Apparently press-checks are popular enough to justify slapping forward slide grooves on everything that actually features a slide, but I'm having a little trouble understanding their purpose. As I understand it, a press-check is performed by grasping the forward part of a gun's slide from below and pulling back enough to visually or tactically verify that a round is in the chamber.
One proponent of press-checks explained to me that the press-check is intended to verify that a gun is loaded in situations where it may need to be put into immediate action; this, he explained, is why one should not use an overhand grasp of the slide that would cover its sights and/or ejection port. According to him, the press-check is useful for people who frequently load or unload their guns to the point that they might not be entirely certain of its state in an emergency situation where they may need to use it very quickly.
To me, none of this really rings true. I have trouble imagining a plausible scenario where danger is imminent enough to justify checking the gun in a fashion designed not to permit instantly shooting it if need be, but not so dangerous that one has no time to do anything but shoot.
Actually, that's not entirely accurate: I can imagine that kind of situation, but only if the scenario involves a certain degree or negligence or inattentiveness on the part of the person with the gun. If one cannot bet his life on whether or not the gun in his holster is loaded, it seems that the procedural solution is better applied earlier in the process, before one is in such imminent danger that even covering the sights constitutes a risk.
I understand that someone who may have to clear and reload a gun multiple times a day has more opportunities to leave his gun in a state where it is not ready for action; similarly, checking a gun before it is needed offers one more safety net. What I am having difficulty understanding are the circumstances where someone has engaged in confusing gun-handling far enough in advance to raise the specter of not having a round chambered, but has not since had a chance to verify that the gun is loaded in a controlled, non-dangerous situation.
Can someone enlighten me?
One proponent of press-checks explained to me that the press-check is intended to verify that a gun is loaded in situations where it may need to be put into immediate action; this, he explained, is why one should not use an overhand grasp of the slide that would cover its sights and/or ejection port. According to him, the press-check is useful for people who frequently load or unload their guns to the point that they might not be entirely certain of its state in an emergency situation where they may need to use it very quickly.
To me, none of this really rings true. I have trouble imagining a plausible scenario where danger is imminent enough to justify checking the gun in a fashion designed not to permit instantly shooting it if need be, but not so dangerous that one has no time to do anything but shoot.
Actually, that's not entirely accurate: I can imagine that kind of situation, but only if the scenario involves a certain degree or negligence or inattentiveness on the part of the person with the gun. If one cannot bet his life on whether or not the gun in his holster is loaded, it seems that the procedural solution is better applied earlier in the process, before one is in such imminent danger that even covering the sights constitutes a risk.
I understand that someone who may have to clear and reload a gun multiple times a day has more opportunities to leave his gun in a state where it is not ready for action; similarly, checking a gun before it is needed offers one more safety net. What I am having difficulty understanding are the circumstances where someone has engaged in confusing gun-handling far enough in advance to raise the specter of not having a round chambered, but has not since had a chance to verify that the gun is loaded in a controlled, non-dangerous situation.
Can someone enlighten me?