Which of the following is NOT a cycle of operation for a semiautomatic handgun?

In the context of a semiautomatic handgun, the cycle of operation encompasses the series of functional steps that occur each time a round is fired. The primary steps typically identified in this cycle include feeding, chambering, firing, extracting, and ejecting.

Reloading, while a necessary process for the overall operation of the firearm, does not occur as part of the immediate firing sequence. It refers to the action of replacing an empty magazine or adding ammunition to the firearm after its ammo has been exhausted, which happens after the cycle of operation has been completed.

The other steps, such as feeding (loading a round from the magazine into the chamber), chambering (seating that round into the chamber for firing), and ejecting (removing the spent casing from the chamber), are integral and sequential parts of the firing process in semiautomatic handguns. Thus, reloading stands apart from these operational cycles directly associated with the act of firing the weapon.