The Chamber Check - WHY?

[PressCheck]

I am obsessive about Chamber Checks - Hence my screen name.

 

[BigRobT]

When I took my CHP course the instructor said that complacency caused more gun related accidents than anything else.

We had a safety poster while I was USN, particulary apllicable to those of us in the Aviation Community, "Complacency KILLS"

 

[mbs357]

I'm usually reluctant to check firearms that don't belong to me, because I don't really know how the person feels about the springs being moved around...especially the hammer spring and dry firing. Unfortunatly, I have not been able to convince anyone that none of these are worthy of concern...so I just be VEEERRRY careful with their guns.
My guns however, get checked everytime they come into my hands and several times during the course of my handling.

 

[Lupinus]

simple redundancy.

The same reason I check my oil, tranny fluid, cooling fluid levels, tire preasure, etc before going on a road trip. I know that last time I did something with them all was as it should have been but sometimes things change without your knowlage or an oversight.

I topped off my oil, by maybe it is low. I put anti freeze in my truck...maybe it went down. I put air in the tires....maybe I only did three tires and I overlooked or didn't totaly fill the fourth.

Now to the direct subject of a gun. Withen reach 24/7? Could someone not have touched it while you were sleeping? While you were out of the room? As a cop if you take someone into lock up don't you give up your gun? (Not a cop but that is the impression I have gotten)

Or maybe you simply overlooked one of your steps. You may do it right a thousand times, but it is time 1001 that is the one that will get you or someone else hurt or killed. You can say as much as you want that you know you do it everytime but unless you check you never know that you have, the human mind is wonderful but can forget things esspecialy in a routine it could overlook one of the basic steps.

But it counters this with a desire to double check that is often ignored.

 

[crofrog]

I'm usually reluctant to check firearms that don't belong to me, because I don't really know how the person feels about the springs being moved around...especially the hammer spring and dry firing.

You don't have to dry fire to check the chamber. If they are worried about the "spring's being moved around" do they even shoot them. Sounds like they need to not own gun's or get trained.

Unfortunatly, I have not been able to convince anyone that none of these are worthy of concern...so I just be VEEERRRY careful with their guns.
My guns however, get checked everytime they come into my hands and several times during the course of my handling.

If they won't let you asses the state of their firearm's, and don't turn it over in an unloaded state. There is no need to _ever_ be around them and guns.

Gun's aren't toy's, people die because of this s*ht. I will not be around people who aren't safe, and have come close to getting into physical altercation's at gun stores and shows. There have been a few times where if I had one more gun aimed at my noggin I was going to start breaking jaws.

 

[mbs357]

Understood.

 

[carebear]

Are some of you saying you just check your weapon's loaded status at random throughout the day? That seems excessive.

Carry gun - check it's loaded before I leave the house/range/wire.

Don't screw with it all day, leave it in the holster.

Take it off at night, unload if necessary.

Repeat the next day, every day.

Why would you check it once you put it on your hip if you haven't touched it since you put it on?


Bedside gun - check at bedtime, go to sleep.

Unload on waking if necessary.

Repeat the next night.


Why re-check midday in a "danger zone" (out in public) something that was checked once and secured on your person back in the safety of your home before it was put on? Sure, re-check it if you had to take it off to go into the Federal building or something, but that's technically just restarting your morning routine (checking it because it was off your person) not re-checking "just because".

Did it unload itself between you girding your loins and you maybe needing it in line at Starbucks?

 

[frayluisfan]

Doesn't it create another problem?

I totally agree with all the comments about the necessity of double-checking, never assuming, etc. But I have a question--I've always been told that you need to let the slide slam shut on any semi-auto (numerous sources, from my ex-military pop to instructors, etc.). If you do a press check--pull the slide back an inch or so, and then let ease it forward--aren't you creating a risk that the round will not chamber entirely or that the slide will not lock entirely? I agree with double-checking, as I said, but this *method* seems flawed to me. Am I mistaken on this point?

 

[BigRobT]

I'm more along the lines of Carebear. Once I decide to chamber a round, it stays there until I unload it, present it to anyone, etc. I'm way more cautious in checking the unloaded state than the loaded state. I keep my carry gun loaded 24/7. If someone wants to see it, use it, touch it, etc, then, again, it's unloaded, checked and then offered with the slide in slide-lock, sans magazine.

 

[omnivore75]

I agree. It IS ALWAYS important to be as safe as humanly possible and I too have seen some things at gun stores that I had no choice but to say something about (like when a customer was handed a Taurus .357 and then the salesman walked away and the customer started aiming the gun randomly in every direction and REPEATEDLY dry fciring the weapon like 10 times) so I brought it to the attention of a salesman who then took back the .357 and informed the customer that he was NEVER to dry fire one of his guns or point them at anyone, but I don't see the need of becoming obsessive or rediculous about it, checking repeatedly throughout the day. Just make sure of a weapons state when you pick it up, put it down, or hand it over to someone else and that seems sufficient to me.

