quote:

whenever the gun has been out of their immediate control.

This is when I press check.

Every qualification string I’ve been part of for 22 years: “Shooters, take that (whatever is required for the string) round magazine. LOAD, PRESS CHECK and HOLSTER. On the command of FIGHT...”

I press check every time I pick up a weapon that has been out of my immediate control. I’m human. I make mistakes. I’ve seen plenty of clicks instead of bangs happen to people on the range because they assumed a round was chambered. I’ve seen more than one officer go to download a weapon that likely hasn’t been shot since last years quals only to find an empty chamber. Hell. Even if the weapon HAS been in my immediate control and I know it’s loaded I’d STILL press check before walking into a situation where I thought I’d need it. Takes a second and costs nothing. Humans make mistakes.

But I’m just an old broken down cop, not a high speed tactical trainer. I’ll be more than happy to never find myself where rounds are traveling in two directions ever again.

Safety Rule #1: The gun is always loaded.

Safety Rule #1a: Trust, but verify.

If it needs to be unloaded, check the chamber.

If it needs to be loaded, check the chamber.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: RichardC,

I check the chamber any time I pick up a gun that I’m not actively shooting. The reason being is that I’ve burned up a coffee maker that I “knew” that I turned off, forgot keys that I “knew” that I put in my pocket, and so on.

I also check for my wallet if I can’t specifically remember putting it in my pocket, check to make sure my pocket knife is where it should be during the day, etc, etc, so it may just be me also.

quote:

Originally posted by Yankee paddler:
So you load your 15-round magazine with 15 rounds, pop it in the pistol, rack the slide and remove and top off the magazine. Hey! It took that extra round so it has 15 in it. I don't need to press check. Where the hell would that first round go if it wasn't in the chamber? Never heard of a Twilight Zone for ammo.

This is and always has been my thinking. I count the rounds as I load the mag and always try to get one more in, just in case I miscounted.

If I do that and, after racking/dropping the slide, can get another into the mag, then there must be one in the chamber. Once it's loaded it either goes into a rack in the safe or into a holster, and there it stays.

quote:

Originally posted by Farther:
... even in my advanced age of 70 I remember what condition each and every one of my handguns is in.

I know if it's out of the safe in either a holster or the nightstand, it's loaded. Period.

The "non-combat" firearms in my safe are always unloaded. The combat firearms are always loaded. Nonetheless: Any firearm I pick up out of the safe that's neither my nightstand pistol nor the one I've been carrying I assume to be loaded (Rule 1)--but always double-check immediately upon picking it up. I double-check by dropping the mag. If there are rounds in it: It's loaded. If there are not: I pull the slide to make certain it's not.

To each their own, but press-checking, to me, seems like unnecessary manipulation of a loaded firearm.

quote:

Originally posted by gnappi:
So, C'mon press checkers, fess up tell us why you'd suspect your gun somehow became unloaded.

If that's what you believe then you may be too stupid to understand the answer.

I do laugh a bit at the guys on the range in bright daylight at the start of a stage that aggressively rack the gun to load then draw back the slide to check for a loaded round. For me the sensible thing is to slowly load and simply watch the round enter the chamber.
While there are techniques for doing no or low light press checks and they certainly have merit but why make things more complicated on the range where simply watching what you are doing will suffice?

There have been times, especially with smaller guns like my G43 where I didn’t quite seat the mag all of the way and it didn’t grab the 1st round. This is always when I’m shooting and practicing speed reloads but it still happens so I always check whenever I reload after shooting/cleaning but I’m one and done.