Firearms Training

As promised, this series of articles will give you a glimpse at the handgun techniques we teach at Front Sight.  Unfortunately, these articles cannot impart any actual skills.  The life-saving skills of gun-handling, marksmanship, and tactics can only be gained from attending a course at Front Sight.

Let’s talk about our first technique and that is Chamber Checking and Magazine Checking.  We call this “one-second of cheap insurance” because it only takes one second to perform and, at its conclusion, you will know with complete certainty the condition of your weapon.  Don’t get this confused with loading and unloading.  This is simply checking the condition of your weapon.  If you were a cop responding to an armed robbery call, you would chamber check and magazine check to verify your weapon was loaded.  If you were getting ready for dry practice, you would chamber check and magazine check to verify the weapon was unloaded.

You will start with your weapon out in front of you at the “Ready” position. The Ready means both hands are on the weapon, the trigger finger is straight, the weapon is at arms length, and it’s down at a 45º angle.  Next, bring the weapon in closer to your body where you have better leverage and greater dexterity.  Keep your trigger finger straight and the muzzle pointed downrange.  Release your support hand and bring it under the slide.  Grasp the slide using the pads of the fingers and thumb midway between the muzzle and the ejection port.  If you get too close to the muzzle, you run the risk of covering your hand.  If you get too close to the ejection port, you can’t see into the chamber during your chamber check.  Next, drift your trigger finger away from the frame, giving your support hand room to move.  Run the slide to the rear about one-half inch and look into the chamber.  If you see brass, the chamber is loaded.  If you see no brass, the chamber is unloaded.  Next, push the slide fully forward.  You must ensure that the slide is fully forward so your gun will function.  Now you know the condition of the chamber.

Next, we need to check the condition of the magazine.  Most people cannot maintain a firing grip on the weapon and get to the magazine release button with the firing-side thumb.  The frame of the weapon is just too big.  So, you will have to loosen your firing grip on the frame just a little to get the tip of your thumb on the magazine release button.  This may involve a slight rotation of the weapon in your firing hand.  That’s fine, just keep your trigger finger straight and the muzzle pointed downrange.  Press the magazine release with the tip of your thumb.

Your support hand will be underneath the magazine well, ready to catch the magazine as it falls from the weapon.  Take the magazine completely out of the weapon, keep it indexed in your support hand, and look at it.  Is it full of ammunition, empty, etc.?  If you are satisfied with the condition of the magazine, then reinsert it.

There is a right way and a wrong way for everything.  Let’s talk about the correct way to insert a magazine.  Bring the back of the magazine into contact with the inside back of the magazine well at a slight angle.  Next, roll the magazine into the well as you release your grip on the body of the magazine.  Keep the magazine in contact with the palm of your hand and seat it firmly with one brisk motion.  There are two things to avoid.  First, do not insert the magazine part way and then back your hand off to get a running start at it.  Second, do not tap it several times to insert it.  The magazine should be inserted with one brisk motion.

During your course at Front Sight, we will teach you the subtleties of chamber checking and magazine checking the following:

• 1911-style weapons which have a thumb safety
• Double action weapons with a frame-mounted decocking lever
• Double action weapons with a slide-mounted decocking lever
• Revolvers

We will also teach you how to chamber check and magazine check if you are left-handed, have a physical challenge such as weak or arthritic hands, or are missing fingers.  We have lots of tools in our proverbial toolbox!

At the conclusion of a proper chamber check and magazine check, you know with certainty the condition of your weapon.