How the hell do I load this nail gun?

Factual Questions
1

Okay, I can’t imagine this is so difficult. I have a Husky version of this gun here: http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/manuals.taf?f=form&ItemID=97525.

Pull the magazine lever, slide the magazine out. Fine, sure, no problem.

Drop brads or staples into the thing, and close the magazine.

Fire fire fire. Nothing happens.

Tilt the gun and feel (and hear) the staples slide to the back end of the magazine. There’s nothing holding or pushing the load to the front of the gun. My One+ nailer has a spring-loaded slide that pushes the contents of the magazine toward the front. This doesn’t.

Surely, I have to be doing something fundamentally wrong. What is it?

-Joe

2

The exploded parts diagram does show a spring-loaded feed slide in the nail channel. For whatever reason, it appears not be engaging in your unit. Is there some sort of release lever? The manual doesn’t mention such a thing but sometimes these little details get left out. It’s also possible the unit is defective.

3

Could there be a nail jammed in the guide channel? Take the front of the guide off and check that it’s clear. Be sure to remove the air supply first!

4

I had the Harbor Freight version. I seem to remember the whole casing over the nail channel slid back. For staples, you slid them over the rail, for nails you placed them on one side of the rail and closed the unit. It was possible to put the nails on the wrong side and the gun would not fire. Hope that helps.