Beretta 96A1 Beretta 92A1 & 96A1 User Manual - Page 28

LOADING ! ! ! ! ! 26 NOTICE: The figure numbers noted below refer to the photographs on pages 10, 11, I, II, III, IV. WARNING: Whenever a live round is in the chamber, this pistol can fire, even if the magazine is empty or has been removed. WARNING: Before loading the firearm, become familiar with the following loading procedures without the use of ammunition. Never handle a loaded firearm until you are fully familiar with the loading procedures. Always point the firearm in a safe direction. (See points 1,2 and 4 of the BASIC SAFETY RULES). WARNING: Always keep your finger away from the trigger whenever you do not intend to fire. Make sure the pistol is not already loaded. Remove the magazine from the pistol by depressing the magazine release button (Fig. 10). Keeping your finger away from the trigger, grasp the slide serrations with the thumb and index finger and retract the slide 2 centimeters (approx. one inch) to verify that the chamber is empty (Fig. 11). Releasing the slide when a magazine is not in the pistol will automatically close the slide. Always keep your finger away from the ejection port. To keep the slide in the open position, without the magazine in the pistol, fully retract the slide and press the slide catch upward with your thumb (Fig. 12) and release the slide. The slide will be blocked in the open position. The slide will remain open when an empty magazine is inserted or when the slide catch is pressed upwards. WARNING: Lower the hammer by rotating downward the manual safety-decocking lever (FS models). The safety lever will stop in the safety position with the hammer in decock- position (Fig. 6a / 6b). WARNING: G models have no safety lever. The G models have a decocking lever only which, when released, returns to the ready to fire position (Fig. 5).