How should a firearm be treated when loading a magazine?

• A. With the firearm pointed in a safe direction, remove any magazine, ensure chamber is clear, then load according to the manual.
• B. Point the firearm at the target and load the magazine.
• C. Keep the magazine loaded while handling the firearm.
• D. Ignore chamber status and load the magazine blindly.

Answer: (A)

Safe handling when loading a magazine starts with treating the firearm as if it could discharge and keeping the muzzle in a safe direction. The proper sequence is to remove the magazine so the gun cannot feed a round, then rack the action or otherwise verify that the chamber is empty, and only then load according to the manufacturer’s instructions. This approach minimizes the chance of an unintended discharge if there happens to be a round in the chamber or if something malfunctions, and it ensures you’re loading the firearm in the way it’s designed to be loaded.

The other ways you might be tempted to handle loading—pointing the gun at a target while loading, keeping a loaded magazine in place during handling, or loading without checking the chamber—increase risk. Pointing at a target creates a direct line of fire, which is unsafe for anyone in that direction. Keeping the magazine loaded while handling leaves a potential live round ready to chamber unexpectedly. Loading without confirming the chamber status can result in an unforeseen discharge.