Emptying your chamber--how do YOU do it?

[Glock21]

So, if the extractor strikes the firing pin - what does it matter if you attempt to catch it in the air or let it fall to the ground? If it's gonna go, it's gonna go - and you'll probably get hurt. This thread's the only place I've ever heard of any such (rumor of) occurrence.

Sorry, not a rumor - it's quite common. And the problem is your hand causing the round to bounce around in the ejection prot. Jerking the slide and ejecting the round out with force is not the same thing as holding it in to the side of th port - it's not "gonna go" either way. And getting hurt may not concern you, but how about touching off a firecraker at 10pm in a hotel room? The manager and the local PD night shift might just find that of concern.

Covering the ejection port will become your habit if that's what you do. It will find is way into your tap/rack if you unload your gun more than you practice that. Covering the ejection port causes malfunctions! Moving the slide backwards slowly causes malfunctions!

Trying to catch a round may work 99 out of 100 times, it's that last one where a person tries to juggle a round in the air that problems will occur. I've seen it too may times to advise anything other than DON'T DO THAT. The operators focus becomes catching the round rather than muzzle control and where their trigger finger is. And the worst is when someone fumbles and ends up dropping the round - they bend right over without concern for anything other than picking up that "precious" round that fell through their hands.

I'm not going to argue about it here any more, but I will state my opinion a bit more sternly before I take my leave:

Catching the round while unloading a pistol is amateur hour. It's not in any way a "safe" practice, nor is it in any way worth the risk. Jerk the slide and let it fly, once you've delt with the pistol and secured it, you can concern yourself with picking up your formerly chambered round.

 

[elaw555]

I worry much more about clearing the weapon and making absolutely sure it is in a safe ciondition that where the chambered round ends up.

 

[rhino]

It's disturbing to me that people won't believe that ".40 hand" and similar situations can occur with the ejector hits the primer of a live round. I understand skepticism, but this is a real thing that has happened, is not uncommon, and will happen in the future if people are not dilligent about safely unloading their guns. If you don't believe me, go to a place where a lot of USPSA shooters are regulars such as Brian Enos's Forums... Maku mozo! (Powered by Invision Power Board) and ask there. It's likely that you'll quickly find people who have been present when it happened or who experienced it themselves.

I know at least one person who has posted on INGO (he sold some stuff a long time ago, but doesn't hang around here) who had a .40 round ignite while unloading.

One reason why it happens more often with .40 1911-pattern guns is because the ejector is usually moved closer to the centerline of the slide (as compared to a .45ACP) and is thus in close proximity. As Glock21 said, if you block the rounds normal path (i.e. out of the ejection port), it can remain trapped in there and if the ejector is aligned with the primer, it can do the exact same thing the firing pin normally does to the primary.

Keys to avoiding .40 hand:

1. Do not block the ejection port with your hand or anything else.
2. Do not block the ejection port with anything, especially your hand.
3. Don't block the ejection port.

It can also help to be less vigorous with the slide racking when you're unloading. When a round does eject, it won't go as far (easier to find in the grass) and if the ejector does hit a live primer, it won't have as much energy and is less likely to ignite it. I think my friend Glock21 would say you should rack the slide the same way every time and he'd be making a good point, but I usually don't rack the slide as hard when I am unloading. At matches, I often let the RO catch the round if he's willing to do so.

And, 4. Don't block the ejection port with your hand.

 

[Eddie]

Don't let it get too routine

Developing good habits is important, but don't let them become so routine that you are going about them mindlessly. Stay focused. I was trained to remove the magazine, rack the slide to remove the chambered round, lock the slide back, look down the magazine well, look at the chamber and then feel with my finger to make sure that the gun wasn't loaded.

I normally keep my gun loaded but from time to time I need to unload it for cleaning or because I can't take it where I am going and need to secure it.

