Admin Reload: Press Check vs Loaded Chamber Indicator

[mojobiker]

My virgin post.

For administrative reloads, the only advice I've encountered is to perform a press check before holstering. If your pistol (Glock in my case) has a tactile loaded chamber indicator, would it not be advantageous to ONLY use that, rather than a press check? By only using the LCI, you're eliminating the admittedly minor risk of the round not going back into battery with a press check. The LCI method would also be more consistent in poor lighting. What would you recommend?

As someone relatively new to firearms (couple years now), please allow me to say I'm very thankful for all the informative discussions here. I discover so much each time I peruse the threads.

[BaiHu]

Caveat: I'm just some dood.

1. LCI isn't always visible. Low light/no light creates a problem. So a press check with a finger checking for brass is one method I know of-perhaps there are more-but I'm just some dood.

2. After the press check, if you are unsure the slide is back in battery, just give a lil' palm smack to the back.

Just my .02.

[Hatchetman]

Hmm, the way I practice admin reloads is that the gun stays in the holster throughout, hence no ability to to press check, though in a large number of holster you're likely to be able to touch the loaded chamber indicator. Admin reloads are meant to top off a gun that just went through a string of fire before and are then reholstered. It is assumed if the gun was in a position to go "boom" when holstered, it still should be when it comes back out of the holster with a new mag in it. Most instructors I know would say Bad Words Loudly if you were to press check after an admin reload.

The big problem I see with admin reloads is that folks don't seat the mag well and so it drops out after the first shot in the next string of fire. Rumor has it some instructors have special hats for folks that allow that to occur.

[BaiHu]

Cool, now I'm learning more. I guess the question to the OP would be: does your admin reload come from home defense, competition, police, military??

I'll press check before I step up to the line for a timed drill, which requires me to remove my gun from the holster or load a gun from empty. Other than that, I just do what Hatchetman does and just pop the mag out and put a freshly topped off one in the magwell while my pistol is holstered and forgeddaboutit.

[mojobiker]

Thank you, both.

BaiHu, I was thinking that since I can easily feel the LCI with my finger (even in no light) that might be enough?

Hatchetman, maybe I'm not referring to an "admin" reload then? The scenario would be going from an unloaded gun to a loaded gun...as I might do before heading out of the house in CC.

[David Armstrong]

My preference is a press check. It works across all platforms and techniques.

[ToddG]

The LCI has long been the subject of disdain because, I think, (a) it doesn't look as cool, (b) no one needs to teach you how to use it, and (c) 1911s can't do it.

With guns that have a tactile LCI (as opposed to the "hole in the barrel") I've yet to find one that gave me a false reading. It works in the light and in the dark and doesn't require me to give up my primary grip. It doesn't require me to rack the slide which, believe it or not, folks sometimes screw up (racking a round out of the gun or inducing a stoppage).

Hatchet: in this case I think by "admin reload" he's talking about the pre-holster tac/retention reload that got discussed ad nauseum a while back and which many of us called an administrative act rather than a "fighting" one, for lack of better terminology.

[mojobiker]

Todd, that's exactly what I was attempting to ask. And thank you! That covered everything I was thinking about.

[Hatchetman]

The LCI has long been the subject of disdain because, I think, (a) it doesn't look as cool, (b) no one needs to teach you how to use it, and (c) 1911s can't do it.

With guns that have a tactile LCI (as opposed to the "hole in the barrel") I've yet to find one that gave me a false reading. It works in the light and in the dark and doesn't require me to give up my primary grip. It doesn't require me to rack the slide which, believe it or not, folks sometimes screw up (racking a round out of the gun or inducing a stoppage).

Hatchet: in this case I think by "admin reload" he's talking about the pre-holster tac/retention reload that got discussed ad nauseum a while back and which many of us called an administrative act rather than a "fighting" one, for lack of better terminology.

Ah, rgr. I've always heard those called tac/retention, too. I'm imagining the reaction of several instructors, me included, should someone do an admin reload on a line called cold, then taking the gun out of the holster and press checking. It wouldn't be pretty.

[dustyvarmint]

The LCI has long been the subject of disdain because, I think, (a) it doesn't look as cool, (b) no one needs to teach you how to use it, and (c) 1911s can't do it.

With guns that have a tactile LCI (as opposed to the "hole in the barrel") I've yet to find one that gave me a false reading. It works in the light and in the dark and doesn't require me to give up my primary grip. It doesn't require me to rack the slide which, believe it or not, folks sometimes screw up (racking a round out of the gun or inducing a stoppage).

Hatchet: in this case I think by "admin reload" he's talking about the pre-holster tac/retention reload that got discussed ad nauseum a while back and which many of us called an administrative act rather than a "fighting" one, for lack of better terminology.

As well as OP, I've been wondering about this one for quite some time. Appreciate ToddG's perspective. LCI is what I'll trust going forward...

happy shooting,