 

[crofrog]

If you do a press check--pull the slide back an inch or so, and then let ease it forward

I've got a glock, so this is how _I_ do a chamber check. Work's well for me YMMV

I establish a fighting grip on the gun with my strong side. Then move my strong side index finger up to the back of the ejection port. Roll the gun 90 degree's to the left and grip the front of the slide with my weak hand and pull back using my week hand and my strong hand index finger. As the slide unlocks and the round becomes visible I place my finger into the ejection port to feel that the round is there.

I then remove my index finger and allow the slide to slam forward again from about 1/2 an inch out of battery. I restablish my fighting grip with my strong hand and with the gun pointing in a safe direction (in case the drop saftey as failed) tap the back of the gun with my weak hand. To insure the slide is fully locked up and in battery.


Chris

 

[Coronach]

Are some of you saying you just check your weapon's loaded status at random throughout the day? That seems excessive.

Without reading back over the thread, I'll say that I don't think anyone advocated that, and if they did, I'll agree with you. It's excessive. It probably does not hurt anything, but it still seems excessive.

This is how I do checks:

When I pull the gun out of the safe, I check it's status. Press-check, drop the magazine enough to see the last witness hole. It then goes in a holster. I then go merrily about my day, leaving the thing alone. If it comes off of my person, either to be re-stored in the safe, handled by someone else, shot, cleaned, repaired, etc, it gets checked before it goes back in the holster. Simple, efficient, safe, and after 7+ years of doing it, completely and thoroughly engrained. If I don't do it, it feels completely wierd.

I do NOT pause during the day and check my weapon, unless it has been placed in a gunlocker or something similar (see above).

The only other time I do a routine check is on my way out of the door from home, when going on-duty. Frankly, that is more to make sure that I have put everything on than it is to check the status of a weapon (Hat...badge...gun...pants, you know, the big things).

You'll note that this check- the most boring and administrative last-ditch check I do- is the one that caught my mistake the time I was dryfiring. Humans goof up.

Mike

 

[omnivore75]

I usually just slide my finger along the extractor of my G22 when I pick it up and if the LCI is protruding I know that there is a round in the chamber. Certainly does not hurt to do a visual check of the chamber, but if I already know that I have a round chambered and the LCI indicates that I have a round chambered it seems like thats good enough, but still as I said before there is nothing wrong with being extra safe and ultimately we all do what we feel comfortable with or have learned in our own experience.

 

[crofrog]

I have a round chambered and the LCI indicates that I have a round chambered it seems like thats good enough

What if the LCI is wrong... I've never heard of it happening on glocks, but I have heard of it happening on XD's.

 

[ctdonath]

I'm not going to rely on a machine tell me whether there is a round chambered.

 

[WvaBill]

I don't know if it is consider a chamber check, but I have a habit while driving of feeling for the LCI on the back of my PPK. No unholstering , just reaching under the shirt. When out of the vehicle, I occasionally think about whether I checked it during the day.

OTOH, I always check a weapon visually if it has been out of control or I am wanting a "click." Three times.

 

[Dave Williams]

Ask Christopher Henderson why it's important.

Oh that's right you can't he's dead.

Dave Williams

 

[ReadyontheRight]

The Chamber Check - WHY?

To see if a round is or is not in the chamber since the firearm was not previously in your immediate hand control.

Uncontrollable and unknown variables affect us all.

If they do not affect you at all, I recommend substantial stock market investment.

 

[DRZinn]

If anyone can explain to me how a round can somehow disappear from the chamber of a holstered pistol, I'll concede the point.

If it's loaded when it goes into the holster, then it's loaded when it comes out.

 

[crofrog]

If it's loaded when it goes into the holster, then it's loaded when it comes out.

How do you _know_ it's loaded when it goes in the holster?

 

[DRZinn]

Because it's checked before it goes into the holster. And then that's the end of checking.

 

[crofrog]

Because it's checked before it goes into the holster. And then that's the end of checking.

ok, I belive that's what most of us are saying. Check the gun before you holster it, either in the morning or any time it leave's your possesion.

The only other time I would consider checking it was before I _knew_ I was going to a gun fight.

 

[tellner]

Exactly, if it's been out of your control you check when it is in your possession again.

And if I knew I was going to be in a gunfight I wouldn't do a chamber check. I'd do a tread check on my Nikes

 

[Shawn Dodson]

I refer to the action as a "battle readiness check."

It's a positive measure to ensure the firearm is indeed ready to fire when the trigger is pressed.

Doing everything I can do to ensure success is part of my mindset. I've found over the years that when I apply a little extra effort to tilt the odds in my favor that I "create my own luck." My wife often shakes her head in disbelief that I'm able to create conditions so that "everything ALWAYS goes YOUR way!"

 

[Robin Hood]

There are few things in this world that I bet my life on. My carry gun is something that I may have to do just that with. Lives may rest on it's condition, both intentionally and accidentally.

I have gotten a sick feeling once or twice upon finding a holstered hammer-down 1911 on my hip.

Life happens. It's good to check what condition yer condition is in.