Newbie question - close slide by racking or by pressing slide stop

[RobMoore]

Who says I'm standing there exposed?

You might not have so many incorrect assumptions if you stop picturing me as an unwashed amateur, instead of a (fellow?) professional, simply because I have a different point of view.

 

[Shawn Dodson]

You might not have so many incorrect assumptions if you stop picturing me as an unwashed amateur, instead of a (fellow?) professional, simply because I have a different point of view.

I'm not judging you.

Tap, Roll & Rack is an intuitive, subconscious response (observe*, act). When you add to it (glancing to see what the problem might be) you increase the time it takes to cycle through your OODA loop because instead of just "observe, act" you're now including "orient" and "decide" to your response. Your mental load is now split between deciding what to do with your pistol and deciding what to do in reaction to the dangerous environment (if you have the presence of mind). You have two OODA loops competing for your attention.

I perform Tap, Roll & Rack so quickly whenever I encounter a misfire that there's no way I could reliably diagnose between an "inline stovepipe" or a doublefeed or between a doublefeed or an empty magazine.

*not to observe as in "see," but to observe as in "sense"

 

[Lonestar49]

OMMV, but the one time you should hand-hold the slide down

...

Well said Rob..

To the OP:

Whichever method of slide release you choose, may I strongly suggest "when gun is disassembled for inspection, cleaning, reassembly", that you "never use the slide lock release lever" to close the slide after you have finished putting your gun back together.

I say this only because, after reading about a fellow forum member who "always used the slide lock lever and one time he forgot to put the dissasembly lever back into locked position and hit the slide lock release and watched, in horror as his slide went airborne, flew quite a ways and landed on hard ground putting some ugly (un-needed) scratches on his, otherwise, flawless gun/slide.

Me, I use the slide lock release lever at the range 90% of the time, as IMHO, as others have stated, it allows one a stronger, 2-hand grip, point to aim, ability for faster on target shot but, more importantly, it also will aid "tremendously (having a 2-hand grip) IF, for any reason one's firing pin sticks (out) gets stuck and once the slide is released, whether by hand, or by slide lock release lever, the 2-hand grip will afford far better control over a one handed full auto, thru 7, 8, 10, or more mag-full loads over a one handed grip.

As, with one hand grip, the gun "will" fly over the top or swing in a half circle if gun is semi sideways and that "uncontrolled travel" via one handed grip, can have dire effects on one's surroundings vs 2-hand grip and gun pointing downrange and can be held, at worst, shooting straight up, but not at any one behind you or to your side..

Last point, as I laughed about the guys forgetting to lock up his gun, knowing it would never happen to me because in all my years of disassembly, inspections, cleanings, and reassembles, I've always held the slide and then hitting the slide-lock release lever and let the slide down easy by hand.. (on an empty mag or chamber, only) not for loading live ammo, or even a snap cap FTR.

Not long ago, not thinking about his story, and somewhere in my nothing-box, after cleaning one of my Sig P229's, I just hit the slide lock release lever (for the first time, only time) and watched my slide go flying (I forgot to put the lock lever back up) and luckily, had the gun pointing semi- down at the carpeted floor of my home office, and not at a wall or the window, as they have enough force to put a nice dent in a wall or go thru a glass window..

When it happened, I heard that fellow forum member, and many others, looking down at me, laughing, as I looked up at that exact moment as if (in astonishment) to acknowledge "the warning" I read in his testimony and the one_time lapse in my, once-only, moment of change from the way I had always before, and since, using the "one time" hand-hold the slide down gently anytime I open up a gun and then put it back together for any total, break-down, inspections, and verify, locked, all is good to go..



Ls

 

[RobMoore]

Ls, you just reminded me of the time my P229 sheered off a dissassembly lever while firing a PPC match. The only thing that saved my slide from crashing onto the concrete was the loaded magazine.

 

[Boats]

Waiting on reaper and myles to show up and detail the capturing of an unfamiliar handgun and magazine, and need for a mid-shoot out reload. . . .

