Ruger MINI-14 - Manual (Page 13)

TO LOAD AND FIRE (WITH MAGAZINE)
Practice this important aspect of gun handling (with an unloaded rifle) until you
can perform each of the steps - described below - with skill and confidence. But
before you do anything with the rifle, please first read completely through this
manual. This procedure begins with an empty rifle with its magazine out.
1. Be certain the muzzle is pointing in a safe direction. (See Rule 2, p. 42).
2. Before inserting loaded magazine, engage the bolt lock so the bolt is held
open. Check the chamber to be certain it is empty. MOVE THE SAFETY TO
THE “ON” POSITION. (See Figure 3, p. 10).
3. Load a magazine with the desired number of cartridges.
4. Insert the loaded magazine into the magazine well, and immediately...
5. Draw the slide handle all the way to the rear and release it, allowing the slide
to snap forward under full spring force. A cartridge will be stripped from the
magazine and chambered by the motion of the bolt.
WARNING: If cartridges do not feed smoothly from the magazine into the
chamber then do not use the rifle until the problem is corrected.
(See
“Malfunction Warning” p. 22)
6. The rifle is now cocked and a loaded cartridge is chambered. Visually check to
be certain the safety is in the “ON” position.
7. When you are ready to fire the rifle, move the safety to the “OFF” position.
WARNING: DO NOT TOUCH THE TRIGGER UNTIL YOU ARE ACTUALLY
READY TO FIRE. KEEP THE SAFETY “ON” UNLESS ACTUALLY FIRING.
8. The rifle will fire one shot each time the trigger is pulled until the magazine is
empty. Some of the gas produced by the combustion of the powder is used to
push the slide and bolt to the rear, which extracts and ejects the fired cartridge
case, recocks the gun, and reloads a new cartridge from the magazine into the
firing chamber.
WARNING –FIRING
14
The bolt automatically opens
and shuts quickly while firing.
Keep face and hands away from
it. Hot brass and powder gas is
ejected quickly and can burn
you. The rifle should be fired
from the right shoulder.
Always wear shooting glasses
and hearing protectors.
BOLT OPENS FAST–
HOT BRASS EJECTED