I was hurrying one day. I ejected the magazine, racked the slide, locked it back, looked down the magazine well, looked in the chamber, stuck my finger in the chamber and flicked down the slide release, slamming the slide down on my finger.

I could have made a lot worse mistakes but that one reminded me to slow down and do it by the book.

 

[PatMcGroyne]

Thread-hijack, but where else . . .?

How to remove a slug, ½-way down the barrel, from a light re-load? Just lucky I was counting holes in the tgt. I had an aluminum gutter-spike in the trunk, and used it to ram the bullet back into the chamber. Please don't tell anyone else I admitted this! Pat.

 

[Eddie]

Old School

How to remove a slug, ½-way down the barrel, from a light re-load? Just lucky I was counting holes in the tgt. I had an aluminum gutter-spike in the trunk, and used it to ram the bullet back into the chamber. Please don't tell anyone else I admitted this! Pat.

+1 for some old school gunsmithing!

 

[Beau]

drop the mag. put it in your pocket. point it in a safe direction and turn it so the ejection port is skyward. rack it so the round flips into the air. catch it with the same hand you racked it with. take a bow.

That's how I roll. But you know how us gamers are...Always showin off.

 

[Lars]

I empty the chamber on my Carry gun the same way I would if I was topping off.

Weapon in an upward direction, remove magazine, rack slide, pick round up off the ground.

 

[alxjmrk]

I have an XD, and if i ever have the need to clear my weapon completely i inspect it 3thrice and dry fire.

 

[Glock Lover]

I empty the chamber on my Carry gun the same way I would if I was topping off.

Weapon in an upward direction, remove magazine, rack slide, pick round up off the ground.

+1 This is the proper and smart way to do it. !!

 

[mk2ja]

Samesies

drop the mag. put it in your pocket. point it in a safe direction and turn it so the ejection port is skyward. rack it so the round flips into the air. catch it with the same hand you racked it with. take a bow.

That's what I do! I'm not even kidding. OK, well, I only do it sometimes, but I really enjoy doing it thataway.


EDIT: Just read this post...

...
Catching the round while unloading a pistol is amateur hour. It's not in any way a "safe" practice, nor is it in any way worth the risk. Jerk the slide and let it fly, once you've delt with the pistol and secured it, you can concern yourself with picking up your formerly chambered round.

As I said, I only catch the soaring round sometimes, not that often. I typically let the round land, lock back the slide, then go hunting for the expelled round, as Glock21 suggested.

 

[inav8r]

ALL OF US HERE ARE TEACHERS! NEVER FORGET THAT! The one time you handle a gun infront of that friend or relative, or that stranger at the range or gunshop, might be the ONLY instruction that person EVER gets. You might not even be communicating with that person directly, but they will observe what you are doing and assume it's "the way" because you're the "gun guy."

Now let me out myself here. I'm a TOTAL noob with guns. I now own my first firearm in over 20 years and let me say, I had 0 training 20 years ago and I've forgotten anything I knew from before. I've been reading these forums for a couple of weeks now and I feel I've come away with a lot of valuable information from lots of different posters - but it's this attitude that I appreciate the most.

I am really trying my best to be informed so that after you wind up next to me at some open range I am the not the subject of your rant about the noob who didn't know his rear end from a whole in the ground next to you. Now that I've said that, let me add the following disclaimer: I know I can't get all the training I'll ever need from reading books and forums. I just hope that I can use this valuable resource so that I don't embarrass myself too badly when I do finally get some formal training.

 

[remymartin]

drop mag. do a sweet 360 while pulling slide back, jump up, click your heels, catch live round with a trusty sidekick. wooden leg a big plus. Remark at your sidekick for his lack of live round catching technique, make a funny joke, have a beer, done.

 

[ihateiraq]

Catching the round while unloading a pistol is amateur hour. It's not in any way a "safe" practice, nor is it in any way worth the risk. Jerk the slide and let it fly, once you've delt with the pistol and secured it, you can concern yourself with picking up your formerly chambered round.

its not really all that unsafe either. if you drop the mag and put the round in the air, the weapon is clear, whether or not you catch it. there is no risk involved.

your statement reads to me as follows "im not fast/coordinated enough to catch the round so its stupid and unsafe."

