While I routinely use the 'feature' with my MP40 Pro 5", I understand your unwillingness to rely on it, and I actually think that's a good idea. Inserting magazines gently to overcome the problem is NOT a good idea, IMO. The magazine should be slammed in with some reasonable authority--not too much and not too little. No need to 'slam' in the sense of being brutal, but easing a magazine into the gun is just poor form.
What I've found is that I can use the feature, yet always assume I'm going to have to grab the slide to release it (I don't use the slide release at all and never have). But what I find is that there isn't a lot of wasted motion with the weak hand because IF the auto-release happens at all, it happens while my weak hand is still pretty darn close to the magwell. So, it's not as though your weak hand has moved all the way up over the slide to grab it when you realize it's already been released. Doesn't happen that way.
You MAY be able to find aftermarket, stronger slide release springs, and you might try buying a replacement slide release lever to modify. Here's the deal: if you remove the slide release tabs (just the part your thumb touches), the the 'flying' mass on the slide release is reduced, and the slide release is less likely to disengage when the gun is slammed from the bottom. I know this, because both tabs broke off my slide release over time, and auto-release became a bit less reliable. So I slammed a little harder.
But, you could try this and ease up on your mag inserts just a little, and I'm thinking the $12 experiment may be a success for you.
NOTE: even with both tabs removed from the slide release, you can still get a thumbnail under what's left of the slide release to engage it if you need to. Or use an empty mag, of course.
I shot my M&P 40 for well over 18 months (weekly) with no thumb tabs on the slide lock and never missed them. I replaced the slide lock so the gun didn't look quite so...uh, broken.
What I've found is that I can use the feature, yet always assume I'm going to have to grab the slide to release it (I don't use the slide release at all and never have). But what I find is that there isn't a lot of wasted motion with the weak hand because IF the auto-release happens at all, it happens while my weak hand is still pretty darn close to the magwell. So, it's not as though your weak hand has moved all the way up over the slide to grab it when you realize it's already been released. Doesn't happen that way.
You MAY be able to find aftermarket, stronger slide release springs, and you might try buying a replacement slide release lever to modify. Here's the deal: if you remove the slide release tabs (just the part your thumb touches), the the 'flying' mass on the slide release is reduced, and the slide release is less likely to disengage when the gun is slammed from the bottom. I know this, because both tabs broke off my slide release over time, and auto-release became a bit less reliable. So I slammed a little harder.
But, you could try this and ease up on your mag inserts just a little, and I'm thinking the $12 experiment may be a success for you.
NOTE: even with both tabs removed from the slide release, you can still get a thumbnail under what's left of the slide release to engage it if you need to. Or use an empty mag, of course.
I shot my M&P 40 for well over 18 months (weekly) with no thumb tabs on the slide lock and never missed them. I replaced the slide lock so the gun didn't look quite so...uh, broken.
