When clearing out shells from the mag is it safe to cycle them through the action or should one take the time to drop them out of the ejector port?
It is safe to cycle them as long as you keep your booger hook off the trigger, and keep the shotgun pointed in a safe direction at all times.
I consider it bad form to cycle them through the action. Learn to utilize the shell stops via the loading gate. Every time a shell/round is chambered there is the possiblity of an OOPS.
I would utilize the shell latches too, and let the rounds pop out of the mag tube. Come to think of it, racking 5 rounds through a 20 guage Model 1100 LW earned me one of my most severe a** kickings ever, courtesy of my dad. Never did it again though, and have never had a ND. A** kickings aside, it is, per Robocop, bad form and unsafe.
