Slide releases - an end to the nonsense in sight?

I wish. But there's that argument that pulling the slide back let's it slam home with the "full force" of the spring. You know, because that extra 2-3mm of travel is going to add soooooo much more force. Me, I prefer the speed advantage of the slide release lever. IMHO, If that 2-3mm is more advantageous than the speed of the slide release, there's something wrong w/ the design of the gun and/or recoil spring.

ATLDave said:

Now that Glock's new 5th gen comes with ambi slide stops, can we at last let go of the notion that it's somehow bad or against the design intent to release the slide using the lever/button attached to the stop?

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Maybe it is there with the intent of having a left handed shooter engage the slide stop. I use the slide stop as a release all the time.

ATLDave said:

Now that Glock's new 5th gen comes with ambi slide stops, can we at last let go of the notion that it's somehow bad or against the design intent to release the slide using the lever/button attached to the stop?

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Glock calls it an "Ambidextrous Slide Stop Lever" and Glock should know best what the part is intended to do.

ATLDave said:

Now that Glock's new 5th gen comes with ambi slide stops, can we at last let go of the notion that it's somehow bad or against the design intent to release the slide using the lever/button attached to the stop?

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The paradigm you're presenting is a non-sequitur. Ambidexterity in the slide stop does not mean it's meant to be operated one handed, or mean it's meant to be operated as a slide release. An ambidextrous slide stop only means you can comfortably operate it with either hand - NOT precluding you from withdrawing the slide with the off hand, regardless of which hand is gripping the pistol.

As a guy who shoots pistols predominantly left handed, but commonly and regularly with both hands, it's nice to have ambidextrous controls, to allow the same manipulation regardless of handedness.

To the point of your argument, however, I'm happy to replace any part which wears, and as such, I don't pay much mind to those who draw a hard line about one handed slide release. If a slide will release without gritting my teeth over the pressure required, I'll commonly do so at the range. I've even gone as far to bevel and polish the stop on a few of my "race" pistols, to ensure I'm better able to press it one handed on the clock - which done properly, really doesn't increase your odds of slide slips.

But an ambidextrous stop doesn't mean it's meant to be used one handed, only that it can be used equally with either hand.

What I like about the RAP is that if I give 'er a good hard love tap as I insert the mag, the release/stop becomes a moot point. She just drops the slide and rattles on shooting.

I usually slingshot, but that's because so many of the stop/releases are tiny.

Most of my slide release levers are out of reach...

So I push the button with my weak hand when I resume my grip

I've been releasing slides with those things for 30 years or so on 1911's, M9's, Hk, Glock, Sig, etc. So far so good.

All BS that's old is new again. The slide stop to release the slide thing has come up and disappeared more times than I can count in my almost 60 years of shooting. I really thing gun rag writers drag it out and stir up controversy every few years because they have run out of new controversies to create. You know things like 9mm vs 45 acp, blued vs stainless, plastic vs metal.

Way back when I was instructed in the use of the 1911A1 that thingy on the left side you remove to field strip said pistol was called a "slide release". Now maybe the military (after all the darned 1911A1 was created for them) had it wrong, but I really, really doubt it.

Me, I'll just keep on using the various control on semi auto handguns the way I've done most of my life. It's certainly worked well so far.

Wait... Wasn't it... Perfection?

Plan B said:

I wish. But there's that argument that pulling the slide back let's it slam home with the "full force" of the spring. You know, because that extra 2-3mm of travel is going to add soooooo much more force. Me, I prefer the speed advantage of the slide release lever. IMHO, If that 2-3mm is more advantageous than the speed of the slide release, there's something wrong w/ the design of the gun and/or recoil spring.

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The old argument was that releasing the slide by pressing the release lever was a "fine motor skill" while racking the slide (ala "slingshot") was a gross motor skill. And fine-motor skills were to be avoided. (Nobody seemed concerned that pressing the trigger while keeping the sights aligned is also SET of fine motor skills that must be coordinated!) In fact, using the slide release or slingshoting (or using another method) are both fine-motor skills, and after a lot of problems in Afghanistan and Iraq with guns not closing cleanly/sharply, the U.S. military changed its handgun training. (Every time the gun didn't close cleanly, the shooter would either have to hit the rear of the slide to close it, or rack the slide (as in a clearance drill). Racking the slide again COULD have the same effect as the first time! Either method takes extra time and racking the slide also loses a round. The DoD now teaches the use of the slide stop/release.

