gunstores

[Nicodemus38]

went to a gunstore today, found a semi auto i wanted to look at for a weight comparison. the genius working the counter got unhappy looking wheni asked for it. it was handed over and i checked it out. somewhat strong spring but thats good.

however the slide stop refused to release the slide. took two thumbs and a finger to get it to release. had to push it in and rotate it downwards. the counter guy just kept that lok on his face of "why". i locked the slide back again and tried to release the slide. however 3 minutes of work produced no effort. the counter genious simly said in a super low voice "pop the mag out", instantly went forward with pressure from 2 thumbs.

turns out i had asked for one of the display guns that they knew had issues. interestingly enough the genius behind the counter had minutes before told me to avoid that companies products and to stick with 3 others.

so how often do you find a gunstore purposely keeping a damaged firearm in the display case to ucker people into buying the more costly stuff?

 

[Sock Puppet]

I have never known of a store that would knowingly put a faulty firearm on the shelf.

 

[WillDe83]

It was broken because the Mag was still in it?

not sure what was happening

 

[Corey]

An empty magazine in the gun will ALWAYS make the slide release difficult to depress. Doesn't matter what brand of gun or what it costs.

 

[4Shooters]

Follower catches. Semi auto designed to load next cartridge but not followers so slide will not release as easy. Lucky for me, I learned this from a patient store clerk. I can only look back now and guess what he was thinking when i fumbled with the slide release on my first 1911. Patience and good teachers make learning new things fun.

 

[4Shooters]

Del posted twice

 

[Full Metal Jacket]

so how often do you find a gunstore purposely keeping a damaged firearm in the display case to ucker people into buying the more costly stuff?

higher price does not equal higher profit margin for gunshops.

 

[russ69]

I'm not sure what gun we are talking about but some guns have quirks that you need to know the secret to operate them efficiently. If a guy hands you a gun without the slide locked back, lock it back yourself, if it's difficult just hand it back and have the salesman open it. Same thing for closing the side, if it's difficult hand it back and have him demo how to do it. No shame, nobody knows how every gun works without some previous orientation.

Thanx, Russ

 

[jonmerritt]

ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS REMOVE THE MAGAZINE FIRST!!!!!!!!!!! He just handed it to you! REMOVE THE MAGAZINE FIRST!!!!!!

 

[WC145]

however the slide stop refused to release the slide.

The operative phrase here is "slide stop", they're not all designed to be slide releases.
Also, the slide stop on guns that are new/tight may not release easily simply because of that reason. The easier, and proper thing to do, is to pull the slide back slightly while disengaging the slide stop and then easing the slide into battery. There's no reason to be dropping the slide on an empty chamber while looking a gun over in the shop, that's akin to flipping the cylinder closed on a revolver. Poor manners, potentially damaging.

 

[MMCSRET]

Thats a new one on me!!!! Not the slide lock perceived "problem"; but the fact that a magazine was in the gun when it was handed over. Its my experience that magazines are not in display guns, they are held back separately. Guess I don't shop in the right stores.

 

[Tilos]

It's difficult by design, so you KNOW the mag IS in there and it is empty.
You are actually compressing the mag spring in addition to the slide stop spring.

That could save your life in a gun fight some day and mag removal is the 1st part of "unload and make safe".

 

[clance]

the counter genious simly said in a super low voice "pop the mag out", instantly went forward with pressure from 2 thumbs...

I think some have over looked this part of your posting.

It could be that addition to working against the magazine's spring, the pistol (if new) was tight and would be easier after the initial breakin period. If used the pistol could be just terribly dirty or there was a problem.

I've never had a pistol that I couldn't drop the slide with one thumb even with the mag in and a little more effort.

 

[Mags]

the counter genious simly said in a super low voice "pop the mag out

That is normal and shoulod be expected, I think maybe the OP is a little unfamiliar with the operation of semi atou pistols. Perhaps that got the reaction you received at the gunstore.

took two thumbs and a finger to get it to release

You are lucky you didn't have to buy the pistol after that one. You should never have to force anything on a gun, if you do you are obviously doing something wrong which in this case you obviously were.

In summarry both the OP and the gun store clerk could have avoided this if the gun was properly cleared before handling it. You know first step mag out second step inspect the chamber, now you can fidget with the gun. But I beleive that the OPs unfamiliarity prompted most of the problems here, and I only blame the gunshop for not handling the gun safely. I think the gunstore guy was actually being nice tip toeing around the OP's lack of knowledge with the gun is finicke excuse.

 

[clance]

Nicodemus38: "the counter genious simly said in a super low voice "pop the mag out ",instantly went forward with pressure from 2 thumbs..."

I think some have over looked this part of your posting focusing on you lack of stating your prior "safety check" of the firearm (dropping the magazine)? If it takes two thumbs to depress the slide release even with a empty magazine it, it could be:

The pistol (if new) was tight and would be easier after the initial breakin period.

