Manual

15
INSPECTING YOUR
PISTOL
When you inspect your pistol, you should first check for
yourself to ensure that it is unloaded. To do this, grasp the
pistol with your finger off the trigger and outside the trigger
guard, point the muzzle in a safe direction, depress the
magazine release and remove the magazine.
Point the muzzle in a safe direction, grasp the serrated sides
of the slide from the rear with the thumb and fingers as shown
in Figure 5, and briskly draw the slide fully rearward in order to
extract any cartridge from the barrel chamber and clear it from
the pistol.
Do not obstruct the ejection port because doing so can interfere
with ejection of a cartridge.
Lock the slide in the open position by allowing the slide to
move slightly forward from the rearmost position while pressing
upward on the slide stop.
Check the barrel chamber to verify it is unloaded and check the
bore visually for any obstructions (Figure 6). Examine the
breech face (Figure 7) to ensure that the firing pin is not
protruding from the breech face. (Figs. 7 & 8) If it is protruding,
do not attempt to load or fire the firearm. Bring the firearm to a
gunsmith qualified to perform service on Smith & Wesson
firearms.
You must follow this procedure every time a firearm leaves your
hand, is cleaned, handed to you or another person, transported
or stored.
Unload the magazine by holding it with the bullet end
of the cartridge pointing away from you and others and pressing
each cartridge forward and out of the magazine.
WARNING: NEVER RELY ON MECHANICAL FEATURES
ALONE. ONLY YOUR SAFE GUN HANDLING WILL
ENSURE THE SAFE USE OF YOUR FIREARM. THIS IS
YOUR RESPONSIBILITY.
FIGURE 5
FIGURE 6
FIGURE 7
NO
Firing Pin
Protruding
FIGURE 8
Firing Pin
Protruding