Why I Press Check Always... But Once

[Dragonfighter]

I think some of y'all know I switched back to 1911 as my EDC (I guess the testosterone treatments are working). I also posted once upon a time asking whether I was weird for press checking every time I strapped up regardless of knowing that I was the ONLY one to handle, nothing was done to change the configuration.

Well, complacency got me and I'll NEVER not press check again. I was at my daughter and son-in-law's house and he asked to see the 1911. I pulled it, cleared it and handed it to him. When he handed it back I inserted the mag, cycled the pistol, placed it on safe and dropped the mag to replace the chambered round.

The round would not go in. The next morning I tried again but when I dropped the mag, I noticed the site hole showed the full 8 rounds. I press checked and found an empty chamber. I realized, too late that I didn't "click" the mag in before that initial cycle as I replayed it in my memory.

Always, always, press check your weapon. God willing, had I needed it, I would have had the chance to cycle the slide but...

[C-dub]

I hadn't thought it about it much, but I guess I also do a press check before sliding mine into its holster after putting the holster on my belt. So automatic I hadn't thought much about it.

[Tex1961]

My Shield Plus has the witness hole, but yeah I do a visual as well.

[Jose_in_Dallas]

Be careful about constantly press checking and keep an eye for bullet setback. I noticed that and now I rotate the chambered round and shoot my carry magazine from time to time. I normally carry a Glock and easy enough to visually see a chambered round without having to press check plus when there is a round chambered, can you tell by feeling the extractor.

[Dragonfighter]

Be careful about constantly press checking and keep an eye for bullet setback.

Hadn't thought about it. Anytime it has come out of the holster and goes back in is when I do it. When the entire rig comes off I don't.

I noticed that and now I rotate the chambered round and shoot my carry magazine from time to time. I normally carry a Glock and easy enough to visually see a chambered round without having to press check plus when there is a round chambered, can you tell by feeling the extractor.

I rotate magazines fairly regularly. I'll switch mags and empty the previous one reloading in reverse order. I do shoot the defensive mag every now and again. How often do you do it?

[C-dub]

Be careful about constantly press checking and keep an eye for bullet setback. I noticed that and now I rotate the chambered round and shoot my carry magazine from time to time. I normally carry a Glock and easy enough to visually see a chambered round without having to press check plus when there is a round chambered, can you tell by feeling the extractor.

I have also watched for that. I haven't seen any yet. I also rotate chambered rounds occasionally if/when I actually drop the mag for whatever reason.

[Rafe]

Be careful about constantly press checking and keep an eye for bullet setback. I noticed that and now I rotate the chambered round and shoot my carry magazine from time to time. I normally carry a Glock and easy enough to visually see a chambered round without having to press check plus when there is a round chambered, can you tell by feeling the extractor.

I have also watched for that. I haven't seen any yet. I also rotate chambered rounds occasionally if/when I actually drop the mag for whatever reason.

Yep. I think the potential issue depends mainly on how you do the press-check (I've seen some people do it like a two-handed, almost-full slide rack, almost to the point the ejector is about to kick in), and then second on the ammunition used. Seems .40 S&W, which I still shoot, has had more of a problem historically than most other calibers.

That said, setback typically occurs--if it's going to occur--when a bullet pushes against a feed ramp. In most normal circumstances (and if you are not pulling the cartridge mostly out of the chamber when doing a press-check), the bullet shouldn't encounter any nose-on resistance when moving slightly in the chamber. So I'd think the greatest risk of setback comes from chambering the round from the magazine, and that a true press-check shouldn't tend to add to the problem.

But, yeah. It's second nature to me to do a press-check almost every time I holster a pistol or sling a rifle. I say "almost" because if I need to do something like reposition the holster a bit on the belt, if all I do is unholster, lay the gun on a desk in front of me, position the holster, and then pick the gun back up (which has never left my sight), I'll skip it then.

[Jose_in_Dallas]

I have also watched for that. I haven't seen any yet. I also rotate chambered rounds occasionally if/when I actually drop the mag for whatever reason.

Yep. I think the potential issue depends mainly on how you do the press-check (I've seen some people do it like a two-handed, almost-full slide rack, almost to the point the ejector is about to kick in), and then second on the ammunition used. Seems .40 S&W, which I still shoot, has had more of a problem historically than most other calibers.

That said, setback typically occurs--if it's going to occur--when a bullet pushes against a feed ramp. In most normal circumstances (and if you are not pulling the cartridge mostly out of the chamber when doing a press-check), the bullet shouldn't encounter any nose-on resistance when moving slightly in the chamber. So I'd think the greatest risk of setback comes from chambering the round from the magazine, and that a true press-check shouldn't tend to add to the problem.

But, yeah. It's second nature to me to do a press-check almost every time I holster a pistol or sling a rifle. I say "almost" because if I need to do something like reposition the holster a bit on the belt, if all I do is unholster, lay the gun on a desk in front of me, position the holster, and then pick the gun back up (which has never left my sight), I'll skip it then.

Well I can tell you that when I did press check, it was just enough to confirm I had a bullet in the chamber. I used to do it fairly frequently, not so much now. With Glock's (which is what I almost always carry now), there is really not much of a need as I can still visually see a bullet in there by some smallish gap between the slide and the barrel. Or with the extractor slightly protruding.

As i mentioned before, now I regularly rotate my carry ammo. Either moving rounds around in the magazine once they've been "up top" or shooting the magazine. Which is probably a better thing to do as I can see how the ammo shoots to point of aim.