Confidence comes from discipline and training.
- Robert Kiyosaki -
I was at the gun range recently, discussing some concepts with a chap and I mentioned the words press check, a fairly common shooting term, and he looked at me with a blank expression. I repeated myself and he told me he had no idea what I meant; I explained it to him and figured I'd share it here too.
A press check, (sometimes called a weapons check or chamber check and one or two other things), is an action a person operating a firearm performs to determine if a round is loaded into the chamber.
Press checks happen on handguns, rifles and shotguns, all in different ways due to the differences in those firearms, and is a good habit to get into, (in my opinion), especially in situations when having a chambered round is critical like law enforcement, military, security scenarios and also in competition situations.
It's a simple process that takes a second or two giving the operator confirmation of the firearm's status as per the press check process below for a semi-automatic handgun:
That's called, Condition 1: Full magazine in place, round chambered, hammer cocked, safety on.
Above you can see the the press check as described above. You'll note the "round" in the chamber has a hole in it...that's because it's a snap cap, not a live round, used for demonstration purposes.
I also add another check before I holster the firearm which is to eject the magazine and check it's full and not a partially used one; I usually carry six magazines so it's easy to insert a used one. Once that's done the handgun is holstered and I'm good to go. I do the same with my rifles in certain situations as well - knowing the firearm's status is critical.
There are some who say performing a press check increases the chance of an accidental discharge through additional (and unnecessary handling), logical of course, however I believe any person operating a firearm should know the status of that firearm at all times, and should be capable of performing a safe press check. It's been debated both ways of course and that's ok, I do it and that's that; not everyone will always agree.
What definitely can be agreed upon in the firearms community is this:
I'm not sure performing a press check once prior to holstering a firearm taken into the field for use is unnecessary, multiple times though, yes, unnecessary; I guess it's a responsibility and discipline thing...Accidents happen all the time and it's almost always due to operator error, poor skills, technique and handling procedures and, most sadly, quite often due to operator stupidity, carelessness or negligence. With the right skills and processes performed diligently and with paramount importance placed on safety firearms accidents could be virtually eliminated. It's common sense really.
The above image shows a brass snap cap in 9mm.
I had a great chat with the fellow I mention above...He loves the idea of doing a press check on his handgun; I even gave him a 9mm snap cap, a dummy round CNC machined from solid brass or made from plastic, so he could practice at home. I think that was the big take-away for him...the need to train and practice, drill in the processes of handling and operating firearms whether it's loading, drawing from the holster, acquiring the target, pointing it in a safe direction, trigger pulling, grip, recoil management, body stance, unloading, the press check process or any of the other concepts required. Being practiced and competent at each thing brings confidence...but that confidence should never become complacence.
Design and create your ideal life, tomorrow isn't promised - galenkp
[Original and AI free]
All images in this post are my own.
