Finger shortener.
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Tactical Jackalope
New member
Yeah, Sharkbite said it best.
I perform it when I feel I need to have that visual verification.
I perform it when I feel I need to have that visual verification.
Aguila Blanca
Staff
Several posts have been removed because they were unrelated to the topic of discussion -- or firearms -- and were tiptoeing in the direction of violating forum rule #3.
Back to our regularly scheduled programming ...
Back to our regularly scheduled programming ...
After much waffling, Glock 43X or Glock 19? Yesterday I went back to one of the most carried pistols in the free world, the Glock 19. Unload 43X put it back in the safe. Take out my G19 (The one with the fish scales?) has a perfect 4.5 lbs trigger, clean break hardly any front end take up. 15 round magazine inserted, rack slide, replace the missing round in the magazine. Done. I can actually see the little silver glint of the stainless cartridge case. 147g federal.
Bedside table. Tomorrow holster. No kids in this house, 8 grandkids in their own houses. Soon be the 2020 year, Happy New Year all. In advance.
Bedside table. Tomorrow holster. No kids in this house, 8 grandkids in their own houses. Soon be the 2020 year, Happy New Year all. In advance.
Happy new year to you too. I enjoy your various ramblings(a good thing) about you, your handguns and your life experience's.
I carry a G26 with a G19 magazine(with sleeve), so essentially a 'short barrel' G19 BUT, after cleaning...15r magazine in, rack slide, magazine out, add one more round(if the round DIDN'T chamber, could not do this)..PLUS, I look at the side where I can see the round in the barrel.
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I'm aware this thread has been inactive for a while, but I just got around to reading through it, and I wish to add a couple comments.
First off, I will agree there is a risk anytime you put part of you in front of the muzzle of a loaded firearm. That being said, I don't consider a press check, done right, to be much of a risk.
And, doing it "right" is the key. Sure, you might shoot your finger off, but before that can happen you have to made the dangerous mistake of having your finger ON the trigger!!
The trigger finger should NEVER be on the trigger until you are intending to shoot. That's a BASIC rule. Best not to even be inside the trigger guard. Break that basic rule and you're setting your self up for trouble.
Simply put, you cannot accidently or negligently pull the trigger if your finger is not there.
I have a small issue with this, as described, it assumes there is a finger on the trigger to cause a negligent discharge, and once you push back the slide, the finger can't "ride up" the barrel is in the way. Properly done, you "pinch" the gun, between thumb hooked inside the front of the trigger guard and a finger on the recoil spring plug. "shootng hand" holds grip, triggerfinger OUTSIDE trigger guard.
I disagree with "cocking serrations" being put on the front of the slide to allow press checking. They weren't. They first show up on some "race guns" which used a optic mount that blocked use of the regular serrations. Not for press checking, but for loading the gun (racking the slide). They became "fashionable" and something customers came to expect, for the look, more than anything else. When people figured out they could use them for a press check, of course they began doing it, though they really shouldn't.
First off, I will agree there is a risk anytime you put part of you in front of the muzzle of a loaded firearm. That being said, I don't consider a press check, done right, to be much of a risk.
And, doing it "right" is the key. Sure, you might shoot your finger off, but before that can happen you have to made the dangerous mistake of having your finger ON the trigger!!
The trigger finger should NEVER be on the trigger until you are intending to shoot. That's a BASIC rule. Best not to even be inside the trigger guard. Break that basic rule and you're setting your self up for trouble.
Simply put, you cannot accidently or negligently pull the trigger if your finger is not there.
I have a small issue with this, as described, it assumes there is a finger on the trigger to cause a negligent discharge, and once you push back the slide, the finger can't "ride up" the barrel is in the way. Properly done, you "pinch" the gun, between thumb hooked inside the front of the trigger guard and a finger on the recoil spring plug. "shootng hand" holds grip, triggerfinger OUTSIDE trigger guard.
I disagree with "cocking serrations" being put on the front of the slide to allow press checking. They weren't. They first show up on some "race guns" which used a optic mount that blocked use of the regular serrations. Not for press checking, but for loading the gun (racking the slide). They became "fashionable" and something customers came to expect, for the look, more than anything else. When people figured out they could use them for a press check, of course they began doing it, though they really shouldn't.
stinkeypete
New member
"Press Check" seems like some way to make "pulling the slide back to see if a round is chambered" seem "cool".
