Best Practices: Chamber by slide release, pull back, or slingshot?

[SJan]

Hand over slide, unless it's either of my M&Ps. Both of those will release the slide every time I seat a magazine anyway.

That - my M&P9 decides for me...

Works great up until it doesn't work at all, then you will stand there with gun at slide lock for about 3 seconds before you remember to do something.

Personally, I grip the top of the slide, forward of the ejection port, deep in the web of my thumb and index finger, this griping method is the quickest (for me) to reastablish a strong firing grip. And no, front cocking serrations are not required, I have strong hands, not girly keyboard commando hands

 

[ScottS]

Oh, please, not the gross motor skills bushwa again.

The assertion by some of the cool kids instructors is that using your hand on the slide is a gross motor skill, while pressing down on the slide stop with your weak hand thumb is a fine motor skill. And since fine motor skills degrade when you are under an adrenaline rush, that you will screw up with the slide stop but not screw up using your hand on the slide.

There are some problems with this, however. First, they use pseudo-scientific jargon, in order to add credence to their theory, but they use it incorrectly. What is a gross motor skill versus a fine motor skill? The distinction between fine and gross motor skills comes from child development theory. Gross motor skills involve using your arms and legs. Using your fingers and/or hands is a fine motor skill. So both depressing the slide stop and grabbing slide are fine motor skills. The distinction between fine and gross motor skills does not apply to differentiate the two. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gross_motor_skill

Second, they assert that you will be able to hit the magazine release with your thumb and the trigger with your index finger, but you won't be able to hit the slide stop with your thumb. But they don't acknowledge that inconsistency in their argument.

I've always marveled that, when I "lose fine motor skill," I'm supposed to use "gross motor groups" on releasing the slide, but, then, what am I supposed to use to drop the 4-5.5# trigger? My elbow?

How do these guys reconcile all the "you're a flailing caveman" theories with actually pulling a trigger?

 

[Salyeica]

I use the edge of my pant pocket

 

[ochmude]

PS. The gross motor skill thing is kool-aide of the highest order.

I think it is more of a steaming pile of poo.

Occasionally at quarterly quals at work an instructor will throw out the gross/fine motor skills stuff. I always ask if a consistent, smooth trigger pull is, in their opinion, a fine motor skill. And if so, should I avoid it while shooting under stress.

 

[wahsben]

What do they give for an answer if anything?

Occasionally at quarterly quals at work an instructor will throw out the gross/fine motor skills stuff. I always ask if a consistent, smooth trigger pull is, in their opinion, a fine motor skill. And if so, should I avoid it while shooting under stress.

 

[M1911]

Occasionally at quarterly quals at work an instructor will throw out the gross/fine motor skills stuff. I always ask if a consistent, smooth trigger pull is, in their opinion, a fine motor skill. And if so, should I avoid it while shooting under stress.

. They must love you.

 

[heavywater42]

I sit here thinking about it and that depending on situation i use all of the above

 

[Supermoto]

Grabbing the slide from under the dust cover if the slide is closed or slide release if slide is open are the fastest way

 

[Pvt. Cowboy]

Works great up until it doesn't work at all, then you will stand there with gun at slide lock for about 3 seconds before you remember to do something.

Then you start to develop bad habits, like slapping the mag again to drive the slide forward.

Yah, that happened to me.

 

[ochmude]

What do they give for an answer if anything?

Usually it's just eye rolls and telling me not to be a smartass. One particularly level headed instructor, though, actually realized that I had a point and he runs us through drills involving both chambering methods whenever he's instructing.

 

[Caseyb829]

I think it comes down to consistency.
I load my pistol hand over slide
I reload my pistol hand over slide
During a malfunction I tap rack (hand over slide)
For right handed shooters the slingshot technique will put the ejection port in an upward facing direction which will not help you when clearing a malfunction and can actually cause a worse malfunction.
So to be as consistent as possible I run hand over slide for everything that I do.

 

[Skylineracer329]

https://youtu.be/K7cyQlsUQ6E

 

[ScottS]

https://youtu.be/K7cyQlsUQ6E

Embedded in post #19 of this very thread.

 

[Skylineracer329]

Embedded in post #19 of this very thread.

Lol I got bored WELL before post 19. Admin can delete mine if they want

 

[Dnotarianni]

Usually slide release but on a reload during a run I slam mags in hard and slide usually drops on its own. Thats only when I lose count and go to slide lock

 

[Jamie]

Someone here...anyone...beg Timber to run the "Shovel Drill" with you. You'll quickly understand the difference between fine motor skills, gross motor skills, and the ability to accurately fire a gun while being relentlessly beaten with a long-handled shovel. I know it sounds silly, but it's eye-opening. After about the third well placed shot, he moves to head strikes. Total game changer.

 

[Bonesinium]

There wasn't the option for knocking the rear sight with the heel of your boot or top of your belt so I didn't vote. Those are the only methods I use.

