MM

Firearms Safety and Glock Pistol Procedures

Firearms Safety Rules

  • Treat all firearms as if they are loaded: This is the most basic and crucial rule to prevent accidental shootings.

  • Never permit the muzzle of the firearm to cover anything you are unwilling to destroy: Always be mindful of where the muzzle is pointing. If the firearm discharges, anything in that path will be impacted.

  • Keep your finger off the trigger, outside the trigger guard, along the receiver until you are committed to a shot: This prevents unintentional discharge. Maintain positive control of the firearm by keeping the trigger finger straight along the receiver until ready to shoot.

  • Be sure of your target and beyond: Know what your target is, what is behind it, and what is in the surrounding area. A bullet can travel a significant distance and potentially harm unintended targets.

Glock Pistol Safeties

The Glock pistol incorporates three internal safeties, which disengage in a specific order:

  1. Trigger Safety: This is a lever within the trigger that must be fully depressed to allow the trigger to move rearward. It prevents the trigger from moving rearward from inertial forces if the gun is dropped.

  2. Firing Pin Safety: This is a spring-loaded block that prevents the firing pin from moving forward unless the trigger is pulled completely to the rear.

  3. Drop Safety: This safety feature interacts with the firing pin and trigger bar to prevent the gun from firing if dropped.

Safe Pistol Storage

To safely store a pistol at home, three conditions must be met:

  1. Must be unloaded: Ensure the chamber is empty and the magazine is removed.

  2. Rendered inoperable by a locking device: Use a trigger lock or cable lock to prevent the pistol from being fired.

  3. Must be stored in a secure, lockable container: Store the pistol in a gun safe or lockable case to prevent unauthorized access.

Glock Cleaning Schedule

The Glock pistol should be cleaned:

  1. Monthly: Regular cleaning prevents buildup of fouling and ensures proper function.

  2. After shooting: Cleaning after each range session removes powder residue and other debris.

  3. As necessary: Clean the pistol whenever it is exposed to dirt, moisture, or other contaminants.

Avoiding Catching Ejected Rounds

Do not attempt to catch an ejected round from the Glock pistol for these reasons:

  1. Loss of muzzle control: Attempting to catch the round can distract from maintaining a safe direction with the muzzle.

  2. Possible detonation of the round: While rare, a dropped round could potentially detonate upon impact.

Manual Loading Precautions

Never manually load a single round directly into the chamber for two reasons:

  1. Potential damage to the extractor claw: Forcing a round directly into the chamber can damage or break the extractor.

  2. Potential damage to the rim of the casing: Manually loading can bend or damage the rim of the casing, causing malfunctions.

Definition of a Stoppage

A stoppage is defined as any unintentional interruption of fire.

Immediate Action Procedures

Immediate action is the process of restoring the Glock pistol to a working condition during a stoppage.

  • Phase 1 Stoppage Drill:

    1. Tap: Tap the magazine to ensure it is fully seated.

    2. Rack: Rack the slide to chamber a new round.

    3. Target: Reacquire the target and prepare to fire.

  • Phase 2 Stoppage Drill:

    1. Rip: Rip the magazine from the gun.

    2. Work: Work the slide back and forth several times.

    3. Tap: Tap a fresh magazine to ensure proper seating.

    4. Rack: Rack the slide to chamber a new round.

    5. Target: Reacquire the target and prepare to fire.

Indexing

Proper positioning of the finger along the leading edge of the magazine while drawing and inserting it into the pistol is known as indexing.

Slide Tension

The slide of the Glock pistol must be allowed to go forward under its own spring tension or a failure to feed a round may result. TRUE

Retaining Partially Used Magazines

When on active duty, partially used magazines should be retained by returning them to your magazine pouch. TRUE

Oil in the Firing Pin Channel

You should never put oil in the firing pin channel. TRUE

Initial Stoppage Action

When encountering a stoppage while shooting, the first immediate action to be taken should always be a Phase 2 stoppage drill. FALSE

In-Battery Reload

An IN-BATTERY reload should be done behind cover and when you are not being fired upon. TRUE

Fundamentals of Accurate Pistol Fire

The four fundamentals necessary to accurately fire a pistol are as follows:

  1. Stance: A stable and balanced position that supports recoil management and accuracy.

  2. Grip: A firm and consistent grip that allows for proper control of the pistol.

  3. Sight Picture / Sight Alignment: Proper alignment of the front and rear sights on the target.

  4. Trigger Finger Control: Smooth and consistent trigger press without disturbing sight alignment.

Cycling Functions of the Glock

The four cycling functions of the Glock safe action pistol in order are:

  1. Feed: The magazine presents a round, and the slide pushes it into the chamber.

  2. Fire: The firing pin strikes the primer, igniting the gunpowder.

  3. Extract: The extractor pulls the spent casing from the chamber.

  4. Eject: The ejector kicks the spent casing out of the pistol.

PUSH-PULL-SWEEP

A PUSH-PULL-SWEEP is performed during the loading process for the following reasons:

  1. To ensure the magazine is seated: Verifies proper magazine seating and lockup.

  2. To ensure there are no obstructions: Checks for any interference with the magazine or chamber.

Types of Reloads

The two types of reloads performed on a Glock pistol are:

  1. In-battery: Reloading when a round is chambered.

  2. Out-of-battery: Reloading when a round is not chambered.

Main Parts of a Field Stripped Glock

The five main parts of a field stripped Glock pistol are:

  1. Receiver

  2. Slide

  3. Magazine

  4. Recoil spring assembly

  5. Barrel