Quick Tip: Get Your EDC Pistol Mission Ready

After a day on the range or other application, here's how you ensure your EDC is ready for duty.

Whatever your mission context is, if you've used your pistol for anything other than your typical prep, it needs to be put back into the right configuration—home defense, EDC, duty pistol, etc.

It's Crucial to Develop A Repeatable Process

This is called your administrative load, the first load of the day, and while I'm not real dogmatic about particular procedures, I like to have a good process that's easily repeatable. I want to be able to get my guns duty ready the same way every time—for speed and safety.

Mine is very simple.

Step One: Lock Back the Slide for a Chamber Check

With my CR920 War Poet pistol, for example, I like to make sure I'm starting with an empty chamber, so with magazines out, I lock the slide to the rear, look inside the chamber, feel inside. This is an easy way to verify I've got a clear and empty chamber so I know I'm starting from zero.

Step Two: Place the Magazine

I insert a full magazine, then let the slide go forward.

Step Three: Press Check for Chambered Round

By pulling the slide slightly out of battery, you can peak inside the chamber to ensure a round is feeding before holstering.

Step Four: Holster Ready

Chances are, you've already gassed up your magazines and positioned them appropriately in your appendix or other holster carry, but give your beltline a quick scan and check to ensure everything's in place before walking out the door. This is a simple but important procedure for making sure your gun is mission ready before heading out for the day. Train Hard. Train Smart. Live Free.