Which step occurs after unlocking in the firing cycle?

Which step occurs after unlocking in the firing cycle?

• A. Extracting
• B. Firing
• C. Feeding
• D. Locking

Answer: (A)

Unlocking lets the barrel separate from the slide so the slide can recoil. As the slide moves backward, the extractor grips the spent cartridge and pulls it from the chamber—that's extraction. The spent case is then ejected, and on the forward stroke the next round is fed from the magazine into the chamber, and the mechanism returns to the locked position, ready for a new shot. So extraction is the step that directly follows unlocking.

Unlocking lets the barrel separate from the slide so the slide can recoil. As the slide moves backward, the extractor grips the spent cartridge and pulls it from the chamber—that's extraction. The spent case is then ejected, and on the forward stroke the next round is fed from the magazine into the chamber, and the mechanism returns to the locked position, ready for a new shot. So extraction is the step that directly follows unlocking.