There are cocking serrations at the back that work plenty good for me when it comes to racking the slide, and with optics on top, I had this cool little bar that fit in the now-empty rear dovetail but it was useless cuz I always just grabbed the optic. Seeing as how I had a .45acp round going off half an inch under it and blowing it back any forces from my hand never changed my poi.
Shopping for a new .45 it seems everyone is doing front slide serrations. I guess that's the fashion now. It actually makes the Colt's more attractive to me as they don't have it.
There are cocking serrations at the back that work plenty good for me when it comes to racking the slide, and with optics on top, I had this cool little bar that fit in the now-empty rear dovetail but it was useless cuz I always just grabbed the optic. Seeing as how I had a .45acp round going off half an inch under it and blowing it back any forces from my hand never changed my poi.
Shopping for a new .45 it seems everyone is doing front slide serrations. I guess that's the fashion now. It actually makes the Colt's more attractive to me as they don't have it.
TODAY everyone is mounting optics on the slide. A few decades ago, that wasn't the case. Early "race guns" often had their optics on mounts that were fastened to the frame, and went around the slide at the rear, covering the normal cocking serrations. Slides got front serrations because the rear ones were no longer easily used. This was done for function, became style, and style becomes fashion, and people PAY for fashion.
I remember the various T-handles and rings and hooks and such that also got used, but they didn't get the "cool look" factor that front serrations got in the eye of the buying public. So they've pretty much gone away. And, with advances in tech, mounting more modern optics ON the slide, the need for front slide serrations has also gone away. But enough buyers like the look, so makers keep putting them on guns.
Personally, I rarely do any kind of "press check", never got in the habit, I find it awkward and while I'm not concerned with shooting my finger, its just not something I ever needed to do. Lots of my pistols cannot be "press checked", and if I have doubts about there being a round in the chamber, I just rack the slide/cycle the action.
Maybe its just me, maybe I'm different from most, but I've always thought that if you can't remember if you loaded the gun, or not, you shouldn't be carrying it or be going into harm's way...
I have two pistols with red dots mounted to the slide. While I can use the rear serrations still, saying that it’s no longer because of function is to me an exaggeration.
Which pistols do you have that can’t be press checked?
As we covered in this thread months ago, there are a number of professional users of firearms and training centers that do press checks. If you don’t want to do one fair enough. Saying people that do one shouldn’t be carrying a firearm seems a bit of a stretch, imo.
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My Gen 4 Glock 19 has no serrations on the muzzle end of the slide, just the on the rear.
My Kydex holster OWB, due to a little snip off the outside top of this holster, allows it quite easy to feel the extractor sitting proud from the slide.
I can feel with a finger, the fact that a cartridge is chambered.
The pistol left holstered, no need to move the pistol whatsoever.
So many pistol carriers like to handle their pistols too much.
And as I have said before, George Housner, a friend of mine from Cape Town, did manage to blow the tip off his finger from his none shooting left hand, his carry pistol was a Colt 45 1911.
My Kydex holster OWB, due to a little snip off the outside top of this holster, allows it quite easy to feel the extractor sitting proud from the slide.
I can feel with a finger, the fact that a cartridge is chambered.
The pistol left holstered, no need to move the pistol whatsoever.
So many pistol carriers like to handle their pistols too much.
And as I have said before, George Housner, a friend of mine from Cape Town, did manage to blow the tip off his finger from his none shooting left hand, his carry pistol was a Colt 45 1911.
Which ones can't be press checked? Just about everything that isn't a variant of the Browning tilt barrel system. So this includes all my .22s, pocket pistols (.32ACP, and .380) my 9mms (P.08 Luger and P.38) and I'd pay money (though not much) to watch the guy who thinks he can "press check" my Desert Eagles.
You simply cannot "press check" a gun that isn't built to work that way, and I have quite a few of those. I also have several of the Colt/Browning tilt barrel types, so I know the difference.Perhaps I wasn't clear enough, I did not say people who do press checks shouldn't be carrying, I said I felt that people who could not remember if they loaded their firearms or not shouldn't be carrying or going in harm's way.
Which ones can't be press checked? Just about everything that isn't a variant of the Browning tilt barrel system. So this includes all my .22s, pocket pistols (.32ACP, and .380) my 9mms (P.08 Luger and P.38) and I'd pay money (though not much) to watch the guy who thinks he can "press check" my Desert Eagles.
