Checking the Chamber

[jcc7x7]

I'm back from the Col. Cooper days and was given a manual of arms to use. So I still use it.

Simple

Edited November 8, 2015 by jcc7x7

[RPatton]

I guess one advantage of being a lefty is that I can easily watch the round being chambered without any effort so I had always put the press check in the same category as taking a sight picture. I know what my sights are going to look like so I don't waste my time making sure. If I was using a dot it would be different.

[motosapiens]

TaterHead said: "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".

I learned at Gunsite in March 1981. Taught by two guys, who were my instructors . . . . . Jeff Cooper and Clint Smith.

That used to mean something at one time to a lot of people. Still does to me, so I press check, as I was taught.

doesn't mean anything to me. i just make sure the magazine locks in before i rack the slide. I have never once had a round fail to chamber at the start of a stage or string or whatever.

but i think a routine is good, whatever that routine entails. if i do the same exact thing every time, i don't forget st uff.

[Nimitz]

In a game were even a 1 sec mistake can be the difference between winning and losing a match (Steel Challenge) I chamber check before every string ....that's 39 times every match. It's been a part of my pre-shoot mental prep ever since I can remember ...

[waktasz]

I chamber check before and after every shot. Just in case.

[d_striker]

Someday, some of you naysayers will remember this thread and understand why some of us press check at make ready.

Edited November 9, 2015 by d_striker

[Nimitz]

Watch the top shooters and see how many do it vice don't ..... There's a hint in there somewhere ....

[rowdyb]

^^^^^ this. Watch the people being paid to be there at the competition and see how many of them press check. It has value and beyond competition as well. I watch a lot of people who use, not just carry, a firearm for their job. A majority of them press check as well after loading a gun.

There is a difference between thinking and knowing. Finally from a good friend, "Hope is not a plan."

[motosapiens]

so why only press check before the string, and not before each shot, like waktasz suggests?

if i wasn't confident that my gun would strip rounds reliably from the magazine, I would get it fixed instead of checking it every time I rack the slide.

[thermobollocks]

Use that highly developed primate brain to spend effort in places where it will be useful. If something isn't useful to you, don't do it.

[motosapiens]

Use that highly developed primate brain to spend effort in places where it will be useful. If something isn't useful to you, don't do it.

sure. good suggestion. Note that my question was only directed towards those who are saying 'you'd better press check too, or you'll be sorry!', and not towards those who are saying 'i press check cuz it makes me feel better.'

[FTDMFR]

so why only press check before the string, and not before each shot, like waktasz suggests?

if i wasn't confident that my gun would strip rounds reliably from the magazine, I would get it fixed instead of checking it every time I rack the slide.

Because a failure to chamber during LAMR is usually caused by not seating the mag properly. Are you seating mags before every shot?

If you've been fortunate enough to never have this happen, then that's great. However, some poor bastards like me who are stuck in restricted states have to use blocked 10 round mags that are sometimes nigh impossible to fully seat on a closed slide, and a chamber check is cheap insurance.

Edited November 10, 2015 by FTDMFR

[d_striker]

so why only press check before the string, and not before each shot, like waktasz suggests?

if i wasn't confident that my gun would strip rounds reliably from the magazine, I would get it fixed instead of checking it every time I rack the slide.

Either you guys are both retarded or are trolling if you don't understand that time is free before the buzzer goes off.

[FTDMFR]

so why only press check before the string, and not before each shot, like waktasz suggests?

if i wasn't confident that my gun would strip rounds reliably from the magazine, I would get it fixed instead of checking it every time I rack the slide.

Either you guys are both retarded or are trolling if you don't understand that time is free before the buzzer goes off.

Waktasz is trolling. That is how the Waktasz do.

[motosapiens]

Because a failure to chamber during LAMR is usually caused by not seating the mag properly. Are you seating mags before every shot?

If you've been fortunate enough to never have this happen, then that's great. However, some poor bastards like me who are stuck in restricted states have to use blocked 10 round mags that are sometimes nigh impossible to fully seat on a closed slide, and a chamber check is cheap insurance.

I've had mags fail to seat during a stage, but never at LAMR. It's not fortunate though. I just take the time and attention to make sure it's seated.

Note that I don't have anything against chamber-checking, but I do have something against people telling me if I don't do it their way I'll be sorry.

[d_striker]

Because a failure to chamber during LAMR is usually caused by not seating the mag properly. Are you seating mags before every shot?

If you've been fortunate enough to never have this happen, then that's great. However, some poor bastards like me who are stuck in restricted states have to use blocked 10 round mags that are sometimes nigh impossible to fully seat on a closed slide, and a chamber check is cheap insurance.

I've had mags fail to seat during a stage, but never at LAMR. It's not fortunate though. I just take the time and attention to make sure it's seated.

Note that I don't have anything against chamber-checking, but I do have something against people telling me if I don't do it their way I'll be sorry.

