Loaded Chamber Verifications

[Jay Cunningham]

Get into the habit of performing loaded chamber verifications (LCVs) whenever you administratively load your firearms.

You can press-check an AR, but I don't recommend it under most circumstances, as it's too easy to eject the round or create a malfunction. For ARs, note the top round on the magazine and whether it's on the left or right. Insert the magazine, release the bolt and then remove the magazine. If the top round is now on the opposite side of the magazine, you can be reasonably sure there's a round in the chamber. This is called a "crossover check" since you are checking to see if the topmost round crossed over... :o

Kalashnikovs OTOH are perfectly designed for press-checks… rack the charging handle and place the weapon on safe. Pull the charging handle back as far as it will go, and then perform a visual and tactile check ensuring a round is chambered. The design prevents you from pulling back too far - you literally cannot pull the charging handle back far enough to eject the round or cause a malfunction. Cleanly release the charging handle and give it a tap forward to ensure it's in battery.

Have either one lowest common denominator foolproof technique that works in daylight and darkness, or practice two discrete methods and be sure you can do both when the situation calls for it. When you can't see, a tactile check is required.

For ANY of the above methods, ENSURE YOUR FINGER IS IN A STRONG REGISTER POSITION! Your finger must be very positively off of the trigger!

An LCV only takes a couple of seconds and is that extra little bit of insurance that you can stake your life (or the lives of your family) on. If you are participating in a training class, perform admin checks *before* you step off the line. If you are obsessively press-checking stuff before you step up to shoot a drill, it's a little late and kind of defeats the purpose.

[WDW]

Good advice. I always did brass checks in Iraq. I did the press check though and did eject the round or cause a double feed on several occassions. Never thought of dropping the mag. Good idea. My problem is with pistols though, during reloads. I have a habit, when doing speed reloads like in FAST or Dot Torture of hitting the slide release before the mag is fully seated, causing my first shot to be a click. It has helped me to incorporate immediate action into my practice though, however unintentionally.

[seabiscuit]

I always run my trigger finger over the loaded chamber indicator on my G26 before slipping it onto my belt, or after a range session when I reload with my JHP's ammo. Simple step.

[Jay Cunningham]

2016 Post-PFestivus Necro Bump!

[Robinson]

Interesting. Not long ago I was practicing the use of a press check to ensure a loaded chamber in my AR with dummy rounds and I had a strong sense that I might end up ejecting the round in the process. I guess the recommendation of the crossover check in this thread works assuming you are loading from a fresh magazine and you load your mags consistently. As I recall, Kyle Lamb's book on the AR backs this up.

I suppose it's probably still worth it to practice the AR press check though?

Also, a good idea to practice a tactile check of the top round in the magazine?

[That Guy]

Kalashnikovs OTOH are perfectly designed for press-checks… rack the charging handle and place the weapon on safe. Pull the charging handle back as far as it will go, and then perform a visual and tactile check ensuring a round is chambered. The design prevents you from pulling back too far - you literally cannot pull the charging handle back far enough to eject the round or cause a malfunction.

I don't know if my rifle is somehow out of spec and if it's the only one that'll do that, however... In my AK the bolt moves back just about exactly 39mm before the charging handle hits the selector switch. What can happen, and in my case has happened, is that the round drops just a bit so the lip of the cartridge case catches on the edge of the chamber. Ayup, I have managed to cause a malfunction in an AK by performing a chamber check. I've only ever managed to do this with my personal rifle, and the rifle might have been in a funny position when it happened (I honestly don't recall, it's been several years, but I did change the way I do press checks slightly because of this). I don't find this to be a big deal for me, I just don't pull the charging handle all the way back, just enough to see or feel the cartridge casing. (Then again, I prefer to press check my AR, so... Perhaps I don't know what I'm talking about?)

[Jay Cunningham]

Since I wrote this, I learned that Yugo AKs will typically eject a round when the charging handle is pulled all the way back with the safety on.

[Erick Gelhaus]

With the AR, used to teach both methods to check for a chambered round (feel for the top round before & after chambering as well as pulling the charging handle back just enough to feel / see the round on the bolt face). Went through these while getting ready for our Iraq trip. 1st time we headed out into our sector by ourselves, rather than with the unit we replaced, one of my guys induced the Mother of All stoppages by pulling the charging handle back too far to check the round. Now, I teach the method using the location of the top round. I will the show the other while explaining why I am not a fan.

I do like that I can use the magazine version with M14s/M1As and Minis.

Had (and would) teach the AK version of retracting the bolt with the safety in place. Had not seen one with the problems described above. I'll need to check that the next time I'm in a place with a bunch of AKs. Thanks.