Autoloader question that's been on my mind

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20nickels

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Is there or was there ever a pistol that automatically put the slide forward when a new magazine is inserted?
I just own wheelguns so brass chuckers are a bit foreign to me :p but one would think it would make a much quicker reload if the magazine would somehow disengage the slide catch when inserted. Or is there some safety issue with this?
 
I have a Bersa Thunder 380 that does it but it wasn't designed that way.
 
The slide on an H&K P7 is designed to move forward from slide-lock when the grip cocker is pressed.
 
If I slap the mag home on my 1911 it drops the slide as well. I've also had this happen on occasion with my other semis if I slap the magazines home with a sharp action. But my 1911 does it the most consistently and predictably.
 
Older H&K USP's did that until people complained and the design was changed. Don't know if it was intentional or not.
 
A lot of guns will, but it is a matter of fit or wear on the slide stop. I know Glockshooters who depend on it in IDPA competition.

I thought the Mauser HSc was built to, but W.H.B. Smith disagrees with me and I do not have one to study.
 
Jim Watson said:
I thought the Mauser HSc was built to, but W.H.B. Smith disagrees with me and I do not have one to study.
Click to expand...
My HSc closes the slide upon magazine insertion, as my owner's manual says it should.
 
...one would think it would make a much quicker reload if the magazine would somehow disengage the slide catch when inserted
Click to expand...

It would but the gain in speed is very minor, the blink of an eye or less, for a gain useful only in competitive shooting. If speed is the main concern than the hand that seats the mag simply continues on to depress the slide release. This method is nearly as fast and more sure, than automatic dropping of the slide. To me, not enough extra time is involved to worry about much. At least not for me.

Some designs that intentionally do this have been mentioned. Some guns do it unintentionally and some can be tweaked to do it, the Glock and 1911s for example.

Or is there some safety issue with this?
Click to expand...

There are many gun designs out there and I can't speak to all of them. If you are considering modifying a gun to do this discuss it with a competent smith. With some designs there may be a very good reason not to.

Some shooters believe that the slingshot method of slide closure seats a round better than simply using the slide release to drop the slide. For them automatically dropping the slide when the mag is seated is not an option they want.

For me it's not an option I need given the guns I prefer.

tipoc
 
As previously mentioned, I had an H&K P7 and a Mauser HsC that both operated that way.
 
As previously mentioned, I had an H&K P7 ... that both operated that way.
Click to expand...

The H&K P7 does not automatically close the slide upon slide insertion. You have to cause the slide to go forward.
 
From the H&K P7 manual:

As a third function, the cocking lever releases the slide catch when
the slide is locked to the rear. Moderate pressure on the cocking
lever is all that is needed to close the slide. This action will simultaneously
chamber a round if a loaded magazine has been inserted.
 
I used to own a Glock 23 many yrs ago. The 1st time I slammed a magazine home I thought it was broke or needed break in to make the slide go automatically forward as the only auto (Glock) I shot prior to that did it. It has always intrigued me that this was not a standard or at least optional feature on most autos. Especially when I see new and newish shooters fumbling with the slide catch quite often.
Guess I was going with the simplicity "less is more" line of thought.
 
I have a Taurus PT-92 that will only drop the slide if the gun is held at the right angle. Personally I think it's a fine way to go. For that matter I wouldn't much care if the mag fell out after the last shot was fired. Perhaps one better would be a selector switch on both functions to make all shooters happy. Frankly I'm somewhat stunned that last shot bolt hold open has existed for nearly 100 years but new guns come out all the time without this absolutely critical feature. The famous AK being a major example.
 
The M1 garand rifle quickly slams the bolt home when you push in a clip. Hence the phrase "G1 thumb".

Tom
 
That's a little too automatic for me. I would rather not have it doing things I didn't intend for it to do. But then I hate things like automatic door locks on cars.
 
My first Glock 22 would do it, I thought it was defective and had an extended slide release installed so it wouldn't. Then I got to accademy and they taught us that they just about always do it if you drive the mag in with force, ( such as a rapid combat reload). They also taught to never use the slide release, they said it is merely a slide stop. Were are taught to use our support hand to pull the slide back then let it go. I was said that that is a gross muscle movement instead of a fine muscle movement of using the thumb.
 
My M&P .45 does that. I don't think it is supposed to...I know actually...but it doesn't seem to be a problem. I am not sending it back for that. Works great otherwise.
 
My CZ75B slide releases with a quick mag insert.

The top bullet raises the slide just a skosh and releases the slide stop.
 
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