Most owner's manuals say pull the slide to the rear and release it. Some other gun makers say that either method is OK. Kahr specifically says that pulling and releasing the slide might lead to problems and recommends using the slide stop/release.

Note: If you can't easily press the stop/release with the strong hand thumb, you don't have to use the strong hand to release the slide: you can use several fingers of the off hand (like a small "claw") as the last step when loading the magazine, reaching up just a bit farther, and using all 2-3 fingers to release the slide -- as there's no problem finding it when you use several fingers. It's still pretty fast.

The revolver eliminates the back-forth on if it is a stop or release. Glock could come up with a revolver to surprise us.

I grasp the slide, using the overhand method, retract and release. It's the same motion I use to load, unload and reload the gun, as well as to clear stoppages. The only time I touch the slide lock is to lock open the slide. It's a decision-making and economy of motion thing and not tied to any "slide lock" or "slide release" dogma.

If my slide goes into battery when I seat the magazine I still work the slide and drive on.

I also retract and release the charging handle on my AR, instead of manually operating the bolt stop, so my movements mirror what I do with my pistol.

ATLDave said:

Now that Glock's new 5th gen comes with ambi slide stops, can we at last let go of the notion that it's somehow bad or against the design intent to release the slide using the lever/button attached to the stop?

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Or, we can assume that Glock thinks they can sell more guns if they offer them in this configuration.

I wish. But there's that argument that pulling the slide back let's it slam home with the "full force" of the spring. You know, because that extra 2-3mm of travel is going to add soooooo much more force.

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Except when your release from getting that extra few mm of travel slows down its moving forward and causes a feed failure -- like can and does sometimes happen with the little Kahr pistols.

Shawn Dodson said:

I grasp the slide, using the overhand method, retract and release... It's a decision-making and economy of motion thing and not tied to any "slide lock" or "slide release" dogma.

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Decision-making is a good reason. However, from "an economy of motion" standpoint, the overhand is a less economical method than the slide stop/slide release.

See ATLDave's comment just above your post.

If people want to keep "slingshotting" every slide release, that's fine. As long as they don't bother timing it and realize that they're slower because of it.

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I didn't realize the military had gone TO the slingshot. We just dropped the slide release on the M9 and it worked anyway.

Six months three on two off at Ft Benning, 14 hour days, first you check out vehicles, then draw weapons. Lock slide back, insert mag, drop slide release, chamber, put on safe. End of shift you turn in weapons, clear, drop the slide release pull trigger. Hundreds and hundreds of times.

If there is no 'safety theatre' going on at some rental range I haven't changed the process in decades. Yet many experts with more post counts than I have days serving will say it's all wrong.

As for installing non hardened slide stops then changing their guns to meet a common practice it goes to catering to the consumer. Never forget that same maker will install a thumb safety to bid the contract, and ships them that way, too.

Lock slide back, insert mag, drop the slide release, chamber, put on safe. Where have I done that before?

If the slide release/slide stop has and external control that allows the user to drop the slide, by using said external control, the designer (if he really is a competent engineer) had better harden and design the parts so that using the external control does not damage the gun.

Designs like the Walther PP, Mauser HSc, and a few others, do not have external controls to release the slide stop, therefore, are the only type guns that should "require" the racking of the slide to chamber a round on a fresh magazine.

Tirod said:

I didn't realize the military had gone TO the slingshot.

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Did someone post this in this thread. The only comment I'd noticed was from Walt Sherrill

The DoD now teaches the use of the slide stop/release.

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The only argument I've ever heard for not using the stop to release the slide is that it will round the interface. The failure to feed and gross motor skills are both new to me.

The failure to feed argument seems ridiculous to me personally, but I could see the gross motor skills argument being valid, depending on the pistol. For a 1911, I don't think it's a problem, for a Glock, definitely. I have a hard enough time releasing the slide using the factory slide stop at the range, so I sure as heck don't want to try it under stress.

I have seen guns on the used market with rounded out slide stop notches, to the point where the slide stop was no longer functional, despite the gun itself being in pretty good condition bore wise. So it's definitely something to be aware of.

grampajack said:

I have seen guns on the used market with rounded out slide stop notches, to the point where the slide stop was no longer functional . . .

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To me this is indicative of a poorly engineered/manufactured gun....

lysanderxiii said:

To me this is indicative of a poorly engineered/manufactured gun....

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Perhaps, just depends on how you look at it. Either way, I don't want to ruin a gun for no reason.