Checking the Chamber

[TaterHead]

Are you two married?

[d_striker]

You fail at reading comprehension.

lulz. Nice comeback. Sounds like by making it personal you are admitting your error. Thanks.

Pointing out the objective reality of the situation is not making it personal.

Lulz x2.

[FTDMFR]

Guys, guys, guys - I think we're all saying the same thing.

Every time you don't chamber check, God kills a puppy.

[45 Raven]

I suggest we close on FTDMFR's note!

[RPatton]

This is what happens when you ask a question that only requires a YES / NO answer. LOL

[motosapiens]

Guys, guys, guys - I think we're all saying the same thing.

Every time you don't chamber check, God kills a puppy.

smartest post in this thread.

[9x45]

No, I don't, but whatever gives you confidence. Just smash the mag in and rack the shite out of it on my Glocks. And I don't mess with my carry gun once loaded. I do shoot 12-16 rounds out of it on a weekly basis and always burn the round in the chamber so I won't worry about bullet setback.

I think if you are going to troll for sharks, it would be reasonable to have boat much larger that the shark.

[Nimitz]

the world is full of 1%ers ... unfortunately most make it to breeding age before life catches up with them ...

[robport]

I didn't do it, until I went click on a stage. Now I'm pretty religious about it. I'd rather have the funny looks than the extra seconds..

[motosapiens]

I didn't do it, until I went click on a stage. Now I'm pretty religious about it. I'd rather have the funny looks than the extra seconds..

why did it go click?

[robport]

I didn't do it, until I went click on a stage. Now I'm pretty religious about it. I'd rather have the funny looks than the extra seconds..

why did it go click?

Racked the slide during load and make ready, then holstered. Mag was fully seated. A round, maybe 8 down was stuck, so no spring pressure on follower.

I started the stage empty. You lose a lot of time figuring out what is going on. Press check is cheap insurance for me and now acts as part of a starting "ritual", which helps my jitters.

[motosapiens]

<snip> and now acts as part of a starting "ritual", which helps my jitters.

I also find it very helpful to have a routine, and do it the same every time.

[elftech86]

^ Kind of surprising you shoot competitively with that sort of attitude towards firearms. There's a lot of us whose daily grind is exponentially more dangerous than manipulating a loaded gun. The reason we are alive and still attached to our arms and legs is because we understand that any handling of a potentially dangerous tool requires focus on the task at hand, no matter how familiar we are with it. Loaded firearms, when treated with the same respect, are considerably less dangerous than driving on a highway full of distracted texting motorists, and we still all do that everyday.

+1

[pointerman1967]

After having my gun go "click" during a classifier once I changed my start routine. I don't do a press check, but rather use a Barney mag. I check that mag when I eject it to make sure the one round that was in it is now gone. I am also only shooting 10 round divisions so the extra round is often helpful. I do the Barney process even if I plan or have to reload well before I might use 10 rounds. It IS my press check.

[crobber]

Happened to me this weekend. I always check and noticed that the chamber was empty. Got it loaded up and proceeded to have feed issues on that stage until I changed the mag. The round not chambering should have set off an alarm in my head to use a different mag, but it was the last stage of the day and my brain just didn't make that connection.

[BARRYJ]

I use a barney mag. Put it in an rack the slide. When I take it out, if a round is missing, that's a clue that one is in the chamber. I put a fresh mag in the gun and I'm ready to go.

[Grant]

I always presscheck with a pistol. I use the Pat Rogers pish/pull for rifle.

[Janskis]

I didn't even know this process had a name. Press check? Did someone just make that up? It seems like an insecure thing to do, like there is some need to make sure that the gun is actually functioning as it was designed. The slide goes back and forth, a round goes in the chamber. Why does one need to question that this most basic operation isn't working? Now, if you suspect a problem, then fine, check it (I still dont see where this is a 'press'), but to do it everytime seems paranoid.

