Most new pistol owners ask a simple yet important question: “How to load a pistol magazine?”

If you’ve purchased a pistol recently to begin firearms practice, you must first know the right way of loading a pistol magazine. If you don’t know how to load a pistol magazine, you’ll always be at risk of accidentally firing from your pistol while loading the magazine and this can lead to serious consequences.

To save you and those near you from harm, we’ll share with you the essentials of loading magazine to answer the question “how to load a pistol magazine?”

The Four Rules

Always remember these four rules that apply to loading and unloading of firearms.

1. Guns are loaded all the time.
2. Never allow the muzzle to cover anything that you don’t want to be destroyed.
3. Don’t touch the trigger unless you have a target in sight.
4. Be sure about your target.

Loading

Before you load your pistol magazine, read the owner’s manual so that you know specific instructions about your particular pistol. Ensure that the ammunition is right for your pistol and you haven’t accidentally picked up the wrong ammo. You can move forward with loading once you have made sure that the ammunition matches your pistol.

Step 1

First point your pistol’s barrel away from yourself. Then grip your pistol properly without touching the trigger.

Step 2

Now eject the magazine by pressing the button present on the pistol near the hand grip.

Step 3

Make sure that the pistol is completely unloaded and no round is left within the chamber. Visually inspect the chamber and empty it in case any bullet is left inside.

Step 4(a)

Now firmly hold the pistol magazine in your weaker (non-dominant) hand with the rounds’ tip facing forward or towards the side that is higher angled. Position the magazine’s back in V shape between your index finger and thumb.

Step 4(b)

Insert rounds one by one with your stronger (dominant) hand by firmly pushing with your index finger or thumb on the round’s center and slide it until it fits perfectly. Repeat until the magazine gets full.

Remember for a new pistol, the magazine will be tight and you’ll need to put extra pressure to insert the rounds.

Step 5

Now re-insert the pistol magazine by firmly pushing upward with rounds pointed at forward direction. You’ll hear a sound of click which will indicate that the magazine has locked properly.

Don’t be shy and insert the pistol magazine firmly into the gun and gently tap its back on your palm to properly align the ammo.

Step 6

If your pistol has external safety, then disengage it by pushing the safety lever down. Let the slide freely ride forward by freeing its lock. This will pull the top round up from the magazine into the chamber.

Step 7(a)

Now grasp your pistol with your stronger hand and place your finger outside of the trigger. Grasp the rear and upper end of the slide, but make sure that your finger doesn’t move into the trigger guard while you are working the slide.

Place your hand in such a way that the heel is nearest with four fingers on the slide and grasping from the other side. CAUTION: Don’t let the ejection port be covered by your hands as you can sustain injury or blocking the port can result in a jam.

Step 7(b)

Now bring you pistol toward your midline and point in a right direction. Simply drive your hand in which you are holding the gun forward while firmly holding onto the slide so that it doesn’t move with your pistol. CAUTION: You will struggle with the movement at first, but never allow your finger to slip inside of the trigger guard.

Step 7(c)

Once you have pulled the slide back to its most rear position, release it completely. Don’t ride or follow it, just let leave it free. The slide should slide unrestricted for properly chambering the round.

That’s it; you now know how to load a pistol magazine. So, raise your pistol, aim your target, place your finger on the trigger and pull it once to eradicate it. Boom!