TVGuy wrote:tbryanh wrote:Agoraphobic Penguin wrote:Whenever I have to disarm myself, I leave the gun in a lockbox with cable attached to my car seat frame and hidde from view. I also take the mags and clear the chambers so if stolen it won't be able to be fired immediately.
I understand the value of unloading when disarming, but weighed against the increased possibility of an accidental discharge, leaving the gun loaded wins out for me.
I am also one of those who is against press checking to see if your weapon is loaded.
I believe the safest way to handle a semi auto pistol is to load it and leave it alone.
You don't press check to make sure your weapon is loaded, it's done to ensure you have a round in full battery and the weapon is in a condition that will fire when needed.
There is no danger in a properly performed press check, but the amount of danger in having a FTS/FTF condition if the immediate need for your weapon arises is quite high.
I am not following the need to press check, but I have only ever owned traditional Sig pistols, so maybe there is something I'm missing.
I feel that press checking a Sig pistol is very dangerous because the process cocks the hammer. A de-cocked hammer is what makes a Sig safe. The trigger pull is extremely light when the hammer is cocked and there is no trigger safety on a Sig like there is on a Glock for instance. I just never want the hammer to be cocked unless I've already fired the first round. That is the Sig way.
I have press checked a Sig, and all I saw was the butt of the round in the extractor. Not sure how helpfull that infomation is. Press checking a Sig actually pulls the round partially out of the chamber. Not sure what this proves.
The way I know there is a round in the chamber is when I load the pistol. The magazine has holes in one side to let me see how many rounds are in the magazine. Here is the procedure I use:
1. Carefully inspect magazine to verify it is full
2. Lock slide back on pistol
3. Check that chamber is empty
4. Insert magazine into pistol
5. Release slide
6. Decock hammer
7. Release magazine
8. Check that magazine is no longer full
9. Insert one round into magazine
10. Carefully inspect magazine to verify it is full
11. Insert magazine into pistol
When I released the magazine and added one round to make it full again, I know a round went in the chamber. I do not need to inspect the chamber to verify this.
Whenever I am at the range and I load the pistol, it fires every time I pull the trigger. It never fails to do so. I don't seem to see a need or to know a method to ensure the round is in full battery and that the weapon is in a condition that will fire when needed.
Perhaps there is a need and a method for this on pistols other than traditional Sigs. I don't know.
Perhaps lessons learned from AR15 rifles are being projected unnecessarily onto pistols. I have never owned or fired an AR15, but I have read about cases where they do not go fully into battery and the back of the AR is hit with the palm of the hand to make it go into full battery.
If there is something I am missing, I would sure like to learn about it. I am open minded and don't mind being proved to be wrong. I would never want my pistol to FTS or FTF.
