Proper way to lock back the slide on a 1911

[mikemyers]

What is the best way to rack the slide on a stiff 1911, keeping the barrel facing downrange, and having a finger free to lock the slide in place.

What I do now, is turn to the right 90 degrees, grip the stock with my right hand, push the slide back with my left hand, and use a thumb to push up on the "take down lever" to lock the slide in place. I doubt this is the right way.

Suggestions?

 

[JRadice45]

Sounds right to me, just make sure you cock the hammer first. with the hammer down you have a great deal more force holding the slide closed (mainsprings are usually rated between 18.5 - 23 lb)

 

[NormH3]

I find it easier to hold the slide and push the frame forward as opposed to pulling the slide. I hope that makes sense. I don't have a 1911, but use this method with my Sig P226 and others.

 

[mikemyers]

Hmmm, I was told I should remain facing downrange, and (somehow??) pull the slide straight back to me (which I can sort of do) - and somehow push the slide lock up??

 

[AZAndy]

If you bring the pistol in close to your chest, your leverage will be better. Wrap your left hand over the top of the slide and haul back on it, then use your right thumb to lift the slide lock. That left-hand-over thing is called the "armorer's grip."

 

[cfullgraf]

Yes, keep the barrel pointing down range so adjust your stance to accomplish that.

 

[Tallball]

If it is cocked (the hammer is back), it is WAY easier.

 

[ATLDave]

Make sure the hammer is cocked and the safety is off!

Also, experiment with how you grip with slide with your left hand. Some people find the "overhand" method better, although it sometimes necessitates the sidesaddle turn you mention. Others, including me, find the thumb-to-second-index-finger "pinch" on the rear cocking serrations to be faster/better.

 

[RecoilRob]

I prefer your original method of turning 90 degrees then overhand pinch of slide rear to retract while pushing up the slide stop with the shooting hand thumb. The overhand method is nice when you're clearing a loaded pistol as you automatically catch the ejecting round in your cocking hand. No sense bouncing if off of the ground if you don't need to.

 

[mikemyers]

Without pulling the hammer back, I can't move the slide, so that's a given... hammer back.

As I said, turning my body 90 degrees allows me to do this relatively easily. But I was told that was wrong, and that there is a way to pull the slide back towards me, while I am facing down-range. I can actually do that now - but I have no idea what the trick is to find a finger that can lock the slide in place.

From what you fellows are saying, I guess I'll continue as I have been doing. I thought I was missing something. Apparently the person trying to "correct me" was confused.

 

[Coal Dragger]

I find the best method of locking the slide on a 1911 or any other magazine fed semi-auto with a last round hold open feature is to empty the magazine.

It's also the most fun method.

 

[Sam1911]

Mike,

Amazing that little things like this are still not universally understood in the shooting community! They really aught to be teaching this in elementary school...but anyway.

Here's probably the best write-up ever on how to most efficiently rack the slide of an auto pistol: https://www.corneredcat.com/article/running-the-gun/rack-the-slide/

You are ABSOLUTELY CORRECT to turn your body slightly to help keep the muzzle exactly down range. Place your support (weak) hand on top of the slide, right on top of the rear sights (not really over the ejection port if you can help it -- bad habit), and then use a crossing motion of your hand to push the GRIP forward (downrange) and the slide backward (uprange).

This crossing or pincer motion of your arms is plenty strong to rack the slide on any auto ever. No need to cock the hammer first. That's just a crutch to cover poor technique. You DO need to make sure the safety is off, of course.

Since your firing hand stays in its normal position, your thumb will be in the right spot to push up the slide stop lever. (Even if you have short thumbs and need to rotate your grip a small bit, this still works.)

Read the link. Look at the pictures. Teach others!

 

[mikemyers]

Sam1911, thanks. The second method the article showed is what I do now. I was told that was incorrect, but apparently it's fine.

Trigger finger - use mental super-glue to hold it against the frame, no matter what it "wants to do" on its own. Eventually this becomes automatic.

I'll try some of the suggestions in that article, as maybe it will make this easier for me; it's currently no problem for me, but maybe these tips will improve on what I do.


I suspect the person who tried to correct me wanted me to switch from "method 2" to "method 1", but when I asked this person to show me how he can lock the slide back, he was unable to do it himself.

---------------------

Whoever wrote that article has probably never tried to rack the slide on a new LesBaer 1911, but now that my gun is more broken in, I can operate it properly, as others here told me I'd eventually be able to do.

 

[RetiredUSNChief]

Why would you doubt this is the "right" way? Who told you otherwise?

There are a few ways to lock the slide back, but the one thing they all have in common is actually racking the slide back. The most important thing is safety...keeping the muzzle pointed in a safe direction.

Some methods are easier than others...some not so easy. It's a matter of preference that I really don't care about, so long as the person demonstrates safe control of the weapon.

Most times I rack the slide exactly as you described in your OP. Other times I stay facing downrange and grab the back of the slide between thumb and forefinger and rack it back that way.

If I'm doing it with a magazine out, or a partially loaded magazine, I'll turn 90 degrees as you describe, put upward pressure on the slide lock with my right thumb, grip the slide with my hand cupped over the ejection port, and rack the slide back to a locked position while catching the ejected round in my cupped hand.

If you want to cock the hammer first, feel free. Just maintain safety, as always.


The "best" method is somewhat subject to personal preferences. However, the human body is a marvelously engineered biological machine and some methods are inherently easier to perform because of the dynamics involved in how that biological machine is constructed and operates.