 

[tv1217]

There's this weird little hinge thing inside a ring near the middle-ish area. I pull that 13 times until it stops making loud noises.

 

[Wabatuckian]

There's this weird little hinge thing inside a ring near the middle-ish area. I pull that 13 times until it stops making loud noises.

Strange, mine's more of a curved button...

 

[Glock21]

its not really all that unsafe either. if you drop the mag and put the round in the air, the weapon is clear, whether or not you catch it. there is no risk involved.

your statement reads to me as follows "im not fast/coordinated enough to catch the round so its stupid and unsafe."

Ok, drag me out of retirement to address the personal attack....

If you think you can maintain muzzle control and trigger finger dicipline the one time that you end up juggling a live round in mid air instead of directly catching it, then bully for you. If you think there is no way you will ever nick the primer of the round you're trying to catch into the ejector, then catch on Hudini. However, it will remain my opinion that anyone who thinks they are some how exercising a "superior" unloading technique by operating in that manner is fooling themselves.

There is absolutely nothing to be gained in regard to safety, or speed, or any thing else, by catching an ejected round. The only "positive" anyone can ever give me for doing it that way is "well, I don't have to bend over and pick up my round." Which, by the way, reads to me as follows: "I'm too lazy to concern my self with proper safety and gun handling 100% of the time, and I'd rather look cool instead of acting as a professional gunman."

 

[ihateiraq]

Ok, drag me out of retirement to address the personal attack....

If you think you can maintain muzzle control and trigger finger dicipline the one time that you end up juggling a live round in mid air instead of directly catching it, then bully for you. If you think there is no way you will ever nick the primer of the round you're trying to catch into the ejector, then catch on Hudini. However, it will remain my opinion that anyone who thinks they are some how exercising a "superior" unloading technique by operating in that manner is fooling themselves.

There is absolutely nothing to be gained in regard to safety, or speed, or any thing else, by catching an ejected round. The only "positive" anyone can ever give me for doing it that way is "well, I don't have to bend over and pick up my round." Which, by the way, reads to me as follows: "I'm too lazy to concern my self with proper safety and gun handling 100% of the time, and I'd rather look cool instead of acting as a professional gunman."

theres just as much risk of striking the primer ejecting it to the ground as there is ejecting it into the air, so that point is moot. even if i couldnt maintain muzzle/trigger discipline while catching the round, the worst that could happen is a dry fire. because the round that was chambered is flying though the air. read that part twice.

 

[Glock21]

theres just as much risk of striking the primer ejecting it to the ground as there is ejecting it into the air, so that point is moot. even if i couldnt maintain muzzle/trigger discipline while catching the round, the worst that could happen is a dry fire. because the round that was chambered is flying though the air. read that part twice.

Right - tell that to the people that have had them go off in their hands.

I read it twice - and my response is: unless you are really tired, or distracted, and have forgot to remove your magazine, at which point the worst thing that can happen is you shoot yourself...or someone else.

Folks, justify it all you want - heck, do it all you want - But I won't teach it, I won't do it, and I won't allow it on my range. It's a inferrior technique.

Merry Christmas!

 

[Defensive Shooting Concepts]

"Can't we all just get along?" ...............Anyway Law enforcement for 15 years instructor for 7. Don't cover the ejection port with your hand in an attempt to catch the round you can indeed lose fingers, I have seen the pictures in class. I also understand that the victim Officer in one case had to medically retire. Sorry I don't have any pictures but if I come across them in training or teaching I will post them here. I also agree we all learn from one another. I have learned skills from the newset shooter to the oldest and I am thankful for it. Always have an open mind and never stop being willing to learn new skills. By the way Merry Christmas!