Letting the slide slam on an empty chamber

Gammon said:
I've had it with this thread. Some very experienced shooters have given us the benefit of their knowledge and yet a bunch of dweebs (more than I had expected) refuse to listen. What should have been a learning experience has turned into a useless debate.
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You just defined the Internet.
 
If a 1911 has a ledge type slide lock like the NHC I used to own, its a piece of cake for a lefty. If its an angled, checkered USGI type release, like on the Officers model pictured, its not something you can count on if you are a lefty. This style of slide stop is made by both Greider and Ed Brown, if any of you leftys want to fit one to your 1911.

DSC_5873.jpg
 
dcmdon said:
If you are right handed and don't shoot a glock, I agree.
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The stock Glock slide release is small, but I find the extended one usable.

I don't care for the SIG P-series slide stop (neither the location nor the size) so on that gun I might cycle the slide. The HK USP slide stop is generously sized and well placed.
 
Dropping the slide on an empty chamber on a 1911 will bugger up your sear to hammer mating surfaces causing your trigger action to degrade over time. Dropping the slide on a round in the chamber will cause extractor fatigue and could even break the tip of your extractor and this can lead to extractor failure over time.
 
I bought a S&w 1911 and some higher end 1911 and they all said, wrote the same thing. Do not let the slide slam on an empty chamber. Also, do not hand load a round into the chamber and close the slide in it as it will damage the extractor.

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Remsport Mfg said:
Dropping the slide on an empty chamber on a 1911 will bugger up your sear to hammer mating surfaces causing your trigger action to degrade over time. Dropping the slide on a round in the chamber will cause extractor fatigue and could even break the tip of your extractor and this can lead to extractor failure over time.
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Damn, beat me to it.
 
The reason we develop our mussel memory to sling shot the slide and not to use the slide stop is when you have to do a slap, rack and pull on a gun that the mag has not seated properly. In a stress situation you don't want to get confused and lose time in getting your gun to fire and it is not as easy to do this with the slide stop.
 
Remsport Mfg said:
The reason we develop our mussel memory to sling shot the slide and not to use the slide stop is when you have to do a slap, rack and pull on a gun that the mag has not seated properly. In a stress situation you don't want to get confused and lose time in getting your gun to fire and it is not as easy to do this with the slide stop.
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I am acquainted with that theory, but to me, that is all it is - a theory. And my experience is that it isn't important in practice.

Many (most?) competitors in IDPA and USPSA use the slide release. As a safety officer I see failures to feed most every match, and the shooters that use the slide release don't have any problem fixing a malfunction when it arises.

I can understand if you are trying to train folks in the shortest amount of time and to the lowest common denominator. It takes some practice to hit the slide release with your support thumb. But with some consistent practice it becomes unconscious competence - you do it without thinking about it.

Obviously, these are all my opinions. If you want to close the slide by cycling, that works fine, it is just a bit slower. Choose one way and train that way.

What gets my goat is when people say that there is only one right way to do this -- both methods work.
 
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M1911 said:
The stock Glock slide release is small, but I find the extended one usable.

I don't care for the SIG P-series slide stop (neither the location nor the size) so on that gun I might cycle the slide. The HK USP slide stop is generously sized and well placed.
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The Sig stop is weird but useable. I press in with my Shooting thumb and it unlocks. Actually half the time my grip keeps the slide from locking back cause my thumb is riding along the stop lever.
 
Bob P said:
The Sig stop is weird but useable. I press in with my Shooting thumb and it unlocks. Actually half the time my grip keeps the slide from locking back cause my thumb is riding along the stop lever.
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Which is one of the reasons that I don't like the P-Series slide stop. [wink]
 
So what I've gotten out of this thread is that a 1911 is an inferior design that breaks easily when you drop the slide.

I've dropped the slide on my M&P9 empty and ghetto loaded it probably thousands of times. It still works just fine and it doesn't even jack up the brass.
 
derektrance said:
Put some huge gloves on and push your mag release. Now push your slide stop. BIG difference.
I did take some of that from something I read somewhere, but it made sense to me.
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Reading and doing are different

xtry51 said:
So what I've gotten out of this thread is that a 1911 is an inferior design that breaks easily when you drop the slide.

I've dropped the slide on my M&P9 empty and ghetto loaded it probably thousands of times. It still works just fine and it doesn't even jack up the brass.
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A fighting 1911 and a competition 1911 are 2 different guns, just like a fighting and competition M&P will be different. Odd how people still pick the 1911 over the M&P for both jobs
 
xtry51 said:
So what I've gotten out of this thread is that a 1911 is an inferior design that breaks easily when you drop the slide.

I've dropped the slide on my M&P9 empty and ghetto loaded it probably thousands of times. It still works just fine and it doesn't even jack up the brass.
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That pretty much sums it up. (G17 and G34 here)

I doubt either of us is even remotely exaggerating with the "thousands of times" portion of your comment, either.

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Supermoto said:
Reading and doing are different



A fighting 1911 and a competition 1911 are 2 different guns, just like a fighting and competition M&P will be different. Odd how people still pick the 1911 over the M&P for both jobs
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I'm pretty sure his comment was tounge-in-cheek. To each his own. I respect your opinion as a seasoned competitor.
 
The 1911 comment was indeed a smidge sarcastic.

I do however empty and dry fire my gun every day. I let the slide slam shut every time I rack the slide and when I'm done I ghetto load it.

Every day. No issues.
 
Are we still on this? If you have a 1911, try to avoid it. If you have a Glock, you can do it all day long without problem.

bill o said:
If you can't hit the slide release by swiping your thumb, you need to see a neurologist.
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Releasing the slide with the slide stop is just bad practice.
 
Many (most?) competitors in IDPA and USPSA use the slide release. As a safety officer I see failures to feed most every match, and the shooters that use the slide release don't have any problem fixing a malfunction when it arises.
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Most USPSA competitors rarely use the slide release, as shooting the gun dry is rarely the strategically wise move in a match. The one exception is when you come to the final shooting position with the exact number of needed rounds. It's not worth a reload to have a spare round "in case you miss" but, if you do, you'll be reloading from slide lock.

IDPA on the other hand requires gun be shot dry (some think this is more tactical), so that game does require lowering the slide under the stopwatch.
 
Yeah, avoid it on a 1911.

I think I did it 1000 times the first week I purchased my first handgun, a Glock 19, and it was solid.
 
Do what works for you. I've read a lot of theories in this thread, and no one has yet cited any figures or sources. Show me a company that racked and rode a slide on an empty chamber for 20,000 rounds and used the slide release on an empty chamber for 20,000 and then compared the tolerances on the guns to see the changes, and then I'll decide whether I'll change my technique; until that happens, all of this is nothing more than personal preference.
 

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