This little node will follow suit with many of my other nodes and will be on weapons of the firearm variety. This time I'm going to write about how to load a magazine properly.

This topic is often of great importance because this not only helps to prevent damage rounds or magazines it also helps reduce the chance of there being a blockage with the function of the weapon with the case of a blocked round. It's essential that that someone can safely and efficiently load a magazine because failure on being able to do so will result in a blockage and this requires a 'stoppage drill' which will require movement of the rifle thus making a persons marksmanship skills mess up due to movement of the barrel, hence a loss of tight grouping.

The first and foremost thing to do is to check that you have the correct type of rounds for the firearm and the procedure to be carried out. Next you check you have the correct type of magazine for the rounds and firearm otherwise you can forget even trying.
After checking that all the correct equipment is ready you must now check that the magazine is in good working order with a spring that isn't messed up and the magazine body isn't dented.
Now the magazine is ready you would assume you'd start packing in those rounds, but wrong. You must now check that all the rounds you have are in good working order and aren't already fired. As stupid as that last comment sounds I actually witnessed a person fill his magazine with empty brass shells and live rounds just before a fire fight.
Now the easiest position to load a magazine is in the kneeling, squatting or sitting position as this provides you with a flat stable surface, being your thigh. Place the magazine on your thigh so that the magazine is vertical and the direction that the rounds should go points towards you.
Next pick up your first round and hold it like you would a pen. Then turn your hand so that the round is directly above the magazine with it being orientated to the direction it would be as if it were if it was in the magazine. Now push the rounds down into the magazine past the top lips until it seems secure and won't fall out.
Now the round is in the magazine push it so that the base of the round hits the far rear of the magazine.
Now you can then fill the magazine up with more rounds in the same fashion ensuring that it is in correctly and there shouldn't be much problem with firing your rifle.
With a little practice you can do this much faster and efficiently over time without too much worry of inserting a round in a fashion that it will cause a blockage in the magazine and/or rifle.