I know very little about handguns and need some information for a story I’m writing. A person who’s knowledgeable about handguns comes across an unknown semi-automatic pistol. Keeping his finger away from the trigger and the gun pointed in a harmless direction, he removes the magazine and then checks the chamber for a bullet, ejecting it if one is present. Is this correct or would you normally set the safety first?
While I’m here, are there any other things about handguns that every enthusiast knows and does in real life but fiction virtually never gets right? Any personal pet peeves?
Not all pistols have a safety switch. Usually only those that are Double action/single action have it and the main reason to use it is when you need to carry the weapon in the holster with the hammer cocked.
So in the case you mention above there’s no need to use the safety switch.
Not all pistols have safeties. So no universal method for clearing a pistol would involve it as a first step.
Engaging the safety prevents some pistols from being cleared at all. So, again, clearing an unknown firearm would not involve fumbling with it.
Safeties are vastly different. If you’re clearing an unknown pistol quickly, better stick with things that are more familiar, like releasing the mag and checking the chamber. The magazine is released either from a button/swtich on the side of the grip or under the magwell, and the slide pretty much is always pulled back. Keep it Simple.
With many pistols, you can’t move the slide if the safety is engaged. Your character should eject the magazine, and then pull the slide back until it locks open, and check the chamber for a live round. The pistol should be pointed in a safe direction and without any fingers on the trigger. An empty chamber can be verified by putting a finger inside the chamber or looking to see if light can pass down the barrel and out the chamber.
I highlighted 57’s post, as there is a misconception there.
The slide locks 2 ways(on most pistols), by the follower of an empty magazine, or by the manipulation of the slide lock by the operator. some pistols do not lock the slide open when magazine becomes empty, (Ruger LCP, KelTec, Hi=point etc).
Before any pistol is picked up it should be inspected with a discerning eye looking for tel-tail signs as to its condition.
Upon picking it up with muzzle control 1st priority the magazine is removed.
Then the action is opened to inspect the chamber, looking for evidence of a cartridge.
Then the loading path is inspected, looking for anything still in the area a magazine would be. This step may very well find a magazine that was not removed as a 1st step.
Then, if desired slide could be locked open using the slide lock.
Your character is going to be well informed before the gun is even touched.
He inspects the chamber for a cartridge, or a round(as in a “round of ammunition”).
He will see brass from that end of the gun, If one is looking at a gun from the business end, “Muzzle” he may see a bullet witch is one component of the cartridge.
Picking it up with muzzle control involves, being conscious of where the muzzle is pointing with every step taken in clearing the firearm.
That is why I advocate inspection of chamber and loading path before any attempt to lock the slide open. Many pistols must be manipulated in such ways as the muzzle is pointed to the side for the thumb to reach the manual slide lock.
A loaded chamber indicator would be one, These are found on the top of a slide on some Kalifory legal pistols. Although the rule to treat all guns as if they are loaded is the best rule to always follow.
In the case of a single action simi-auto like a 1911, one would notice if the hammer is cocked or not. If its cocked is the safety in the safe position or the fire position?
Again treating all guns as loaded is the rule, but if you are asked later what condition the gun was in when you found it, you would be a much more creditable wittiness.
Case in point, When I responded to a home(EMT) we found an elderly man in the shower stall dead with a Winchester model 100 rife laying beside him along with 2 rounds or cartridges of 308win and an open knife on the shower floor. The rifle had a magazine in it and the safety was showing red indicating it was in the fire position.
The LEO there didn’t see the condition of the safety, and after I pointed it out and told him to apply the safety he was unable to do so. That told me that there would be a loaded cartridge in the chamber and this rifle misfired, and that this rifle was not repaired as there has been a recall on Winchester model 100’s for defective firing pins. This poor man actually attempted to take his life 3 times and the rifle didn’t fire!
This poor soul was suffering from COPD and had his nasal cannula still in place. The knife was probably his last attempt at taking his life but wasn’t needed.
The Rifle did have a loaded round in the chamber as I had told the LEO.
Now this story is to show how the outward signs will help to understand what happened and why the other rounds were on the floor.
Pick up the pistol, point it at a 45 degree angle down, in front of you, eject the magazine (keeping the pistol pointed in the same direction).
Once the magazine is ejected, rack/jack/pull the slide. Once you confirm that there is no cartridge in the chamber you tip the gun up another 45 degrees, so you can check the mag well and area bellow the chamber for obstructions.
With the slide still pulled back, you may need rotate the gun as much as 90 degrees to the left in order to give your thumb access to the Slide Catch, the slide catch is what holds the slide open if there isn’t an empty magazine in the gun.
I’m writing in Swedish, so the terminology thing is an entirely different ball of fish. Are there any other things I can drop to show to people in the know that this guy is in fact in the know?
Priceguy, to be completely accurate you should decide exactly what type of handgun your character has found (even if you never bother to include that information in the story). That may make a small difference in how it is handled.
Several people have mentioned locking the slide open, but not all handguns have a manual slide lock (such as my Sig 9mm).
There’s no way to lock the slide open? When I was a range safety officer, part of the drill after firing, and before going downrange to check/replace targets, was for everyone to lock the slide on their pistol open, and to open the cylinder on revolvers, and place them on the firing line table. I’d verify that before giving anyone permission to go downrange. I suppose you could put a pencil in the action.
Many ranges require the use of a Chamber Flag be used on all firearms on a firing line. This one in my link is what i use. This flag will work with all gauges and calibers. However I have found them to work better in .22 rim fire when I shorten them to about 2 inches and sand them down a bit.
I have received a discount on them when I use my MN Firearms Safety Instructor number.
