GUNSMARTS: How to Load Your Pistol

When taking new shooters to the range, we want to make it as safe and simple as possible. And you may have gone target shooting with friends and family, who’ve loaded and unloaded the pistol for you. That’s ok, but it’s also important to learn how to do these things yourself too! In this Smith & Wesson #GUNSMARTS video, I’m showing how to safely unlead your handgun.

Steps to Loading a Pistol

• Pick up your handgun with your strong hand making sure your finger is off the trigger and that your firearm is pointed in a safe direction.
• Keeping the firearm down range, bend your elbow so it’s tucked in toward your chest.
• Give your wrist a little twist so that you can see the bottom of the grip and inside the magazine well.
• Pick up the magazine with your support hand so that the base sits in the palm of your hand with your index finger lying along the belly of the mag.
• Insert the magazine into the well using your index finger as a guide. It should slide away in order to seat the mag firmly.
• If you started with the slide locked to the rear, press down on the slide stop/release or you can manipulate the slide.
• If your slide is forward you’ll need to pull the slide all the way to the rear. Push forward with your strong hand while pulling back with your support hand and then simply let go.

Throughout the entire loading process, your muzzle should be pointed safely downrange with your finger off the trigger. Now that the pistol is loaded, you’re ready to shoot. Get a good grip with your support hand, adjust your stance if you need to, line up those sights on target, and press the trigger. Too easy.