Hello,
So I pose this question with no tactical background. Just a good Samaritan, who believes in carrying a gun in defense of innocent people and being proficient with that tool.
Why pistol press checks? Even when trying, to find the legitimacy of press checks, I have not been able to insert a magazine into a pistol so that it does not fall out and have a round not going into the chamber. It seems to me the press check just introduces a chance to unseat the gun from battery and have a malfunction. Is this just an OCD tick that makes people feel better or is there a strong argument to it? No judgment here I have lots of OCD ticks that make me feel better. Just wondering if I’m missing the big picture.

Nate

Simple verification for me.
I never did checks, until one day I stuffed every round I could get into a mag to start a stage at a local match. After my draw all I heard was a click. Only had that happen once. But I do checks now. It was a match, sure glad it wasn't self defense.

I agree with you Nate, I have usually found them to be more internet theatrics than useful tool. For me, and I stress for me because I know a lot of people that do them and whatever works for them is not my business.

However, for me, most of my guns have some form of LCI on them and if I'm concerned about the gun loading, then I can simply check the LCI. I haven't had an empty chamber yet during a class or match, and I shot BUG in IDPA for 3 year so I never got a barney mag.

I have had failures to go into battery, mostly while breaking in my mid-size WP SS pistol. But after that, I don't recall any that weren't obvious in the loading process. Except a few I caused by not slapping / seating my mags.

I am wary of press checking to avoid creating malfunctions. I tend to agree w/ James Yeager on eschewing them, though I know I've seen some instructors do press checks. I know that my bad malfunctions with AR15s have been from me "press checking" them (memorably, a bad one in WPS Rifle 1).