Conservation of momentum, Cocking a gun, and you

[TenMillimaster]

WOW, thank you guys for all the responses, which I will be sure to read thoroughly... After my physics and calculus finals.

A heavier slide means more mass, so you need less acceleration to deliver the same force to the recoil spring. For example, a slide that weighed twice as much, say 3.22 pounds, would only require half the acceleration to deliver the same force. Moving a gun with a slide that weighs 3.22 pounds 2 feet in .22 seconds would cock the gun against a 16 pound recoil spring.

That makes a lot of sense. I feel silly now.

 

[JTHunter]

FWIW - after seeing this video, I tried that on my old Astra .380 (all steel) with fixed barrel.
Even with no clip in the gun, I could not move the gun hard/fast enough to get the slide to move enough to even lock back in the "empty" position.

 

[jonmerritt]

Just cock the darn gun and don't worry about it.

 

[scythefwd]

Ten Mil... No, my 9mm is NOT a light gun. It was an FEG P9R. I can't get any movement from my hi power or my polymer RAMI. All have a hammer that rubs the slide a little as it passes over it.

 

[Mike1234567]

I tried it with a Hi-Point JHP and it worked the very first time. But those have HEAVY slides. Then my curiosity got the best of me and I tried it with a M&P .45. I could barely get the slide to move at all. I tried many times but only succeeded in making my arm sore.

 

[JTHunter]

Is it possible that the guy in the video replaced the stock recoil spring with a weaker one? That might make this work.

 

[TenMillimaster]

Ten Mil... No, my 9mm is NOT a light gun. It was an FEG P9R. I can't get any movement from my hi power or my polymer RAMI. All have a hammer that rubs the slide a little as it passes over it.

Assumptions tend to make ... well, you know the rest. Sorry. I don't think frame weight matters at all anymore, just how fast the slide is accelerated and how heavy it is, and being able to accelerate the frame forward enough. That and, well, some amount of practice depending on the variables.

Is it possible that the guy in the video replaced the stock recoil spring with a weaker one? That might make this work.

Possible, but there's another video out there of someone cocking an entire assortment of glocks with various spring weights, stock and lightened. I really think it's all about the practice and ability of the user.

Just cock the darn gun and don't worry about it.

Someone doesn't like fun!

 

[THplanes]

Possible, but there's another video out there of someone cocking an entire assortment of glocks with various spring weights, stock and lightened.

It's the same guy. He made the video with the different guns and springs because of the interest in the first video.