Manual

TO LOAD AND FIRE
Practice this important aspect of safe gun handling with an unloaded pistol
until you can perform each of the steps described below with skill and
confidence. But before you do anything with the pistol, first read completely
through this manual.
1. Be certain the muzzle is pointed in a safe direction. (See “The Basic Rules of
Safe Firearms Handling,” page 38.)
2. Pull the slide fully to the rear and lock it open until the slide stops. (See
Figures 7.)
3. Press the magazine latch inward from either side and remove the magazine
from the frame. NOTE: The magazine is designed to fall free of the frame of
its own weight when unloaded, the slide is locked open and the pistol is held
in the normal firing position, but you should always prevent possible damage
to the magazine by not letting it drop to the ground unless rapid reloading is
absolutely necessary.
4. Place seventeen or fewer 9mm Parabellum cartridges into the magazine from
the top. Note that the magazine has holes on the side to assist in counting
the number of cartriges in the magazine.
5. Insert the magazine into the frame, taking care that the magazine is locked in
place by the magazine latch. Slamming the magazine into the frame forcibly
is not necessary.
6. Hold the pistol firmly in the shooting hand but do not touch the trigger. Keep
the pistol pointed in a safe direction. With the thumb and forefinger of the
other hand grasp the r
ear of the slide and pull the slide to the rear as far as it
will go (see Figure 7, below and “Slide Retraction Warning”, p. 19). When
released, the slide will fly forward to strip the top cartridge from the
magazine and chamber it.
7. Engage the safety by moving the safety lever fully upward.
WARNING: The pistol is ready for instant use once the slide moves forward if
the safety is in the “fire” position. Be careful!
14
FIGURE 7
Retracting the Slide