Proper Safety

[Jim81]

I know exactly how to clear a FIRE arm, handgun, rifle ,shotgun, before handing it to somebody to examine. What's the correct safe way to do that with an air rifle? Pull the cocking lever back,obviously with no magazine in it, and hand it to the examiner? Or, because it may be impossible after pulling the coking lever back it to see if there is a pellet (like .177) in the chamber do another safety check of some kind. If it was a fire arm and you did that process anything in the chamber should be ejected and it's not hard at all to see and feel if there is still something left in the chamber even after the ejection action,
Perhaps cycling the air rifle, with no magazine, and dry firing 'downrange', and then opening the cocking lever and handing it to the viewer?? Your thoughts??

 

[DeadEyeDill]

Why is this level of safety needed? Are you doin to the same competitions for powder burners with airguns? If your that worried about a pellet being in the chamber then just shoot in the dirt or down range like you said.
good to see people do know safety though lol. 
I don't see a way to tell if a pellet is loaded unless you have a rifle tthat the barrel can easily be taken off.

 

[Crusher]

Once the pellet is loaded, it is actually inside the barrel. So yes it would be difficult to tell if there is a pellet loaded. You are on the right track though. If you are unsure if it has a pellet in the barrel, just remove the mag cycle the action and fire it downrange or in the dirt. And as you already know, never fire it UP. I have actually seen that. LOL

Safety first. Glad to see that. These PCP guns are NOT toys. Sometimes we can forget that.

Crusher

 

[Saltlake58]

Even decocking varies by airgun. Some can do it, some can't. The range I shoot at requires (even for airguns) that the magazine be out of the gun and bolt open. Springers, they like to see cracked slightly.

Safety first, these may not be powder burners, but can still hurt, maim, and kill if improperly used. Take no chances. Go home without any holes where you didn't want them.

 

[Jim81]

AS to why I need to do this is that many non-air gunners are really interested in the air guns and want to inspect and handle them, I kind of think that taking the magazine out and discharging it down range and then hand it to somebody with the bolt/cocking lever open probably covers reasonable safety.

 

[John "spysir" Blount]

You could have it unlatched but not "open" as it would be cocked and you do not want to fire with the bolt open.

John

 

[Eaglebeak]

Just point it at your neighbor's cat and pull the trigger, that way, if it is loaded, you won't waste a pellet. But seriously it can't go off if it ain't cocked so if you can't decock it, pulling the trigger is the only way to be sure. Having an open bolt does not render most PCPs safe.