If you share the squad with others, check your long gun(s) are set up correctly before every shift. All too often after a high-risk stop, officers forget to return the weapon to a chamber empty condition.
If you have a shotgun, stick your finger up into the magazine to make sure the shell stops when pushed forward indicating that the magazine is full. Pull the mag from the long gun and make sure it is loaded to capacity. If it is an AR-15/M-4/M-16, 28 rounds in the 30-round magazine will ensure reliable feeding.
While the magazine is out, make sure the chamber is empty if that is your method of carry. You are also checking to make sure no one has used the barrel as a trash bin.
If you do this check each shift, you ensure the weapon is ready for deployment. You also rehearse the motor skills required to get the gun out of the rack.
When was the last time you practiced getting the weapon out and into a shooting position? More than one officer has found the presentation of their long gun fouled during a shooting because the release button was in an unfamiliar spot or the sling got caught up on something on the way out the door.
Find a private spot away from the public and practice hitting the button and smoothly deploying the weapon out into a shooting position.