Thank you for the list. I figured it would have to be a non Browning tilting barrel design and was curious which you were talking about.
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Press check is to open the action slightly (without ejecting the cartridge) to visually check whether the chamber is loaded. I don't understand why it can't be done on certain designs. I can do that on any firearms, including a Luger.
As I said it before, George lost his finger digit because he shot it off.
-TL
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As I said it before, George lost his finger digit because he shot it off.
-TL
Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk
A perfect description. It does not have to be done by pushing on the barrel bushing (IE “pressing”). There are a number of techniques that allow you to open the gun enough to SEE if there is a round chambered or not. It can even be done from the rear of the slide using the standard cocking serrations.
The point is to verify the status of the gun WITHOUT changing that status. It would be silly to lock the slide back to see if the gun is loaded IF i want a loaded gun. All i am wanting is to VERIFY its loaded.
Now, if i wanted to make sure a gun was UNLOADED, sure lock the slide back.
As an example, when i was working for the S.O. I would leave my duty gun in my locker at end of shift and put on my “off duty” gun. When i came to work, i’d get dressed and before i holstered my duty gun, i would “chamber check” it. Why? Because my LIFE, my partners LIFE and the LIVES of the citizens i served were at stake.
I still chamber check before i holster my CCW gun first time in the morning...why? Because it doesnt cost anything and now i KNOW, with 100% certainty i have a round in the chamber and a full mag i the gun. I dont leave life and death type things to chance.
No, you can't do it on any firearm, only certain ones. You can do a check on any firearm by as you correctly describe, slightly opening the action. but you can only do a PRESS check on Colt/Browning pattern tilt barrel guns where the slide extends beyond the frame and gives you something to press.
(there may be some designs not based on the tilt barrel system that allow a press check, but I can't think of any off the top of my head)
PRESS in Press check refers to pressing the muzzle end of the slide back slightly in order to open the action to check for a loaded chamber. It refers to a specific method of opening the action, (which only works with certain designs) it is not a general term for opening the action.
You could describe the check as a "pull check" because some type of pull opens the action of every semi auto, but we don't normally bother using the word "pull". You pull the toggle of a Luger, you pull the bolt of a Ruger Mk I, you pull the slide of a Desert Eagle. You pull the slide of a 1911A1, or you can press the muzzle end of the slide of a 1911A1 to do the check.
The OP was about doing that, pressing the front end of the slide, and the risks involved. And, yes, George shot his finger off!
I would agree. I think we’re arguing semantics. If the point is semantics matter fair enough. When I think press check I don’t think of pressing on the muzzle end of the pistol. I think of retracting the slide slightly to confirm the presence of a cartridge (this can be done with front or rear serrations and I usually use rear, though with an optic mounted it can be easier to use front if present). If the point is I should call that a pull check then, okay.
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We are playing with words here, but words (and terms) matter.
First, doing the check doesn't have to be a press check, guns that allow you to do a press check also allow the check to be done other ways.
The assertion was made that the forward slide serrations were put there in order to do a press check. I believe this is incorrect, and I've explained why.
I'm not questioning the idea of checking the chamber, I'm saying a PRESS CHECK is ONE specific method of doing it that can only be done on certain guns.
Using the term "press check" to cover ALL methods of checking the chamber is incorrect, and inaccurate.
First, doing the check doesn't have to be a press check, guns that allow you to do a press check also allow the check to be done other ways.
The assertion was made that the forward slide serrations were put there in order to do a press check. I believe this is incorrect, and I've explained why.
I'm not questioning the idea of checking the chamber, I'm saying a PRESS CHECK is ONE specific method of doing it that can only be done on certain guns.
Using the term "press check" to cover ALL methods of checking the chamber is incorrect, and inaccurate.
stinkeypete
New member
Well, a technique that might blow the end of my finger off no matter what tacti-cool name it has seems slightly disadvantageous to “retracting the slide and looking for brass by pulling”
The front end of the gun thingy shouldn’t be near the hand thingy nor even close... that’s just me but I am tacti-uncool.
No dig at .44Amp who I believe explained the distinction to my satisfaction and I also believe won’t ever do a “George”.
The front end of the gun thingy shouldn’t be near the hand thingy nor even close... that’s just me but I am tacti-uncool.
No dig at .44Amp who I believe explained the distinction to my satisfaction and I also believe won’t ever do a “George”.