Unloading a Glock

This blog entry covers how to unload a Glock firearm. This information can also apply to most handguns for sale on the market today (IE: Springfield Armory, Smith and Wesson, H&K, etc). Click on any of the photos to enlarge them.


The first step is to go back and re-read the four rules.

#1 ALL FIREARMS ARE ALWAYS LOADED

# 2 NEVER POINT THE MUZZLE AT ANYTHING YOU ARE NOT PREPARED TO DESTROY

# 3 KEEP YOUR FINGER OFF THE TRIGGER UNTIL YOUR SIGHTS ARE ON THE TARGET

# 4 - BE SURE OF YOUR TARGET

While all four rules are equally important, let me emphasize that while unloading a firearm, be certain to keep the firearm pointed away from any target AND your finger off the trigger at all times.



You may unload the Glock firearm in any direction that complies with the four rules, although this entry will show different angles of the firearm for instruction. Again, while unloading a firearm, be certain to keep the firearm pointed away from any target AND your finger off the trigger at all times.

The first step is to press the magazine release button on the left side of the firearm as in the photo below.


This should be a straight press inward toward the firearm and not slide up or down. In the photo I am using my left thumb to press the magazine release button.

After pressing the magazine release button, the magazine will be detached from the firearm. If the magazine does not move downward by itself, you may need to grip the bottom of the magazine and pull the magazine out manually as illustrated in the photo below.


NOTE: You can easily see on the top of the magazine if there was ammunition ready to feed into the firearm. In the example photo above, you can see the magazine had been loaded with ammunition.

It is very important to realize that even after the magazine has been removed from the firearm, the firearm MAY STILL BE ABLE TO FIRE. A round of ammunition may have previously been loaded from the magazine into the chamber. To clear the chamber, first grip the back of the slide as in the photo below.


NOTE: If you look at the photo closely, you can see the light reflect off a round of ammunition that has been loaded into the firearm.

Now pull back the slide directly back away from the muzzle of the firearm in one strong motion.


If you are new to firearms, don't be afraid to exert some force to get the slide to move on the Glock. At this point, if there was a round of ammunition in the chamber, it will come out of the side of the firearm and fall out to the right when the slide is pulled back.


At this point, the firearm has been completely unloaded. You can release your grip on the slide and have the firearm return the slide forward. However, for demonstration and safety purposes, we can lock the slide in a "open" position to more effectively show there is no ammunition in the firearm. To do this, pull the slide back as far as it can go and press the SLIDE STOP LEVER upward on the left hand side of the firearm.


There should be a visible "notch" on the slide that the SLIDE STOP LEVER will move upward and fit into. Release the slide once the SLIDE STOP LEVER has been pressed upward into the notch.

With the slide "open", we can look down into the firearm and see there is no clip or ammunition feed inserted as illustrated in the following photo.


With the slide "open", we can also look into the chamber (the open circle in the following photo) and see there is no ammunition present.


In this mode, it is easy to verify whether rule Number One applies or not. The firearm is visibly unloaded and can be easily inspected to determine if ammunition is present.


I do NOT recommend leaving a firearm stored in this configuration, though. In upcoming blog entries, I will show how to secure a firearm from this point for long term storage as well as how to re-load a firearm from this point.

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