Press check method

**acaixguard** · 08-26-14, 13:29

Ok, forgive me if this sounds stupid, but I've been seeing this enough to make me wonder about this. Why do so many people press check by wrapping their thumb over the top of the slide between the chamber and front sight to pull back the slide a bit? I've always just used the slingshot grip on the rear of the slide. Seems to me this eliminates the need for front cocking serrations, and keeps your hand further from the muzzle (yes, I know...finger off the trigger is key).

Am I missing something here that I should try it?

**markm** · 08-26-14, 13:35

Grabbing the front of the slide from both the top and bottom is awkward to me. I don't even pull back on my pistols. You can see in the daylight that there's a live round in there by looking into the side of the ejection port... and I almost never unload.

**Magsz** · 08-26-14, 13:38

Ive unchambered a round when ive aggressively press checked from the rear of the gun. It is even easier on lightly sprung competition guns.

Press checking from the front gives more control over the total travel of the slide, ie you can only retract the slide a certain amount.

To each their own, there is no one way to do this.

**markm** · 08-26-14, 13:52

I don't even want to bring up the old 1911 pinch check.

**l8apex** · 08-26-14, 14:04

Seen many different checks as well as a rear check with the thumb in the tang and fingers over the rear of the slide.

**Talon167** · 08-26-14, 15:24

Originally Posted by Magsz

Press checking from the front gives more control over the total travel of the slide, ie you can only retract the slide a certain amount.

To each their own, there is no one way to do this.

Yea, pretty much. It's just easier to move the slide a small amount from the front as my fingers are wrapped around the frame as well...

**Alpha Sierra** · 08-26-14, 16:22

I always press check by using my left hand over the rear of the slide to retract it enough to see/feel the round in the chamber. I have much more control there than at the front of the slide, plus I don't want my hand anywhere near the muzzle.

If it's light out, I don't even press check. I just look into the gap between the slide and the breech (CZ P-07) and can clearly see if there is a round in there or not.

**jmoore** · 08-26-14, 16:37

Originally Posted by markm

I don't even want to bring up the old 1911 pinch check. ;)

Yep - I trained under Cooper years back - and that's the way I started out! Sometimes when handling a 1911, I fall back to old ways. When those of us who are geezers die off - hopefully this will too:)

john