slide lock-or slide release

Pull back to release. That is primary reason back of pistol slides have serrations.

paulsj said:

That is primary reason back of pistol slides have serrations.

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I wonder why they have serrations on the slide lock/slide releases?

I use the sling method, but you have to be careful not to ride the slide or it may not go into battery.

I'm not very familiar with P365's. But I will generally use the slide lock/slide release unless there is some reason I cannot. There is no doubt that it is faster to release the slide with the slide lock (either with the strong hand thumb or with the weak hand during re-building the grip) than to do any grabbing of the slide.

I almost always use it at the range because I want to know that it works. It's there for a reason. Doesn't matter the type of pistol. Works great on my 365.

Both....as the situation dictates.

Walkalong said:

Both.

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^This^

I tend to use the slingshot method for the most part on full-size and compact pistols. There’s enough real estate there to grab onto with those and I own and shoot several different pistols and I make the operation simple for myself. I don’t want to fumble when it counts.

With subcompact and pocket sized pistols I own very few of those and the slide lock is the same exact distance on all of them. The slides are also smaller and there’s less to grab onto with those while keeping eyes on target.

Jeb Stuart said:

As I said, 1911's are a different story. But many small guns have all kinds of different sizes. Some small, some recessed etc. I guess you are faster go the amount you train.
5 Things to Know About Slide Stops—A Pistol's Most Misunderstood Control
https://www.outdoorlife.com/5-things-to-know-about-slide-stops-pistols-most-misunderstood-control

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...pushing down on the slide stop with your thumb is a fine motor skill, and that fine motor skills can deteriorate when you’re under stress. They can and do.

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Kind of like operating the trigger, and the mag release.

Folks can use whatever technique they want, and certainly some guns are much better suited to one technique than another.

jr_watkins said:

Both....as the situation dictates.

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Yup

From Sig's P365 owner's manual. They're saying either one is good as long as you don't ride the slide.

1. Release the slide by either:
   
   a. Pressing down on the slide catch lever, releasing the slide forward and chambering a cartridge.
   
   b. Pulling back slightly on the slide and then releasing it to chamber a cartridge.
   
   CAUTION:

DO NOT RIDE THE SLIDE FORWARD. FAILURE TO PROPERLY COMPLETE STEP 6b MAY INDUCE A STOPPAGE.

Jeb Stuart said:

I guess some firearms you shoot so often or have shot so often and the movements are so locked into your memory that you do not even realize what you are actually doing. I had my retired LC9S out last weekend and ran about 200 rds through it. Since I always use the sling shot method for all my guns the gun ran great. I just pulled out the gun and loaded it up and guess what? The slide lock will not budge down without a whole lot of force. The same with my SR9C. Now I am pulling out all my guns to see. Actually glad I have trained so many years with the sling shot method. Otherwise these guns would be deadly. I think I will stick with the universal method of sling shoting. No need to learn each and every slide release on each gun. Especially on one that will not budge.

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I had a LC9S Pro and had the same issue. Per Ruger’s customer service, the slide lock is not meant to be used as a release.

Jeb Stuart said:

Lol, one reason I never used it. Thanks for looking it up. Actually never even tried before after all these years.

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I had called Ruger after my first range session with it, assuming I’d have to send it in for repair as it wasn’t feeding hollow point ammo reliably and I thought the slide release was broke. They had me stretch the magazine springs, which fixed the feed issue and told me about the slide stop not being a release.

So Glock ( and apparently ruger too) have slide locks and berate any use of them as “releases”. Meanwhile 1911s , s&w semis, sigs, and likely others have ‘slide releases’ and allow their customers to use them as such...

Personally , I use the slide release; It’s faster and I don’t own any guns that disallow it’s use.

I watched a friend struggle with his reloads on an ar-15... his Glock pistol instructor had so drilled into him that could never touch the slide release that even or his AR he was pulling out the charging handle to drop the bolt after seating a fresh mag.
Side trail here... anyone ever notice that the controls are exactly the same between the 1911 and an ar-15? It cracks me up when tactical guys diss any pistol that has a manual safety yet with their tacticool ar it’s all “ muscle memory.. never even have the think about it.” Comparing the controls or the ar with the 1911 is what made me start carrying a 1911: identical thumb safety manipulation and now I operate the slide release of the 1911 with my left thumb on reloads same as dropping the bolt on the ar.

Train using both methods.

I personally use the slingshot method and I am aware of its drawbacks.

If the slide stop/release wasn’t meant to be used as a slide release they should have made the whole mechanism internal. Seems like there are a few guns out there like that.

I use the slide to load the first round, (of course), then the slide release to load subsequent reloads. One method because I have to, (the slide won't move itself ), and the other because it is safer and or faster.

Both methods work and accomplish the same thing. Do what makes you feel warm and fuzzy.