you are passing a firearm to another person. what should you do before unloading the firearm?

Before unloading and passing a firearm to another person, you must first make sure the muzzle is pointed in a safe direction and keep your finger off the trigger at all times.

Core safety steps

• Always treat the gun as if it is loaded and immediately point the muzzle in a safe direction, away from people, pets, or anything you are not willing to destroy.

• Engage the safety if the firearm has one, while still maintaining control and proper muzzle direction.

• Only then begin the unloading process, keeping the action open and visually and physically checking the chamber and magazine to confirm there is no ammunition.

Passing to the other person

• After unloading and opening the action, keep the muzzle in a safe direction and show the other person that the chamber and magazine are empty.

• Allow the recipient to take a secure grip on the firearm, and do not let go until they clearly indicate they have it under control (for example, by saying “I’ve got it”).

Why this matters

• Many accidental shootings occur while people are handling or passing firearms, often because they assumed the gun was unloaded or ignored muzzle direction.

• Following this sequence—safe direction, safety on, unload, open action, verify empty, then pass—creates consistent habits that greatly reduce the risk of unintentional discharge.

TL;DR: Before unloading and passing a firearm, keep the muzzle pointed in a safe direction, turn the safety on if present, then unload, open the action, and verify the firearm is empty before letting the other person take a secure hold.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.