How does one check for a loaded chamber?

D

DanP

New member
Generically speaking, for pistols that do not have an "in-chamber" indicator (none of mine do), what is the proper method to check?

I'm in the habit of first and foremost ejecting the mag, then racking the slide and worrying about anything left in there.

That is all well and good at the range, but how can I discreetly check if my CCW weapon is chambered without the above procedure?

I'm under the impression that by partially moving the slide (enough to peek) I may be compromising either the chambered round (if any) or the next round in the mag.

Best case scenario I overdo it and waste a round, worst is that I either (or both) half eject a chambered round and half draw another from the mag and jam the thing up big time.

I'm hoping that I am missing something basic here. Thanks!
 
What do you mean by discreetly? You mean by leaving it holstered and checking?

If it's not a 1911, i.e. has an external extractor, you could probably feel the extractor protruding somewhat. I don't care for chamber loaded indicators, I like performing a press check:

Draw the gun, hold it against your chest, muzzle facing downrange, directly away from you.

Grab the slide with your weak hand, palm over your rear sight. Pull back the slide enough to peek and see if there is a shiny piece of brass (or nickle for some rounds). While you're at it, make sure your mag is firmly inserted, or it will be a single-shot unless you tap-rack.

Like safeties, chamber-loaded indicators are mechanical devices. Unless you're in a gunfight, IMO I think you'll have time to check the chamber if you have enough time to check the chamber loaded indicator.

Just my opinion, maybe someone more experienced (I am a range commando/pimp) can chime in.
 
Thanks,

Nah, of course it is not my 1911 I'm talking about, that one is just a range gun due to reliability reasons... :D :D

Seriously though, I am just in that weird transition period that deals with carrying chambered in CCW. I'm sure many can relate.

I'll rephrase my question:

Take my Sig 239 as an example: if I move the slide enough to easily see the chambered brass (or lack of it), have I compromised either the chambered round or the next up in the mag?

Given that I could just sit there and rack the slide until the mag is empty, there is an interplay here that I need to understand.

Does the interplay kick in on a basic check or not is what I need to know.

I am sure that once I fully understand all of the mechanics involved in this cycle it will all make great sense.

Right now I am asking for a practical answer.

Thanks!
 
I'm not sure what you mean by interplay, but I do know what you mean about the 1911 just being a range gun.

Anyway, the gun doesn't really 'cycle' until the round is kicked out and begins feeding the next. This requires the slide is pulled all the way to the rear. When this happens, the extractor pulls the round (spent or not) which contacts the ejector, which kicks the round out.

By performing a press check, i.e. pulling the slide about a half inch back, the extractor will pull the rim of the round back enough that you can see there is a (live) round in the chamber, and dropping the slide returns it to the original condition. Not sure about the Sig, but on my Beretta, performing a presscheck brings the hammer to half-cock and I must decock the hammer to return it to the original condition. Performing a presscheck will not comprimise the condition of your gun, it only ensures you have a round in the chamber.

Again, hope this helps and I was able to answer your questions :)
 
Performing a presscheck will not comprimise the condition of your gun, it only ensures you have a round in the chamber

Thanks! That is exactly what I was trying to quantify, and I even learned a new new word "Presscheck".
 
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Don't know if it's right or wrong but.....

I just grasp the slide and carefully move it rearwards until I can actually see the end of the casing in the chamber. Done it that ways for years and never had a problem.

Kinda like checking for a car in your blind spot - I'd rather crane my neck around and give it a good straight look rather than trust my rearview mirrors.
 
Tangential question about loaded chamber indicators

Gun gurus, please tell - my kel-tec P32 has a simple but effective loaded chamber indicator, by virtue of the rear of the chamber/bbl "trimmed" just a smidge on the right side, to allow one to see the rim of the brass case. So,

What is the feasibility of retro-fitting other existing designs, be they glocks, 1911s, whatever, with this feature, by a little gunsmithing on the rear of the chamber, to open a thin "view window"??? Safety issues of unsupported brass? Cycling/other issues???

Thanks. I ask because I really LIKE the kel-tec method.
 
Futo,

Late-model Springfields have a notch in the barrel hood. If the light is good you can see the case rim. There is no compromise of casehead support and the one I have does not have sharp edges or burrs to affect feeding.

Me, I press check when I load the gun. If it is in my holster or in a house gun spot it is loaded and has been checked and I don't have to fool with it any more.
 
I guess pulling the trigger is out of the question, aye?

Find remote spot, pull mag, rack slide ... replace cartridge in mag, reseat mag. Works every time! :p
 
I'm not sure if anyone really cares, but "pulling the slide about a half inch back" with your palm over the rear sight is not a press check.

A press check is performed by placing the thumb of your off hand inside of the front of the trigger guard, placing the index finger of your off hand on the recoil spring plug, and 'pressing' together (hence the name). A proper press check cannot be performed with a gun that has a full length guide rod.

Due to the hysteria that this topic has generated in the past, I refuse to comment on the appropriateness or safety of press checks. ;)
 
If you have just racked the slide of a semi-auto pistol with a fresh or loaded magazine seated, your next step should be to do a presscheck, especially if it is your CCW weapon.

Do this often to allay your fears that you are carrying a weapon with no round in the chamber. A semi-auto pistol without a round in the chamber, one that requires you to rack the slide before firing is a very bad idea. Bad guys will not wait for you to rack the slide, and even if you are very fast, its still slower than having one already inside.

Do a presscheck each and everytime you pick up the weapon.
 
When I load a gun, I put in the magazine, charge the chamber, holster, remove the magazine, top off the magazine, and reinsert it. If, at that point, I don't have a spare round in my hand or on the floor, I'm pretty certain that I've got a round in the chamber ;)

That said, each time I pick up a gun, I check whether or not it is loaded. If I'm taking my carry gun out of its lockbox (where I keep it loaded), then I remove the magazine, verify that the mag is fully loaded, reinsert the mag, and do a press check by slightly retracting the slide. Personally, I use a sling-shot grip rather than overhand grip to retract the slide a small amount.

M1911
 
Right handed...

While pistol is in the shooting hand, raise your right fingers to the top of the slide, while gripping and pulling on the rear sight towards the rear, insert the little finger into the partially opened chamber and you'll never have to take your eyes off the target or even have light to see...
bandit.gif
 
Simply pull the slide back just enough to see if there is a round chambered. You compromise nothing either to the chambered round nor magazine.
Works.....except on a wheel gun :D
Shoot well
 
Not sure about the Sig, but on my Beretta, performing a presscheck brings the hammer to half-cock and I must decock the hammer to return it to the original condition.
Click to expand...

If, by doing a "presscheck", the gun becomes "half-cocked", then this could be a safety risk, unless you thumb the decocker afterwards.

Can anyone else comment on this possible safety risk? I would hate to see someone "press check" their gun, then turn around and holster it and have a ND due to the fact that the hammer was half-cocked.
 
No one has mentioned it yet, but with some firearms the extractor is designed in such a way that it provides either visual or tactile indication that there is a round in the chamber.
 
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