I too have never heard "press check" and I've been under the impression that it is "brass check"

[teros135]

I didn't even know this process had a name. Press check? Did someone just make that up? It seems like an insecure thing to do, like there is some need to make sure that the gun is actually functioning as it was designed. The slide goes back and forth, a round goes in the chamber. Why does one need to question that this most basic operation isn't working? Now, if you suspect a problem, then fine, check it (I still dont see where this is a 'press'), but to do it everytime seems paranoid.

I too have never heard "press check" and I've been under the impression that it is "brass check"

Yes, Dorothy, it's called a "press check" here, "brass check" there, "status check" somewhere else. Let's not be snarky, okay?

As noted in this thread, by many experienced competitive shooters, there are many good reasons to press check. One of them is the famous "brain fart", such as when I loaded up for a stage by putting a mag in the gun and completely forgetting to rack the slide. Press check would have let me know (duh!) that there wasn't a chambered round.

Another reason is to check whether the slide is going to run smoothly when I've just put in a full mag, with 20 .40s or 24 or 29 .38SC. If the rounds aren't settled in to the mag they can produce some significant upward pressure and slow the slide. Occasionally I've opted to remove the top round.

And, for some, it's just a good part of the make-ready ritual. Helps ease nerves before the start, you know everything's in order.

If it works for you, do it. If it doesn't, then don't.

[Ultimo-Hombre]

I didn't even know this process had a name. Press check? Did someone just make that up? It seems like an insecure thing to do, like there is some need to make sure that the gun is actually functioning as it was designed. The slide goes back and forth, a round goes in the chamber. Why does one need to question that this most basic operation isn't working? Now, if you suspect a problem, then fine, check it (I still dont see where this is a 'press'), but to do it everytime seems paranoid.

I too have never heard "press check" and I've been under the impression that it is "brass check"

I always knew it as brass check too.

Not an official range command so who cares right?

I don't think you were being snarky.

A consistent make ready ritual is always a good idea.

For example I always use a Barney mag, even when loading up a big stick for a short classifier. Consistency prevents simple mistakes right?

[jdublineman]

I perform a "press check" more out of habit than necessity. Like others have said it's cheap, un-timed insurance.

Sent from my SM-N910V using Tapatalk

[Daft]

Okay by me if you do not press check, hope to shoot with you sometime.

[AlphaCharis]

Some people mentioned the loaded indicator instead of using the press check - one thing about relying on that is I noticed on my XDm that it was up even when there was no round in the chamber. A bunch of crap had collected under it, which I couldn't see until I took it apart and cleaned it. I personally never rely on that thing anyway, and forget it is even there, so never thought about cleaning under it. I currently don't press check, unless I did something out of order in my routine and couldn't remember if I racked the slide. Does sound like a good idea, though, just to eliminate as many problems that could happen on a stage. Every second counts.

[MemphisMechanic]

My Production Division LAMR:

• Inspect the "11" hole in my M&P mag.
• Draw the gun full speed, pull it back to my reload position, feed it that mag, and rack it.
• Pop the mag out. Verify the "10" hole now has brass visible.

  reinsert. Give it a second tap to ensure it seated. Tug on it purely out of paranoia.

  11 minus 10 equals... one in the chamber.

• Tap the back of the slide so I know it's fully in battery, holster with thumb pushing rear sight forward to make sure it stays there.
• ...
• If there's any doubt about what the witness holes in the mag are showing me (dirty brass or dim lighting won't give me an indisputable round count) then I throw a press-check in there just before tapping the slide forward into battery.

There's no specified procedure for how to load and make ready. Do what you need to make yourself confident and relaxed at the buzzer. The above takes me about 10-12seconds (I was curious and a friend video'd some stage runs with LAMR included.)

I don't think anyone on your squad is going to grind their teeth because you took twelve seconds to prep and holster your gun. Open shooters often need that long to set the brightness on their dot.

Edited April 12, 2016 by MemphisMechanic

[MacLethal]

I don't press check, but if it doesn't feed that first round it sounds and feels way different. I have a routine at make ready as I think most people should. I un holster, load the mag, rack the slide, tap the mag, flip the safety up and re holster..