Ejecting a live round?

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brekneb

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So, because I do not want to cup my hand over the ejection port of any given firearm, I am wondering; what is the most ideal location to rack a live round from the breech?

If for instance, you're CCW and you come back home at the end of the day and you're clearing the pistol, should you hover the ejection port directly over a desk, table etc.? (Obviously there are far more reasons why you'd clear a given firearm at your home but I list this as only one example.)

Or, if you're at the range shooting a pistol, rifle or shotgun--whatever--and you're either done for the day or you clear it during cease-fire.... Where should you dump the round out? (I guess this applies more toward autoloaders.)

While we're at it... One more question:
A shotgun with a tube mag (I think I'm using the right term).... Is it generally acceptable to leave a shotgun with the action open and a live round on top of the follower? Or is leaving it in such a condition not acceptable?
 
over the bed is where I do it.

It doesn't really matter IMO. I only do it over the bed so they don't roll away. Over a table they roll around and end up on the floor. Just pull out the mag, and eject the one round. There's no reason to have to put your hand over the action. If you let go, you could seriously pinch yourself! :p

as for the shotgun with a tubular magazine, it's best to leave the action closed, and no round loaded if you can. Is it semi or pump?

ETA: I agree with Hanzerik that it's not really dangerous. The only issue I've had is pinching myself once or twice, which I why I don't personally do it.
 
I don't feel it is dangerous to cup the ejection port of a firearm as long as you safe and are keeping your finger off the trigger. Been doing that way for 25+ years. Just my $.02
 
I don't feel it is dangerous to cup the ejection port of a firearm as long as you safe and are keeping your finger off the trigger
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I do not suggest this with a 1911 at all. If the round does not eject fully the ejector could hit the primmer and set it off. I have never seen it but it is possible even more so with the 9mm/38 super.
I eject and catch it in the air. Might not be exaclty ideal or safe in some minds but it is what I do.
 
I was asking about the cupping-your-hand over the ejection port thing because I've heard that a long ejector on modern DA auto designs can sometimes come into alignment with the primer and therefore detonate the round if there is enough force invovled. Is the ejector thing an issue with pistols only?
 
If you let go, you could seriously pinch yourself!
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Done that. Once. :eek:

When clearing, I hold the gun left-handed (ejection port down), pull the slide back with the heel, ring and pinkie fingers of my right, and let the round fall into my hand.

I doubt it's unsafe, but you do need to keep a firm grip.
 
as for the shotgun with a tubular magazine, it's best to leave the action closed, and no round loaded if you can. Is it semi or pump?
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At the range though, how do you clear it with the action open without cycling in the next round?
 
all i do is tip the gun upside down and bring my off hand up to grasp the back of the slide... the serrations are in the back of the slide to assist in racking the slide, thats what they are there for... this method allows the round to fall free under the weight of gravity....
 
pdowg881, Interesting thread.

I don’t even know where I picked up cupping the port with my hand as I rack the slide, maybe the Military, but it just what I have always done. Its not like I’m jerking it back as hard as I can, I just turn weapon over, cup my hand and rack the slide slowly and just enough for the round to eject/drop into my hand.
 
That's the Navy way. Except for the Gunner's Mates. They yank the slide back and catch the round in the air.
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With their teeth.
toothless.gif
 
Another vote for over the bed. It's big enough to catch the round virtually any which way I'm holding the pistol.
 
.22 Llama I have the chambered round falls through the mag well with mag removed...real nice 'feature'.
 
At the range though, how do you clear it with the action open without cycling in the next round?
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I thought you were just talking about how to store it at home for home-defense.

Maybe I misunderstood.
 
OK, at the range, e.g., for when the RSO wants me to unload and show clear, I hold the gun on its side over the table and draw the slide back a little slower so the round falls gently to the table.
 
i unload my pistol over the bed, or if i am outside hunting or shooting, i unload into the front seat of what i am driving, that way, i dont have to crawl around on the floor at home, or try to find and clean a dirty round out in the woods. as for the shotgun issue, only if you are shooting by your self! otherwise, anybody can grab it, rack it shut, its just as bad as leaving a fully loaded locked and loaded gun there for them. and, just because i am a little paranoid, i NEVER walk downrange without a loaded pistol in my holster. if somebody shoots at me, i am going to shoot back, unless they make the first one count!
 
Years back....
Eject it onto my desk...demon cat from hell pounces out of nowhere and batts the round off the desk and then proceeds to whack it out the door and down the hallway, eventually dropping down the fresh air intake grate in the hallway floor. Damned cat then sits there and looks at me like it's saying "GOAL!"

I had to disassemble that grate, not once, but TWICE before I learned to close the door before clearing my gun.

Generally use the bed myself these days. I don't cover the ejection port for any reason but that's just my way of doing things.
 
I rarely unload my carry weapon. About once a month to clean and inspect it. When I do, (HOLY COW!) it's over the bed like many others have said here. This is because the round is a self defense round, and I want it in tip-top shape. (You do know that repetedly chambering the same round will shorten it and alter its ballistic properties and power factor due to compression, right?) This is why I fire my self defense loads and replace them with new rounds every two or three months.

(Have you ever wondered about the similarities that we all have that we never think about?)

As far as at the range, I drop the mag and stow it, then rack the slide two or three times. If the SO catches the round, good. If not, I go pick it up. It's a practice round. If it lands on its nose, big deal. So it's scratched. It's a prctice round. If it lands on its base, big deal. The odds of it going off are slim to none. Even if it is that final .00000038 of one percent, it will only toss the brass hard enough to make someone say "OW! %#$@ H ^#%$# that hurt!" (It's a range. They should be wearing eye protection.)
 
over the bed is where I do it.

It doesn't really matter IMO

This makes the most sense and that's what I used to teach when I was a LE Firearms Instructor. Whatever you do don't be concerned with catching the round (unless you're a Gunner's Mate). Seriously though, let the round fall somewhere you can find it.
 
I didn't specify this before, by like superlite, I hardly unload them. I think only 2 of my guns right now are unloaded in my safe.
 
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