How do you unload and show clear?

[MemphisMechanic]

43 minutes ago, SV650Squid said:

I'm left handed, so round goes in dirt.

 

It’s faster to just pull the trigger two steps early, and place that round into the dirt at 1,000 fps. It startles the RO’s at first... but they get used to it. Unless you have a whiny one who is strict about that rulebook nonsense.

 

Edited July 3, 2019 by MemphisMechanic

[CSEMARTIN]

3 hours ago, MemphisMechanic said:

Unless you have a whiny one who is strict about that rulebook nonsense.

 

 

Wait...what? Did I just read that right? You’re being serious?

[MemphisMechanic]

17 minutes ago, CSEMARTIN said:

 

Wait...what? Did I just read that right? You’re being serious?

 

Of course.

 

Blow it out of the barrel or flip it out of the chamber, doesn’t matter much. The gun is clear either way.

[RJH]

I just pull the trigger  till the slide locks back or the gun clicks on an empty chamber,  all while screaming and showing the last "hostile" target my warface. If the ro is worth a damn and was watching the gun like he was supposed to, he will have seen clear on the last  cycle of the slide, if i have a non locker mag in.

Edited July 3, 2019 by RJH

[elguapo]

I ask the RO to pull my finger.  I'll unload and show him clear..............

[ATLDave]

Drop magazine, flip-and-catch (or flip-and-miss and just let it go), rack an extra time and hold open for the RO.

[chrisa006]

On 6/29/2019 at 6:58 PM, anonymouscuban said:

I'm new to USPSA. Only shot 4 matches and I still find myself pretty amped at the end of a stage. I've gotten into the habit of taking a second or two on my last shot to collect myself and then bring the gun down and start the process of clearing and holstering. I try not to get fancy with it.

I remove the mag and put in a pouch. I eject the round onto the ground. I point the firearm down range and pull the trigger to drop the hammer. Then I holster.



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I have been shooting a long time and still do just like you do.

[domino329]

Hit mag release and put mag back on belt.
Eject round and catch it
Pull back the slide to show RO I am clear
Drop hammer
Holster


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[praetorian97]

Ive tried and tried again to break the habit of catching the round but I just cant. Even going to expensive 38SC didnt help haha.

 

[JonasAberg]

On 7/2/2019 at 5:47 PM, CSEMARTIN said:

 

After the match was over, I was standing by the safe area when a competitor removed his gun from his holster.  He racked the slide and a round popped out.  If he had just finished a stage, he certainly would have had to unload and show clear.  So how could this have happened?

 

A possible scenario would be him practicing something involving reloading or table starts, at this particular safety area or a different one. Then forgot he had a live round chambered. Of course, doing this would be grounds for DQ but as the match was over, maybe he thought it was okay.

[snipaz2420]

I used to do the flip and catch but now I just let the round fall to my feet. Had a guy in my squad at an recent area match do the flip and catch but the round went forward and he ended up sweeping the muzzle with his hand trying to catch it

[alesar]

Yep, it happened to me with a STI Edge in 40 S&W. I was clearing a malfunction during a COF and I put my right hand (left-handed) over the ejection port (wrong, I know, but I was in a hurry and wasn’t thinking clearly) to clear the round, the primer hit the ejector and blew right next to my hand. I didn’t lose the hand or anything, but left it bloody and with some shrapnel. Lesson learned for life. 

[Aforum55]

First off, unload and show clear isn't a race. I never cover the ejection port when unloading and showing clear. It's not often but your ejector could hit primer and mess your hand up when it goes boom! Some people don't want the round to hit the ground but it's only a few cents wasted if you can't recover it and it's not worth the flip and catch and risk a DQ or taking your focus away from making your gun safe. Ultimately it's your responsibility to have a clear gun so I always visually check chamber after unloading and before, hammer down, holster command. It takes an extra 1/2 second and ensures I can remain shooting for the rest of the day. 

[Sokam101]

The flip and catch to save my back from bending over and picking up the round. 

[MacLethal]

I do the flip and catch. If it happens to go out of my reach I let the damn thing fall. I’m not DQing over a .13 bullet.. lol


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[Joedirt199]

On 9/29/2019 at 6:41 PM, Sokam101 said:

The flip and catch to save my back from bending over and picking up the round. 

Supposed to bend at the knees.

[Sokam101]

1 minute ago, Joedirt199 said:

Supposed to bend at the knees.

That could still wear out your knees! 

[Joedirt199]

Guess one of those grandma extended grabber things hanging off the back of the belt then?

[Sokam101]

6 minutes ago, Joedirt199 said:

Guess one of those grandma extended grabber things hanging off the back of the belt then?

