CHAMBERED ROUND VERIFICATION, AKA THE “PRESS CHECK” - Silvercore Firearms Training BC
BY TIM LAU | POSTED ON 12/15/2012 BY TIM LAU | IN TRAINING
Recently, I’ve read some discussion on the Press Check, with some firearms instructors stating that it is unnecessary, that instead of a Press Check, one should simply conduct a tactical reload. Let’s start by defining what it is. A Press Check is, quite simply, the act of verifying that the weapon has a chambered cartridge and is ready to fire. On a semi-automatic pistol, this usually involves moving the slide rearward by about 3/4 of an inch and either visually or physically confirming that there is indeed a round in the chamber. In this article, I will discuss whether or not I feel this action is ever necessary to perform.
Before I go any further, let me state that my opinion comes from a very specific perspective, which may or may not be consistent with yours. My frame of reference comes from having been (and continue to be) an armed professional, for the better part of a decade-and-a-half. During this time, I carried on and off the job. I prepared for tactical missions by loading up prior to, and downloading afterward. As with most domestic law enforcement officers (and probably not enough of us do this), I carried a gun when I left work, during my off hours, and when I went back to work. These were not always the same gun. This can present issues that may not exist if one simply carries for a mission and then goes unarmed afterward; also, these issues may or may not exist in your world if you are looking at this as an armed, prepared citizen. Every tactic has a time and place, and it is always important to understand from what perspective someone is speaking from when evaluating the point being made.
On the issue of the Press Check, as I understand it, an argument against it goes something like this: the press check creates the habit of looking at the gun and decreases the user’s situational awareness. Having attended and taught one or two shooting courses in my career, I have indeed seen students ritualistically perform press checks between each and every shooting drill, so I can understand where this theory comes from. (I have also seen people ritualistically wave the gun left and right like a talisman warding away evil instead of conducting an actual assessment of their surroundings – but that article is for another day.) The anti-press-check argument continues by stating if you are unsure of the condition of your weapon due to storage issues, you should simply clear the weapon, and then reload it.
These arguments appear to stem from strict dogma that all weapon manipulations should be “tactical” and none should be simply administrative. The problem with these arguments is that they does not account for human nature and the reality of working with and being around firearms all the time. For example, I store my duty weapon in my locked locker at work. It remains loaded and ready. From time to time, someone may either go into my locker to retrieve or borrow unrelated equipment (there are master keys available to supervisors and others.) Since I am not the one and only person with potential access to my duty weapon, before I go on shift, I perform a quick press check to confirm my weapon has a chambered round and is fully loaded.
The anti-Press Check argument is to simply unload and reload every time. This can be done, but knowing policemen, many will simply not check rather than have to load and unload every time they go in service. Secondly, this advice is impractical. The big three ammunition makers (Remington, Federal and Winchester) all recommend discarding a round after it has been run through an action twice due to possible bullet setback issues and primer degradation. I don’t see cops or citizens embracing an SOP that requires them to discard or take out of service a $1-2 service cartridge every day or two.
In the case of long guns, most departments have SOP’s that dictate long guns be carried or stored in the following fashion: Chamber empty, full magazine in the gun. When preparing for a Search Warrant (for example), I will chamber a round just prior to going to the location. As many know, during the workup, there are many things that can distract you and take your attention elsewhere. While on the way, if I am unsure, I will conduct a quick press check to ensure I indeed chambered a round and am not carrying a long gun in “patrol ready”. It is cheap insurance and not done as some kind of mindless ritual.
In an ideal world, you need to know the condition of your weapon at all times. But what do you do when you realize you are unsure of the condition of your weapon? Clearing and reloading it every time is impractical, and people WILL NOT DO IT.
The Press Check is a simple and practical way to confirm your equipment is ready.
C.T. http://modernserviceweapons.com/?p=1519
@Silvercore #Silvercore #Firearms #Training #BC #Safety #Canada #presscheck
Sincerely,
Silvercore Firearms Training
604-940-7785
www.silvercore.ca
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