Bersa thunder 380 slide catch question

[Tomahawk674]

I saw a video of a Bersa armorer where he mentions that one should not release the slide by pressing the slide catch lever with without first pulling back on the slide.

Has anyone else heard this? I've also had people tell me to do that on all autos. So are any autos designed so that you can release the slide with just your thumb without pulling back the slide?

 

[todd_g]

Seems like new information to me. The release on my Bersa 380 is so light that when I slap with a little force a magazine into the well my slide always goes forward on it's own, just wondering if I am the only on with that little quirck. Doesn't bother me one bit because that darn pistol is so accurate and free of any ammunition cycling issues.

 

[usp9]

Sounds to me that your armourer interjected a little opinion into his commentary.

So are any autos designed so that you can release the slide with just your thumb without pulling back the slide?

All of them, but Kahr and HK are the only ones I can think of that actually says to do so in the manual, instead of pulling back on the slide.

 

[Tomahawk674]

Here's the video you all of you to see:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AWcOFkJNC80

Opinions please...

 

[scurtis_34471]

I had a T380 CC and used the release lever instead. After about 1200 rounds, I had to have the notch in the slide re-machined, because it had worn smooth and no longer caught reliably. Of course, that was right around the time the sear snapped. Did I mention that the alloy frame is so soft and the finish so poor that I had visible frame wear around the slide release, trigger linkage and everywhere the frame touched the slide?

 

[Iansstud]

My HK USP CT 45 manual says I can use the lever or move the slide rearward until it stops and then release without riding the slide. I have heard both ways, However I will continue to load or return the slide by NOT using the lever to drop it closed

 

[bigfatdave]

Not using the slide catch lever means that you are in the habit of using the method that works on almost every semi-auto ever made.
Using it habitually wears the lock-open mechanism, is often slower than working the slide, and you are more likely to look away from the target or fumble under stress.

Lots of reasons to ignore the slide latch, not a lot of reasons to use it during a reload.

 

[scurtis_34471]

Some gun manufacturers tell you to use the slide release instead of the slingshot method, because the gun won't reliably chamber if the slide is eased forward at all. I know that is the case with Kahr.

 

[bigfatdave]

scurtis_34471, that may be true of some guns, but good practice will ingrain a good push/pull where the hand does not ride the slide forward. I strive for the weak hand only moving rearward, while the pistol and strong hand only move forward, the hard part is not punching yourself in the chest, or otherwise taking the weak hand away from the two-hand grip for more time than needed.

 

[mactex]

On the Bersa .380, I believe you should pull back the slide instead of using the release. The materials that the gun is made of are a bit soft for long term use of the slide release. On my BT380 I used the slide release like the manual states to for the first 1,000 or so rounds. It started acquiring a sensitive release at about 800 rounds. Sensative means that it would release if I pushed in the magazine too firmly when reloading. After 1,000 rounds I quit using the slide stop much of the time. Now, with about 2,000 rounds, I just have to breath on it to make it close and sometimes getting the slide manually lock back can be a challenge. I believe these are the reasons for the gunsmith making his particular recommendation for the Bersa.

On other pistols YMMV. I know mine has!

 

[Tomahawk674]

You can ship your Bersa to get that fixed can't you?

I saw that a new slide catch lever is $10, and a new slide is $50. I don't know how much the labor would be.

 

[hotshotshoting]

the biggest issue is that your metal on your release (and sometimes slides) will wear away if it is done constant enough we have seen it happen many times with our rental guns... if you remove the tension on the slide (stop) or release as most people call it. it will function much better without as much wearing.. as for the typical way to chamber a round it is always better to use the "slingshot method" instead of the slide stop button method just based on the fact you need to be well versed in clearing jams and if your body thinks that the button is what frees up the slide then you will never think to do it any other way in a defensive scenario