Newbie question about slide-releasing

[Charley]

Is it bad for a gun to release the slide by thumbing the release button, instead of easing the slide into place?

I'm relatively new to the in's and out's of pistols, and I when I was checking out my XD40 before buying it, I locked the slide back, and released with the button...to which the guy behind the counter politely asked me not to do. He said it was something of a faux pas, but all of my friends that own pistols do this with theirs. Is this bad for the spring and slide? Or is this just something born out of polite deference? Or is it only a bad thing when the gun is dry, and is acceptible when feeding a new mag (I know that releasing the slide in that situation will feed the first round into chamber).

 

[9x19]

It is considered poor form with and EMPTY pistol, but is the correct practice when loading from a fresh magazine.

In the past, on 1911s with tuned triggers that were made of steel, the trigger could bounce rear-ward from the inertia imparted when the slide slammed home. That trigger bounce could trip the sear, allowing the hammer to fall but without pushing the sear completely clear of the half-cock notch. As a result, the half-cock notch might damge the (somewhat fragile after being "tuned") precision sear nose as it went by.

Most modern pistols won't suffer from dropping the slide on an empty chamber, but it is one of those "insider" things, which gun cranks just do not do wiht any pistol.

 

[Charley]

But does it do any wear or damage, or is it something that's just inconsiderate to do around others because of the sound or such?

 

[Reason]

It's better for the pistol to ease the slide forward with an empty chamber/magazine, but drop it on on a full chamber/magazine. The former reduces wear and tear on the firearm, and the latter ensures reliable chambering.

 

[9x19]

Charley,

See my edited post above...

 

[Charley]

Gotcha! Thanks for the info guys.

 

[CWL]

Disagree here,

Depends on the gun. It can damage some guns, as well as the 'slide stop' itself. You notice it is called a 'slide stop' and not a 'slide release'?

Thumbing the release is another Hollywood fallacy. It may not harm your gun (especially an XD40), but it isn't the best way.

instead of easing the slide into place?

When you release your slide by 'rack & release', you give full momentum to the slide and allow the weight & inertia of the slide to push forward & chamber a round correctly. -This may mean life or death during an emergency and is proper 'manual of arms' training for weapons operations.

Charley, don't worry about inconsiderate making of too much noise (since your pistola is gonna go 'BOOM' anyways), but what you should do is practice operation of your firearms in the same manner whether loaded or unloaded in order to create muscle memory.

 

[KarlG]

I was recently at a training class where the teacher emphasized simple, repeatable motions for everything you do. His teaching was that if you ALWAYS release the slide by sharply pulling back on it and letting go, then in a stress situation you won't have to think. If you train yourself to release the slide differently after a reload vs. a failure to fire vs. loading the gun then it doesn't become reflexive... you have to think. The time spent thinking could cost your life.

Another thing to consider is that if you use the slide stop to release the slide, you are rubbing it along the slide causing wear on both parts.

I consider the noise of a slide going into battery to be welcome in any setting.

 

[Bob Brown]

'Nuff said about wear/damage to the sear mechanism. The primary thing I don't like to happen when dropping the slide without a loaded magazine is that all that force from the recoil spring is placed directly on the slide stop pin and on the rear of the lower barrel lugs. Do that routine enough times and, if you're using a strong recoil spring, those little feet will bend backward...which changes the timing of the pistol's recoil/chambering cycle. And, it will eventually break those little feet right off and put the pistol out of business until a new barrel is installed.
This isn't theory...I've replaced many a barrel that's been damaged like this.
Mostly from guys who tried to tighten the lockup by installing a long barrel link, which then contacts the lugs only at the very top of those feet...and the leverage does the rest.

Bob

 

[Charley]

So pretty much leave it to mag reloads then?

 

[Drifting Fate]

Right - let it slam when loading. The gun was designed to function at full speed, and the cartridge itself acts like a buffer.

On an empty gun - ease the slide down.

For what it is worth, I completely agree with what has been said here about keeping training strokes consistant and simple. Pull back on the slide to release it when loading. Don't bother with the slide stop.

 

[Intune]

Also, don't ever put a round manually in the chamber and then let the slide forward. Bad extractor juju. I have seen this done by people wanting to have the +1 load. Load the weapon normally and then top off the mag.

 

[Bob Brown]

On this training strokes recommendation. Just make real sure your partiular pistol will actually depress the slide stop to release it when you slingshot the slide. On lots of 1911's on which a recoil buffer is installed, it won't work. Why? Because the buffer prevents the slide from moving rearward far enough to let the notch in the slide cam down the slide stop lever.
I have to disagree a little with Flyer re the extractor. If your extractor touches the barrel when the slide goes into battery, it needs to be relieved to clear. It should never touch. It also should never touch the bevel on the case.
If your mags are tuned properly, you can slow-feed a round and see if it pops up inside the extractor claw as the slide goes forward. If it comes up in front of the extractor, it's releasing late and the mag needs to be tuned. And...inserting a round in the chamber and then dropping the slide is, in fact, bad juju 'cause it'll make the extractor claw climb over the base of the case, and enough of that'll break the extractor.

 

[Majic]

Not only does easing the slide down save on wear and tear of the pistol, the big concern is that the pistol didn't belong to you. Treat other's property with greater repect.

 

[KarlG]

Bob Brown Points out a VERY good reason to not install a recoil buffer.

 

[JohnKSa]

Bob Brown points out a very good reason not to install a recoil buffer [IN CERTAIN TYPES OF HANDGUNS].

All of the handguns I own function perfectly with a recoil buffer installed.

For the record, IMO, recoil buffers are for range use only. No one shoots enough in a defensive situation to need a recoil buffer, and there's no sense in increasing the chances of a malfunction even by a tiny amount.

One other thing.

The design of the Glock pistols is such that repeated use of the slide catch to drop the slide will eventually wear the slide to the point that the catch won't catch. At that point a gunsmith will have to recut the notch in the slide. There may be other pistols with this "feature" but I'm not personally aware of any.

 

[444]

To echo what KarlG posted, I also recently took my first real handgun class and they also made an issue about not using the slide lock to release the slide EVER. I had always done this, but what they say makes sense. The logic behind it is this; muscle memory. Every time you run the slide, you do it by placing your whole hand on the slide to the rear of the ejection port. Four fingers on one side and thumb on the other. Whether you are doing a press check, chambering a round from slide lock, chambering a round to initally charge the weapon, or any type of malfunction drill. Any time the weapon stops, you do exactly the same thing, the same way every time. Another reason is because it is a gross muscle movement; according the the experts, when under stress, our fine motor skills are gone; fight or flight. Using the whole hand to grab the slide and pull it to the rear requires no coordination, or fine manipulation of the controls.
The function of the side stop when using the gun on the range or in combat is as a reference point for your trigger finger when not engaging a target. Rule #3 says that you keep your finger off the trigger until your sights are on target. When your sights are not on target, your trigger finger is on the "locator button"; the right side of the slide stop that protrudes out the side of the pistol.

 

[Majic]

Every so called expert has his or her own methods. I was taught old school where the rear of the slide is grabbed and the pistol pushed foward for slide release (no part of the body is remotely near the muzzle). That's why the pistols originally came with serrations only on the rear of the slide. Also the finger is placed on the trigger guard when not shooting for fastest access to the trigger when time to fire.