Courses / Self-loading rifle / Lesson 3
Loading and unloading
Doing it safely, every time. Lesson 3 of 8 · about 6 minutes to watch.
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Step through the slides. The trainer's words are under each one.
Loading and unloading
Self-loading rifle, lesson 3 of 8: doing it safely, every time
Loading and unloading are where many accidents happen, because people do them so often they stop thinking. The unit standard asks you to do both safely, in a way that suits your rifle's mechanism. With a self-loading rifle, one step matters more than any other, and it's the order.
Magazine out first, always
- Working the action loads a round from the magazine
- So remove the magazine before you touch the bolt
- Then clear the chamber
Here's the one thing to remember from this lesson. When you work the action of a self-loading rifle, the bolt picks up a fresh round from the magazine and pushes it into the chamber. So if you work the bolt with the magazine still in, you eject one round and load the next. You think you've unloaded it, and you haven't. Magazine out first, then the chamber.
Unloading in four steps
- 11. Point it safelyMuzzle in a safe direction, finger off, safety on if fitted
- 22. Magazine outRemove it and put it down
- 33. Work the actionEject any round and lock the bolt open
- 44. Look and feelChamber and magazine well both empty
Unloading has four steps. One: muzzle in a safe direction, finger off the trigger, safety on if your rifle has one. Two: remove the magazine and put it down, away from the rifle. Three: work the action to eject any round in the chamber, and lock the bolt open if your rifle allows it. Four: look into the chamber and the magazine well, and feel with a finger. Only when you've seen and felt an empty chamber is the rifle unloaded. Your trainer will show you the exact controls on your model.
Why the order matters
| What you do | What's left in the rifle |
|---|---|
| Magazine out, then work the action | Nothing: chamber and magazine are empty |
| Work the action, then magazine out | A round in the chamber, ready to fire |
| Magazine out only | Possibly a round in the chamber |
Look at the middle row. Work the action first, then take the magazine out, and the bolt has already loaded a new round. The rifle is loaded, and you believe it's empty. And the last row: taking the magazine out on its own does nothing to a round already in the chamber. A self-loading rifle with no magazine can still fire.
Let the ejected round fall
- Don't try to catch it
- Keep your eyes on the rifle and the muzzle safe
- Pick it up once the rifle is clear
When you work the action, the round in the chamber flies out. Let it fall. Reaching to catch it pulls your attention, and often your hand, to the wrong place. Finish the unloading, check the chamber, and pick the round up afterwards.
Loading, only when it's time to shoot
- 1At the firing lineMuzzle downrange, finger off
- 2Fill the magazineOnly the calibre stamped on the rifle
- 3Seat the magazinePush it home and tug to check
- 4Chamber a roundOnly when you're about to fire
Load only when it's time to shoot, and only where shooting is allowed. At the firing line, muzzle downrange, finger off the trigger. Fill the magazine with cartridges that match the calibre stamped on the rifle. Seat the magazine firmly and give it a tug to be sure it's held; a loose magazine is a common cause of feeding problems. Then chamber a round, as your trainer shows you for your model, only when you're ready to fire.
Handing the rifle to someone
- Magazine out
- Bolt locked open
- Show them the empty chamber
- They check it too
Whenever you hand a rifle to someone, unload it and show them. Magazine out, bolt locked open, and let them see the empty chamber. Then they check it themselves. Nobody is offended by this; it's simply what careful shooters do.
Thandi's slip, and why it matters
At the end of a string, Thandi works the action, then removes the magazine. Anel asks her to look in the chamber.
It happens to careful people. Thandi finishes a string of shots, works the action, then takes the magazine out. Anel quietly asks her to look in the chamber. There's a round in it. Nothing bad happened, because her muzzle was downrange and her finger was off the trigger. But it shows why the order matters, and why you always finish by looking and feeling. Thandi unloads again, in the right order, and shows Anel the empty chamber.
Your turn
Before lesson 4
- Do the exercise: Which step is it?
- Answer four quick questions on this lesson
- Apply: practise unloading an empty rifle, under supervision
Put the unloading steps in order in the exercise, then answer four questions. If you can, practise the unloading sequence with an empty rifle under your trainer's supervision until the order is automatic. Next lesson: what the law asks when you carry, transport and store your rifle.
Do: Which step is it?
Each action is part of unloading a self-loading rifle. Which of the four steps is it?
Check
Four quick questions. The reason shows as soon as you answer.
Apply
Where this shows up in your own life.
Practise the four unloading steps with an empty rifle, under your trainer's supervision, until the order is automatic.
Ridgeview Firearms Academy and its people are fictional. This is study material written from the Firearms Control Act and the SAQA unit standards. It isn't an accredited course or legal advice; your accredited training provider runs the official tests.