A few of my factory SP01 mags have a tendency to make rounds want to nose dive in the mag. While the mag is seated properly, the force from seating it will sometimes (very rarely) make a round nose dive in the mag and it doesn't get picked up. Typically, during a COF the gun recoiling is enough to get the rounds feeding up properly.

Who is telling you to do it their way or you'll be sorry? All I said was if you shoot this game long enough, it's bound to happen to you. And the naysayers that don't understand why some press check will understand why some of us press check. Personally I don't care what anyone else does or doesn't do at make ready.

If anything, some of the naysayers to press checking in this thread have made it a point to say it's unnecessary and stupid when there are many of us that have experienced a round not getting picked up on multiple occasions. Thermobollocks witnessed it happening to me just a couple of weeks ago when he was RO'ing me. And yes, my mag was seated properly.

Edited November 10, 2015 by d_striker

[thermobollocks]

I check all 8 chambers when I make ready and during every reload.

And d_striker, yeah, it can happen. The more reps you get out of your guns, the more I bet you'll notice the feel of a round feeding vs. not feeding. If I ever don't feel that little catch on any of my pistols (or rifles, and shotguns are even easier) I'll double-check. Whatever someone wants to do when they make ready is fine by me as long as they don't run afoul of section 10. Chamber check, mental target inventory, finger waggle like they're Doc Holliday, whatever.

[ramairthree]

If you shoot enough at some point you will have an empty chamber doe to a mag going bad, broken follower, or something.

I have seen someone click an empty chamber on their dead man's gun a ton of times.

If you use a gun with a loaded chamber indicator, that will almost always be correct.

In 28 years I have had a loaded chamber indicator on a beretta be wrong twice. Why it was palpably up I do not know.

I have seen inexperienced shooters mess up a check and eject a round a few times.

Choose what you are going to do don't get worked up if others do it and you don't.

In the dark, I do a loaded chamber indicator check with my finger on a pistol, and pull and feel the mag on an AR.

I daylight, I do a press check on a pistol and pull and feel/look on an AR.

[motosapiens]

Who is telling you to do it their way or you'll be sorry? All I said was if you shoot this game long enough, it's bound to happen to you.

umm.. you are.

I'm sorry your gun is not reliable. It makes sense for you to double-check if you're not going to figure out how to fix it.

Admittedly, I've only shot 60-70k rounds in the last 5 years, so i probably haven't been shooting long enough to experience this problem.

[d_striker]

Who is telling you to do it their way or you'll be sorry? All I said was if you shoot this game long enough, it's bound to happen to you.

umm.. you are.

I'm sorry your gun is not reliable. It makes sense for you to double-check if you're not going to figure out how to fix it.

Admittedly, I've only shot 60-70k rounds in the last 5 years, so i probably haven't been shooting long enough to experience this problem.

Again, I don't care what anyone does at make ready. I'm not sure if you're still trolling, you truly believe that's what I'm saying, you're not the best at reading comprehension, or you're seriously deluded by your presumption fallacy.

All I was saying was why I press check and if one plays this game long enough, they might see why some people press check. If you don't ever have the issue, that's great!

[teros135]

Yes, sounds like a little trolling here, probably tongue-in-cheek, in good fun.

Nothing wrong with checking the chamber, for whatever reasons you do it. Nothing wrong with not checking it. Whichever works for you.

[motosapiens]

Again, I don't care what anyone does at make ready. I'm not sure if you're still trolling, you truly believe that's what I'm saying, you're not the best at reading comprehension, or you're seriously deluded by your presumption fallacy.

All I was saying was why I press check and if one plays this game long enough, they might see why some people press check. If you don't ever have the issue, that's great!

I'm not really trolling, just calling you out on what you actually said:

"Someday, some of you naysayers will remember this thread and understand why some of us press check at make ready"

"All I said was if you shoot this game long enough, it's bound to happen to you."

If you don't care what I do, why are you so adamant in posting things like the above? Why not just explain why you do it without taking pokes at anyone else? Teros135 has the right idea. Nothing wrong with checking. Nothing wrong with not checking. The statements you have made otoh make it very clear that you think there is something wrong with not checking and those of us who don't check will be sorry some day.

Edited November 12, 2015 by motosapiens

[d_striker]

You fail at reading comprehension.

Perhaps you just have some sort of inferiority complex going on where you interpret everything as if people are talking down on you or trying to pick a fight with you?

You should read it again and check yourself. Then try to get to the bottom of your personal issues.

[armydad]

Ingrained in me for many years (defensive, not competition) is to mag check, chamber check. Never had a ND and doubt I ever will. Very rarely at a competition have I made ready, and chamber checked to find the round did not chamber. It works for me, but folks not comfortable with it should stick with their process.

[motosapiens]

You fail at reading comprehension.

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