The pistol could be used just terribly dirty or there is a problem with the mechanism due to poor maintance or manufacturing.

Or.

You're trying to drop the slide release with your shooting hand, which you don't have the leverage/strength making the act more difficult.

I've never had a pistol that I couldn't drop the slide with one thumb (weak hand) even with the mag in and with a little more effort then without one.

 

[crasen]

I remember the slide lock being pretty hard to release on my Glock 23 when I first bought it. But I can barely tell the difference between how had it is to release with the magazine in it or out of it. It is pretty easy either way. For anyone who says you should never use a slide lock to release the slide, it should be part of your training even if it is not the preferred way. You can not always depend on being able to release the slide with your off hand during a self defense situation.

 

[Onward Allusion]

Nicodemus38 - Release the magazine first. It is typically more difficult to release the slide using the slide release when the pistol has an empty mag in it. This is by design. Think about it - why would you released the slide with an empty mag in a real world shooting situation?

If you get the chance, try it with different pistols at the range - with and without an empty mag. I'm pretty sure you will notice a significant difference in the pressure required by your thumb.

 

[corky52]

"I have never known of a store that would knowingly put a faulty firearm on the shelf. "

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Last edited by Sock Puppet; Today at 11:53 AM.

This.

I have also never had a gunshop employee hand me an automatic pistol with out first verifying that it was clear and removing the mag. On revolvers it gets handed to me with the cylinder open. That's at least the three gunshops that I deal with in my town.

I think that if they were to attempt to hand me a firearm without verifying it was clear, I'd ask them, politely, to verify it was clear and remove the mag. If it was not the owner, I may have to have words with the owner, later. If it was the owner, I wouldn't be back.

I guess I'm lucky that the owners of these shops are O/C about safety and the employees are professionals. Unlike some of the big box stores where the counterman/woman might have been working at Lowes last week.

Just my .02 cents worth.

Charlie

"Our country is now taking so steady a course as to show by what road it will pass to destruction, to wit: by consolidation of power first, and then corruption, its necessary consequence. "

Thomas Jefferson

 

[Nicodemus38]

iv been perusing the gun display at that store for a long time now, the caliber in the display model may havechanged, but being the same MODEL, the mode of operation doesnt change. and when i first went in to examine that model from interest the smart counter guy spent 20 minutes getting me familiarized with each make of semi auto they have and im well "proven safe' in the store eyes as handling goes.

the slide was a little gritty but every semi auto if handled at the store has never seemed to be lubed right as they simply open shipping box, and put pistol onto display system.

now the problem is that with the magazine in, i needed both thumbs and extra finger to get it to work. the PREVIOUS sample of that model line merely needed me to wave a thumb and it would slide the release with an empty mag inserted in it the first try.

and even after the magazine was removed, it still took twice the effort and force and fingers then the previous sample had. and this is a model marketed for "easy to use with one hand while the other works your cell phone or grabs a new magazine from your belt".

ive played with them enough in the store to know that
its fine to drop the slide forward with no ammo in the magazine because before i went i studied the online gun manuals for the models i was interested in, and by golly its allowed by the manual so it must besafe.

1911s need the index finger of off hand to release the slide no matter what.
revolvers always just seem to work, even when they come overlubed from the company.

i know that price doesnt always indicate a better amount of markup, but the thing is when 40 percent of your case is dedicated to one company, the desk jockey shouldnt tell you to skip those guns and get a glock or ruger or springfield instead. especially when they sell more of the products from that "inferior company".

also on the chains policy of the magazine, well they keep the magazine in the gun because its hard to drop the hammer without pulling hte trigger and magazine disconnects suck big time.

 

[stickhauler]

I don't know that I've ever had to use a finger of my "off" hand to release the slide on any 1911 I've ever handled. I've always been able to use my thumb to simply push it down. And I doubt my hand strength is any better than any average shooter.

 

[Mags]

Yep, never-ever used my off hand on a 1911's slide stop. Either sling shot or I just thumb it. I still stick to my guns on the OPs familiarity level. Poor guy thinks he knows it all too from reading about them online.

 

[WC145]

ive played with them enough in the store to know that
its fine to drop the slide forward with no ammo in the magazine because before i went i studied the online gun manuals for the models i was interested in, and by golly its allowed by the manual so it must besafe.

First, it's not playing. Second, what might be safe (per the manual) and what is appropriate are not always the same. Letting slides slam closed on empty chambers is not necessary and is poor etiquette, whether you're in a gun shop or looking at someone's piece at the range, and it doesn't tell you a thing about the gun.
Brush up on your gun handling before the next time you head to the shop to play.

 

[oasis618]

I've never had a gun store employee hand me a gun with the magazine still in it in the first place. They always eject the mag and lock the slide back.