Also why you NEVER assume ANYTHING with a firearm. You never assume whether it's loaded or unloaded. You never assume if it's on safe or on fire "if the weapon has a safety." All firearms should be treated as if loaded and ready to fire, no matter how sure you are otherwise. Back in 07' I watched an 18 year old soldier take a .50 round to the stomach because a drill sergeant "with multiple deployments and 12 years in the military" pointed a .50 machine gun towards a set of bleachers to teach them the how the .50 worked. Trigger was pulled, and the round ripped through his kevlar plate in his vest and blew a hole big enough to reach a hand inside in his back left side. He didn't die instantly either. He sat there in shock for about a minute just looking around at everybody. The medics did all they could, but everybody already knew that there was nothing that could be done. Nothing fixes that. The air evac got there within 10 minutes, and he died while they were loading him up. Because of that, when I clear my firearm, I do it no less than 3 times. Pop the mag out, rack the slide and check the chamber, rack the slide and check the chamber, rack the slide and check the chamber. Even if the mag is empty.