 

[ATLDave]

As far as locking the slide back without an empty magazine in the gun, just push up on the bottom of the slide stop/release with the top of your right thumb. I can't really conceive of another method that doesn't involve lots of contortion.

 

[mikemyers]

The confusion on my part, was that I was turning 90 degrees and as I push/pull to get the slide back (I now know it should be push, not pull) I push up with my thumb to lock the slide back. The other person told me I should do this without having to turn 90 degrees, and simply move the slide back towards me - but I can't see any way to do this and have a finger free to lock the slide in place.

I thought I was missing something - but apparently not - although the ideas in that article are a better way to do it than the way I've been doing it.

I asked the other person to show me how he does it, and he couldn't - so maybe I should have just ignored the advice.

 

[Sam1911]

Now you know. And you can teach HIM!

 

[mikemyers]

Sam1911, thank you for several things.

For starters, my friend and I discussed this a few hours ago, and he showed me he could (eventually) do it his way. He's got a Dan Wesson PM-9. He left it for me to practice with, and I found I could also do it - trying both ways as described in the article you linked to. His gun has been shot a lot, and is very smooth and easy to operate. Racking the slide is actually easy.

What amazed me even more on his gun, was to try to rack the slide without pulling back the hammer. On the PM-9 this was easy.

After doing this for ten minutes or so on the PM-9, I tried on my LesBaer. Doing it your way, for the first time with the Les Baer, not only could I easily rack the slide, but I could do it repeatably, both with my body turned 90 degrees as before, but also the other way with my body facing the target. What I can't do yet, is actuate the slide lock as I push the gun away from me, while facing the target. I think as the gun wears in a little more, I'll be able to do that. In the meantime, now that I know "what" to do, I can start keep trying until I get it sorted out. (I assume that the Les Baer will continue to loosen up as I use it more.)


The single most important thing I learned from the article, was to NOT try to pull the slide back, but to just grip the slide and push the gun forward with my right hand, giving it a fast push.

Sheesh, it's amazing how much easier things are to do, when you know how to do them correctly!!!

 

[Zerodefect]

My pistol is pointed very far to the left and a little down when I overhand rack and lock the slide back with my thumb.

It's still pointed "downrange". Unless the guy to the left of me takes 2 steps forward onto the range. But still downrange, is downrange.

I don't turn, because then I'd have a habit or training scar of turning that may reappear during a real shoot.

 

[mikemyers]

I don't know the "official" definition of downrange, but to me, the only acceptable way for the gun to point is towards where the target at the range is likely to be.

If I did what you described, I think I would be criticized by the other shooters, or the range officer. Even if nobody else was there, I would't feel I was doing things safely.

If it was a "real shoot", how are you going to have time to evaluate where your bullet would go (way off to your left?), if the gun fired?

 

[Zerodefect]

Not sure I understand what you mean. I'm not shooting the gun while I'm racking it, nor am I worried about it going off. For a simple lock back, the pistol is held in a similar position to when we fold it down to move.

Our tap rack bang, is at the retention position, with the pistol pointed about 45 degree left while it's racked. Still no way to hit the guy on the left if the shooter ND'd.

If we're running drills, it's not possible at all to keep the pistol on target. And the range setup reflects that. It's not a stand at the line and shoot, kind of public range. Non-shooters should be far behind us, and shooters that are part of the drill, well, you just need to be mindful where they are.

There's nothing wrong with being extra safe at public ranges, just don't let it turn into a training scar where you turn right 45 degrees every time you reload or rack the pistol. Which I have seen people do during advanced classes, at least until the instructor stopped it.

But even then, I rack normally, not holding straight ahead. That type of rack isn't even practice, as it would never be used in a real shooting.

 

[Sam1911]

Guys, there's "turn 90 degrees" and there's "keep it pointed downrange."

No real reason to get too hung up on how close to 90 degrees it is. You don't want to come anywhere close to pointing it across the firing line (or your personal 180 degree line, depending on what kind of range you're on). But you don't have to make a large turn in order to stay safe. A bit of twist at the waist and you're good.

If you want to get out your protractor (lol!) I'd say anything closer than 45 degrees off the target line is just fine.

 

[Vern Humphrey]

Wrap your left hand around the front of the frame, with your index and middle fingers around the trigger guard, and pull the slide back with your right hand. Use your left thumb to engage the slide lock.

 

[Good Ol' Boy]

I know nothing of 1911's but I'm always looking to learn something new. How is what we're talking about any different than any other semi auto? I keep seeing "engaging the slide lock". Do 1911's not lock back automatically when the slide is pulled with a mag in?

I'll be upfront as to my ignorance, my only experience with semi's is striker fired, anything I own with a hammer is a wheel gun.

 

[Sam1911]

Nope, no different from any other "normal" auto.

If you happen to shoot an entire mag full, so the gun is empty, the mag follower will press up the slide stop and lock the slide back for you.

However, during normal firing when you may want to clear the pistol without firing every round in the gun first, you'll need to drop the magazine and then lock the slide back. With the mag out the follower can't prop up the slide stop for you (obviously) so you'll need to do that yourself.

It becomes second nature to those of us who do much competition and training.

The standard stage end commands will be:
"Unload" (drop the mag and rack the slide to empty the chamber).
"Show clear" (lock the slide open and let the safety officer see the empty chamber).
"Slide forward" (close the slide)
"Pull the trigger" (pull the trigger to drop the hammer or striker on that empty chamber)
"Holster" (put it away)
"Range is Safe."