A full 30-round magazine, or one holding 28 rounds, will have the top cartridge sitting on the right side of the magazine follower. A more reliable check is to drop the magazine from the rifle and feel where the top round now lies (3.). That does work, but the issue is getting the bolt back into the locked position. Some shooters prefer to conduct a press check by pulling the bolt carrier slightly to the rear to visually or digitally (with their finger) confirm there is a round in the chamber.
Here’s his take on press checks from an article in American Rifleman:Īfter allowing the bolt slam into battery, confirm that there is a round in the chamber. With over 25 years of military service in the US Army’s premiere unit, Delta Force/CAG, Kyle Lamb has his trash packed tight. Life happens and things get weird when the stress monsters start coming around. It makes more sense to me to have the shooter know the status of his/her weapon at all times. Older doctrine teaches that all guns are loaded. I get what he’s saying here… however I fail to see how making sure your weapon is loaded is a bad thing.
Treat them accordingly, and once you load it, learn to trust the fact that it is ready to go bang don’t keep fingering it doing ‘press checks’. Man up and act like a professional gun handler. If you loaded before you placed in in your holster or before you put the safety on the carbine they don’t secretly unload themselves before you fire it again. The other practice that gets me is the obsessive ‘press check’ of the pistol or carbine when they prepare to shoot a drill or stage.