aside.
Some European pistols have the magazine release on the heel of the gripframe. These pistols have a sliding tab that latches over the base of the magazine. You will need to slide the tab to the rear to release the magazine. If you can’t find a magazine release button on the side of the frame or a latch on the heel of the frame, look closely at the trigger guard. Some pistols, notably the Walther PPS and H&K P30, have small levers that appear almost integral to the trigger guard. Press those levers straight down to release the magazine.
Continue to keep the gun pointed in a safe direction. With the magazine out, you have removed the ammunition supply, but there could still be a live round in the chamber. That round could fire if you pressed the trigger. To remove the round from the chamber, grab the rear of the slide and pull it briskly to the rear. Do this two or three times to ensure any round in the chamber is extracted and ejected. The pistol is now unloaded, but to ensure the gun is completely safe, you need to lock the slide to the rear. To do this you will have to retract the slide fully and manually press the slide lock upward into a notch on the slide of the slide. On pistols equipped with a slide lock, the lever will nearly always be on the left side of the frame. Pistols that are not equipped with a slide lock cannot be locked open.
Even after you have removed the magazine, ejected any live round from the chamber, and locked the slide to the rear, remember to keep the gun pointed in a safe direction. The gun is now completely unloaded and now you can secure it in a safe place.
Revolvers are little bit different, but you still have to remove the supply of ammunition. Remember to keep the revolver pointed in a safe direction. Most, but not all, modern defensive revolvers use swing-out cylinders. Typically the cylinder latch is on the left side of the revolver just behind the cylinder. Some latches need to be pushed forward. Some need to be pushed into the frame. Some need to be pulled back away from the cylinder.
With the latch disengaged, push on the right side of the cylinder to swing it out of the frame. With the cylinder open, point the muzzle upward and, if the unfired rounds don’t just fall out, press the ejector rod in the center of the cylinder to push the rounds out. Set the ammunition aside and leave the cylinder open. The revolver is now safe.
The instructions above are the basic elements for making the two most common types of defensive handguns safe. This is not a comprehensive set of instructions for every single type of pistol or revolver. These are the basics. Keep the muzzle pointed in a safe direction. Remove the source of ammunition. Ensure the chamber is clear. Leave the action open.
Now, share this information with everyone. It could save a life.
