It’s sometimes surprising that advice on how to safely load a spring air rifle is in short supply!
I’ve found quite a few videos which advise the wrong thing to do. I’m not sure whether anyone has lost the end of their finger or thumb, but a spring under tension in an air rifle has plenty of potential energy. When potential energy changes to kinetic energy, then watch out as the barrel or slot closes before an eye can blink!
Below is a quick 30-second video which is as good as any I’ve seen.