The Importance of the Press Check

Pressing the slide back on a semi-automatic gun allows you to verify that there is a cartridge in the chamber. A press check is another way to confirm that your pistol is loaded. Many shooters don’t know when or how to conduct a press-check. There is no one way to perform a press-check on a pistol. It is simply the act of moving or pressing the slide backwards to check if a round is in the chamber. If you are doing a press-check for any other reason than to look cool, you will be wasting your time. A press check that does not provide a 100 percent confirmation is a waste. It’s the same as when some shooters scan quickly from side to side after an engagement without really looking. A press check is the same as reloading or performing an immediate action. It’s a procedure that should be driven by a need, a specific need, and not just a habit. It is equally important to have absolute certainty when checking that your self-defense gun is loaded. A press check is more of a practical practice than a tactical one. What are some examples when a press-check is suggested or necessary? Let’s say that you are shooting in an action-pistol match and the command has been given to load your weapon. It’s a good idea, after inserting the magazine and rack the slide, to press check the chamber to ensure that a round has been fired. If not, you will lose precious seconds when the shooting phase begins as you load your pistol. The same logic applies to loading your carry gun in order to carry it. If you want to use it to save you life, it’s better to make sure it’s loaded. With many modern pistols you can feel the protrusion from the external extractor in order to determine if a round is in the chamber. No, not really. You can watch a cartridge being loaded into the chamber if you are loading your handgun during daylight. You can also check the magazine to see if there is a round left after you have cycled the slide. Some semi-automatic guns have a loaded chamber indicator. You can also feel the external extractor on some to confirm the same. Others have visual windows that allow you to see the brass case in the chamber. This is partly due to the fact that you could cycle the slide too far, jamming the gun or ejecting the loaded cartridge. After opening the action, it may not want to return fully into battery. Some pistols require slide velocity to chamber fully, especially when a magazine is fully loaded. Accidents happen when people play with guns. How can you safely perform a press-check? As with anything you do with a gun, safety is paramount. To be safe, you must treat the pistol as if it were loaded. You should also point it in a safe way and keep your finger off of the trigger. If you cannot follow these guidelines, then you should not be conducting a press-check. Many modern pistols have a window which allows you to see the brass casing of the cartridge. Why is feeling so important? You feel the chamber of a gun to ensure it is unloaded, because our eyes can sometimes play tricks on us. You might also feel the need for a press-check in the dark, where you can’t see. Your default press-check activity should include both looking and feeling. You can do it in two ways. You can grasp the grooves in the front of the slide and push it backwards with your support hand. You can use your trigger finger to check if there’s a cartridge in chamber after the slide has been slightly retracted. You can also use your trigger or support finger to feel for the cartridge in the chamber as you retract the slide. Why? I’m a human being, and we humans are prone to making mistakes and doing dumb things. It’s better to do anything I can to avoid making a mistake than the alternative. I don’t press check a lot unless I am on the range. It’s important to do it for a purpose, not just to look cool. Do it with purpose, not just to look cool. Editor’s Note: This original article appeared in the July 20, 2023 issue Gun Digest the Magazine. The target grids and bullseyes are in MOA. Subscribe to the Gun Digest newsletter and we will send you your print-at home target pack immediately. Enter your email below.