 

[ddp335]

I usually use the slide release but I'm trying to get in the habit of going hand over slide since in an actual defensive situation I'd rather rely less on fine motor skills and more on using larger muscle groups.

Because using the slide release is a fine motor skill and squeezing the trigger / hitting the mag release is not

Edit - M1911 beat me to it

 

[ILikeGlocks]

I have strong hands

 

[Wickedcoolname]

I just close the cylinder and squeeze the trigger.

 

[ThePreBanMan]

Are you saying that I shouldn't be grabbing the (probably really hot) barrel of my rifle like this:

Wow - he didn't accidentally discharge the weapon this time... Good on him.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z-asnZ-qmiQ

 

[eboos]

Grabbing the slide from under the dust cover if the slide is closed ... [is] the fastest way

After watching Ben Stoeger do that, I gave it a try. With my 1911 with a 14lbs spring - not happening. With my G34 with a 13lbs spring - not happening. With a carry gun with the stock spring -

 

[Knuckle Dragger]

Any of those options are fine. Just don't gently ease the slide forward. I'm always amazed at how many people want to do that.

Option 4

Throw down and draw your secondary

AKA 'New York Reload'

Are you suggesting that you chamber a round by dropping a loose round in through the ejection port? Don't do that.

Yup. Seriously, don't do that.

 

[JoseyWales]

Its a slide lock mechanism not a slide release button.

Pressing button to release slide peans over metal parts especially with older semi autos

I always grab the slide, pull back, and release.

 

[M1911]

Its a slide lock mechanism not a slide release button.

Pressing button to release slide peans over metal parts especially with older semi autos

I always grab the slide, pull back, and release.

That has only ever happened on one of my guns, a ParaOrdnance POS. I, like many other USPSA and IDPA competitors, have been pushing down on slide releases for decades. There is a reason that many slide releases are knurled on top -- so that you can push down on them.

 

[free]

Its a slide lock mechanism not a slide release button.

Pressing button to release slide peans over metal parts especially with older semi autos

I always grab the slide, pull back, and release.

No.

 

[Contramnky]

High-five on this post.

Oh, please, not the gross motor skills bushwa again.

The assertion by some of the cool kids instructors is that using your hand on the slide is a gross motor skill, while pressing down on the slide stop with your weak hand thumb is a fine motor skill. And since fine motor skills degrade when you are under an adrenaline rush, that you will screw up with the slide stop but not screw up using your hand on the slide.

There are some problems with this, however. First, they use pseudo-scientific jargon, in order to add credence to their theory, but they use it incorrectly. What is a gross motor skill versus a fine motor skill? The distinction between fine and gross motor skills comes from child development theory. Gross motor skills involve using your arms and legs. Using your fingers and/or hands is a fine motor skill. So both depressing the slide stop and grabbing slide are fine motor skills. The distinction between fine and gross motor skills does not apply to differentiate the two. Gross motor skill - Wikipedia

Second, they assert that you will be able to hit the magazine release with your thumb and the trigger with your index finger, but you won't be able to hit the slide stop with your thumb. But they don't acknowledge that inconsistency in their argument.

Third, they assert that grabbing the slide is less error prone than depressing the slide stop. But, once again, they simply assert this without providing any evidence to support it. I've seen a master class shooter in IDPA have his hand slip off the slide twice while trying to reload his gun. He was not an inexperienced shooter. In contrast, I've never seen anyone miss the slide stop with their thumb.

Fourth, they ignore the fact that pulling back on the slide is 1/4 to 1/2 second slower than using the slide stop. If you are in a gunfight, you are in deep doodoo. If you are in a gunfight and run your gun dry, you are in even deeper doodoo, and that 1/4 to 1/2 second maybe the difference between life and death.

Try both methods. Do the following drill several times with a timer: from low ready, shoot two rounds, reload, shoot two rounds. Do it with both techniques and see which is faster and more reliable for you. If you have a gun with a generously sized slide stop in the correct location (e.g., 1911, HK), then the slide stop might be the best alternative. If you have a gun with a dinky slide stop (Glock standard slide stop), then you might want to replace it with a bigger slide stop (Glock extended slide stop) or pull back on the slide.

Both techniques work. Choose which one works best for you. But please don't repeat the gross motor skill bullcrap, because it is, in fact, a steaming pile of poo.

 

[ReluctantDecoy]

Some guns prefer slide lock release as oppose to sling shot. My Kahr P9 is one example. I think it does mention that in the manual as well. Sling shot causes FTF issues sometimes if not done with swift authority with an overhand grip. On the other hand, my Shield seems to be very stiff for slide lock release and it's like every other mag won't release with thumb pressure, making my have to sling shot rack. It's weird those as other times the slide release is fine. Haven't figured out the pattern causing that yet.