What occurs during the feeding step of the operation?

During the feeding step of the operation, the magazine is inserted into the magazine well. This action is crucial because it allows the ammunition, which has been stored in the magazine, to be pushed upward for loading into the chamber. Once the magazine is firmly seated, the action of the firearm can continue with subsequent steps that involve the cycling of the slide and chambering of a round.

In this context, other options describe different phases of the firearm's operational cycle. For example, releasing the hammer usually occurs after the trigger is pulled during the firing phase, while ejecting the spent casing happens after a round is fired and the slide cycles back. Locking the slide in position generally refers to the firearm being in a state of readiness or during malfunction clearance, rather than during the feeding step. Therefore, the correct answer highlights the initial and essential action of preparing the handgun to load ammunition for firing.