Press Check your CCW or HD Handgun?

[Neot]

Quote:
Originally Posted by joppaj
Never. After I load the magazine, I chamber the round and then eject the mag to top it off. As long as there's a round missing from the mag, I know where it is.

Yeah, but what if you get into something that requires brain power and a lot of time has passed since you topped off your mag.
You grab the gun and eject the mag, it's full, you might then assume that the chamber is empty when in fact the gun is ready to fire. No offense to either of you, but that seems like it could lead to an accident.

I like always press check.

The gun I keep loaded with one in the chamber that I'm speaking of is my duty weapon. The only time it's taken out is when I'm transfering it from off duty to duty holster or locking it up. The only time it's unloaded is during qualifying...otherwise it's loaded and ready to go.
I understand what you were saying but if you treat that gun like it's loaded, regardless of what condition it may or may not be in, there will never be an issue. When I'm loading or unloading the gun, my focus is on that gun, nothing else.....the world can wait 20 seconds for my attention.

 

[smokey]

I always press check whenever i come across a firearm that's been out of my immediate control. If im home and decide to carry either my p99 or pf9 around(now the pf9 is on my hip), I press check every time it leaves my sight. An example would be if I take off my gun to take a shower, then come back to get it when my pj's are on. It was never unloaded....by me.....as far as i remember. Those last two things give press-checking credibility to me to absolutely ensure if someone crashes through my sliding glass door, my gun will go "bang" and not "click".

As for people relying on loaded chamber indicators....especially the ruger sr9 and xd designs....they fail. Shoot enough to get that thing all boogered up with carbon and fouling and it'll give you a false-positive. Press checking only gives you a false-positive if somehow you've got fired brass in the chamber. Again, i wouldn't want to feel an xd's chamber loaded indicator sticking up and then hear a "click" when i needed it because i was too lazy to do a 1-second press on my firearm.

As 3rd mentioned, a good smack on the rear of the slide(or hit on the forward-assist) always follows the press to ensure it's loaded AND in battery if i need it.

 

[ateixeira]

Only .mil and LEO should do press checks

Always feel as if I could not see because it's dark or my eyes are busy assessing.

But hey, I don't know shit..

 

[fivepointstar]

I always press check whenever i come across a firearm that's been out of my immediate control. If im home and decide to carry either my p99 or pf9 around(now the pf9 is on my hip), I press check every time it leaves my sight. An example would be if I take off my gun to take a shower, then come back to get it when my pj's are on. It was never unloaded....by me.....as far as i remember. Those last two things give press-checking credibility to me to absolutely ensure if someone crashes through my sliding glass door, my gun will go "bang" and not "click".

As for people relying on loaded chamber indicators....especially the ruger sr9 and xd designs....they fail. Shoot enough to get that thing all boogered up with carbon and fouling and it'll give you a false-positive. Press checking only gives you a false-positive if somehow you've got fired brass in the chamber. Again, i wouldn't want to feel an xd's chamber loaded indicator sticking up and then hear a "click" when i needed it because i was too lazy to do a 1-second press on my firearm.

As 3rd mentioned, a good smack on the rear of the slide(or hit on the forward-assist) always follows the press to ensure it's loaded AND in battery if i need it.

NICELY STATED!!!! i'm not sure how everyone stores their firearms, if they store their CCW, duty or HD Firearm combat ready. Regardless, its takes 3 seconds to PRESS CHECK a firearm before holstering the gun. those 3 seconds could make the difference between a loaded weapon or not

 

[aberforth]

So I'm gonna show my ignorance by stating that I didn't know it was called press checking until I read this thread. That said I've always done it.

 

[INMY01TA]

No, I just look down the barrel.













J/k.

 

[awptickes]

My Glock feels lonely without one in the chamber.

No, I don't check, because I KNOW there's one in pipe. Of course there are situations where I do check, but 99% of the time I know there's one in the chamber.

 

[ThawMyTongue]

My Glock feels lonely without one in the chamber.

No, I don't check, because I KNOW there's one in pipe. Of course there are situations where I do check, but 99% of the time I know there's one in the chamber.

Not trying to knock ya... But there are plenty of people who KNEW there was NOT one in the chamber who are no longer with us.

I would rather check my assumption visually before I need to than check it with a trigger pull when I really need it.

 

[WeaponsCollector]

No, I just look down the barrel.

J/k.

I have a 1911 and a BHP and when both are empty I can look just under the hammer between the slide and the frame and see through both barrels from the back of the gun.

 

[awptickes]

Not trying to knock ya... But there are plenty of people who KNEW there was NOT one in the chamber who are no longer with us.

I would rather check my assumption visually before I need to than check it with a trigger pull when I really need it.

I fully understand what you're getting at when you say that. Believe me, I do.

I always treat it like it's loaded, because I know it's loaded. Even when I'm cleaning or doing snap cap drills I check to ensure it's not loaded with live rounds. I'm incredibly anal about it.

The one time you don't check for a live round, one appears or disappears. Whichever is more harmful to your life.

 

[jvegas]

glocks have an indicator built in. like Name Taken, i don't see a reason to perform a press check if you are loading your gun correctly....slide back, insert mag and charge.

 

[ffemtreed]

Never. After I load the magazine, I chamber the round and then eject the mag to top it off. As long as there's a round missing from the mag, I know where it is.

Same here.

 

[clandestine]

glocks have an indicator built in. like Name Taken, i don't see a reason to perform a press check if you are loading your gun correctly....slide back, insert mag and charge.

When a mag dosent seat it wont strip a round. Bad followers and springs can also lead to the round not being stripped and chambered. Its a very common malfunction.

 

[davsco]

my failsafe method is to pull the trigger after racking the slide. i am very safe, pointing it away from my family and dog in the house. if it goes off, i know that a round was definitely in the chamber. then i do it again just to make sure the mag fed properly...

 

[clandestine]

my failsafe method is to pull the trigger after racking the slide. i am very safe, pointing it away from my family and dog in the house. if it goes off, i know that a round was definitely in the chamber. then i do it again just to make sure the mag fed properly...

If it floats your boat. Tap. Rack. Bang.

 

[davsco]

that was a joke of course...

 

[clandestine]

that was a joke of course...

I knew. . Im fluent in sarcasm.

 

[jrumann59]

My Taurus Beretta 92AFS does have a LCI but I press check because a) the indicator is slightly visible with no contrasting color b) good habit considering LCIs can get stuck.

 

[Archangel]

I don't press check when loading up initially. Like joppaj, when I drop the mag to top it off, I know that if it's down a round, that round is in the chamber.

However, any time that the gun leaves my control, I'll press check it when I pick it back up, to verify that a) someone else hasn't messed with it in my absence, and b) my memory about the state I left it in is correct. (ie I think the gun was loaded when I put in in the safe, but that was 3 months ago... Let me make sure before I put it in my holster to ccw.)

There's also times that I'll do it in training classes. You spend 8 hours on a hot range, where some drills end with an empty gun, some a half empty gun, and some a topped off gun, and it's worth press checking before starting the next drill.

 

[Lex Armarum]

I load the chamber by hand then insert the mag. Never need to press check.