semi-automatic, trainingIs there a recommended way to extract snap caps (or live rounds for that matter) from a semi-automatic pistol without flinging them into the dirt?
First, I’ll answer with what I prefer to do:
When you’re ejecting live cartridges that have been chambered, don’t do anything fancy. Focus on keeping the pistol pointed in a safe direction and then verifying that the pistol is clear (if that’s the reason you are extracting the rounds). If you’re doing this with snap caps, do it the same way. Treat the snap caps as you would live ammunition.
With that out of the way:
I’ve seen people to use two other methods, catching and cupping. Both take practice (with snap caps at home, pointed in a safe direction, etc) and may or may not be socially acceptable depending on where you are doing this.
Catching
Holding the pistol with the strong hand, rack the slide with the weak hand with enough force to throw the extracted round a bit, let go of the slide and catch the round with your weak hand as it flys through the air.
Cupping
Holding the pistol with the strong hand, grip the slide with your weak hand so you are covering the ejection port. You should form a small cup there. Rack the slide with your weak hand, ejecting the cartridge into the “cup”.
As I said, I prefer the first answer instead of the bottom two, just unload and make clear with a minimum of flair and distraction. Stay safe and concentrate on what you are doing. If you’re unloading because you’ve just been told to: “unload and show clear!” by a range officer or at a IDPA or IPSC/USPSA competition, make their job easy.
I look at the administrative function of clearing a firearm of live or inert ammunition as having to have two principles: Safety and Supportive of Combative manipulations. There are problems with the methods that kbyrd stated:
Catching: Probably the most dangerous. Very “Hollywood” but risky. I have thrown people off my ranges for clearing a gun in that manner. Clearing a gun, the shooter must have attention to what they are doing and avoid diverted attention. Ejecting a live round and attempting to catch it, the shooter’s attention is diverted away from the gun and trying to track and catch something relatively harmless.
Cupping: Again, a dangerous practice. The risk to the shooter is the circumstance that the round fails to eject from the port and the primer comes in contact with the ejector, causing an out of battery discharge of the round. Injurious to the shooter and damage to property.
I subscribe to the philosophy that any administrative handling of firearms should support the combative manipulations. No manual of arms that I have been taught for reloading or malfunction clearance calls for the shooter to cover the ejection port and/or retain the case.
Point in safe direction. Remove the source of ammunition. Support hand to the rear of the slide, attempting to rip it off the gun, ejecting any rounds or brass. Locking the slide to the rear, visually and physically inspecting chamber and breech-face. Empty and clear with no Hollywood or risk to self and others.
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