Yes, that's the case exactly.
But you're absolutely wrong when you say it's almost physically impossible to detect something lodged in the barrel. In fact, it's remarkably simple.
With a revolver, you simply roll the cylinder out of the frame, point the barrel towards a light source and look down the barrel towards the light source. If there's light coming in, the barrel is clear. If there's isn't, there's an obstruction. With a semi auto, you simply lock the slide back (which will eject a shell in the chamber) and do the same thing. I do that literally every single time I unload any of my weapons. It's rote at this point.
I don't understand the reluctance of the anti-Baldwin crowd to discuss the Brandon Lee case. They're almost identical...