Or you could just catch it like a boss? 

Edited October 15, 2019 by Sokam101

[gnoyesiv]

On 9/21/2019 at 10:48 PM, Aforum55 said:

First off, unload and show clear isn't a race. I never cover the ejection port when unloading and showing clear. It's not often but your ejector could hit primer and mess your hand up when it goes boom! Some people don't want the round to hit the ground but it's only a few cents wasted if you can't recover it and it's not worth the flip and catch and risk a DQ or taking your focus away from making your gun safe. Ultimately it's your responsibility to have a clear gun so I always visually check chamber after unloading and before, hammer down, holster command. It takes an extra 1/2 second and ensures I can remain shooting for the rest of the day. 

this is pretty much what I do as well.

[tacomandood]

So what I like to do is place the gun on the ground (legal, per 10.5.3.2), clap three times, and do a backflip before I proceed to rack the slide, hackysack the cartridge two or three times, catch it in my mouth, and then release the slide and pull the trigger. Gives the RO plenty of time to make sure the gun was clear as well as looks cool (which, lets be honest, is the real reason we all shoot USPSA).

 

But seriously, I don't see the issue with the flip and catch. Pretty sure only fudds and IDPA SOs get mad when you do that lol. Just to make the RO feel better, I'll be sure to rack the slide another 2-3 times before pulling the trigger and holstering, but I don't get where people feel the need to make the unload and show clear a slow process.

 

On 7/1/2019 at 1:18 PM, Nevadazielmeister said:

he must lower his firearm and present it for inspection by the Range Officer with the muzzle pointed downrange, magazine removed, slide/bolt locked or held open, and chamber empty

I get this is in the rules, but even when we took this RO class together Troy himself said that the RO doesn't have to see the empty chamber. Thought that made the whole unload and show clear command redundant, but I guess it helps create those official "steps" between the course of fire and when the shooter is finished.

[Aforum55]

3 hours ago, tacomandood said:

So what I like to do is place the gun on the ground (legal, per 10.5.3.2), clap three times, and do a backflip before I proceed to rack the slide, hackysack the cartridge two or three times, catch it in my mouth, and then release the slide and pull the trigger. Gives the RO plenty of time to make sure the gun was clear as well as looks cool (which, lets be honest, is the real reason we all shoot USPSA).

 

But seriously, I don't see the issue with the flip and catch. Pretty sure only fudds and IDPA SOs get mad when you do that lol. Just to make the RO feel better, I'll be sure to rack the slide another 2-3 times before pulling the trigger and holstering, but I don't get where people feel the need to make the unload and show clear a slow process.

 

I get this is in the rules, but even when we took this RO class together Troy himself said that the RO doesn't have to see the empty chamber. Thought that made the whole unload and show clear command redundant, but I guess it helps create those official "steps" between the course of fire and when the shooter is finished.

@tacomandood I like the Flip routine after finishing, I might try that! I agree the flip and catch is fine but maybe not for the new shooter.. I've seen some shaking, nerve struck people who don't need to add that to their regiment...  More for my safety lol. 

[Nevadazielmeister]

4 hours ago, tacomandood said:

I get this is in the rules, but even when we took this RO class together Troy himself said that the RO doesn't have to see the empty chamber. Thought that made the whole unload and show clear command redundant, but I guess it helps create those official "steps" between the course of fire and when the shooter is finished.

 

Interesting because I don't remember Troy saying that, but then, we were all milling about and I was possibly taping a target. Which brings to mind, if I was thinking only safety, I say make sure they show you clear. I have seen a lot in the past year from an RO's eyes and see things differently now. Maybe my opinion will change over time, but I think just looking into the chamber is so simple. 

 

I had one shooter who locked back the slide and allowed me to check. It was confusing without his hand holding the slide back, since I thought he might have had a magazine still inserted. But then realized he must have removed it. The first time I checked the magazine well and confirmed. After that, I saw that this was normal for him. Mixed emotions about that.   

[Matt1]

I get this is in the rules, but even when we took this RO class together Troy himself said that the RO doesn't have to see the empty chamber. Thought that made the whole unload and show clear command redundant, but I guess it helps create those official "steps" between the course of fire and when the shooter is finished.

The RO doesn’t “have to” see that the chamber is clear because the penalty if it isn’t is on the shooter.


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[tacomandood]

The RO doesn’t “have to” see that the chamber is clear because the penalty if it isn’t is on the shooter.


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Yup, now that you mentioned it, I remember that this is exactly the reason Troy said the RO technically doesn’t have to see the chamber.