I can hear the strains of action music even now. . . ."Here buddy, take my unfamiliar to you BUG, replace your shot through the frame primary and avenge me, ugh, oh wait, before I die, here's a fresh mag too!"

 

[AKElroy]

Or one or the other, depending in which gun we are talking about.

It is gun specific for me. Stock Glock slide release is tiny, so I like the slingshot. For CZ's, the slide only partially extends above the frame & it is hard to get a good grasp on it. My 85 has a very wide release, so I use the button.

Practice with your specific gun(s) & develope some muscle memory for what works.

 

[REAPER4206969]

Waiting on reaper and myles to show up and detail the capturing of an unfamiliar handgun and magazine, and need for a mid-shoot out reload. . . .

You're being obtuse.

 

[Boats]

You're being obtuse.

Nah. I'm merely waiting on a discourse about some good old ninja how-to, combined with a warrior spirit, and a winning mindset. Oh, and a lecture. And don't leave out the name dropping. New acronyms would be nice, especially if lifted from jet dogfighting.

Certainly there must be some scenario made up by someone tactically famous who in turn created a drill or two we can all benefit from?

 

[LiveLife]

Went to the range today. I took a coworker who has shot revolvers all of his life who wanted to try my Glocks. I handed him my Glock with mild reloads and he limp-wristed causing a stovepipe jam. Without any instruction, he locked the slide back and removed the magazine and cleared the chamber. After reinserting the magazine, he USED THE SLIDE LOCK and released the slide forward.

I asked why he didn't rack the slide back to release the slide forward. He said, "Why?" and continued shooting.

I was speechless...

 

[EddieNFL]

If we continue to sit behind keyboards arguing questions that cannot be answered, we'll be obese.

 

[Redneck with a 40]

I only use the slide release with a loaded magazine to chamber a round. If the gun is empty, such as when I'm done cleaning it, I press the slide release and the ride the slide closed with my hand, so it doesn't slam shut on an empty chamber. I've read more than a few places, that's hard on the gun.

 

[Myles]

Waiting on reaper and myles to show up and detail the capturing of an unfamiliar handgun and magazine, and need for a mid-shoot out reload. . . .

I can hear the strains of action music even now. . . ."Here buddy, take my unfamiliar to you BUG, replace your shot through the frame primary and avenge me, ugh, oh wait, before I die, here's a fresh mag too!"

Wow, real high road, there buddy. I simply believe that the nice folks at Front Sight, and GunSite know more about the topic than you do. I don't care whether you shear off your magazine release, or if you should ever be on vacation hunting with a family members' gun, it's all up to you. I am a firm believer in sticking to the advice of real world trainers, not internet "experts."

EDIT: In fact, I'm not sure what riles you up to make the ninja, tacticool comments. In fact, I do not own an M4gery, I am not a fan of rails, lights, lasers, doodads, and gizmos. I do not plan on the end of the world or zombie invasion, I do not have a BUG, a BOB, or a tactical wheelbarrow. I like polished wood, and blued steel, and am down to earth about defensive firearms. I simply believe in real world training over hypothetical situations. It's how I was taught, it works, I will stick with it.

 

[Boats]

They have something to sell to you anyways. I was trained by real world experts commonly called Marines.

March 1, 2010, the "real internet expert" chimed in with this gem:

Believing the fight is going to go the way you want it to is a losers mindset. There are many situations where you could be using a different/captured handgun.

Reaper has yet to detail one of these "situations" let alone "many."

Waiting. . . .

 

[LiveLife]

I do not have a BUG, a BOB, or a tactical wheelbarrow.

Here in California, due to potential 8+ earth quakes and resulting lawlessness/looting that may follow (like hurricane Andrew/Katrina), I have SHTF bags and SHTF plan with my neighbors/friends - there's strong gang presence in all of California and I figure they will do whatever they like if LE/military cannot restore order quickly (been there and done that with LA riot).

Last year, my work (state of California), ran an 8+ earth quake drill and deemed that traffic alone into metropolitan cities may easily be delayed for days, possibly weeks. Can't imagine days/weeks with no 911/LE and what may happen to citizens who can't defend themselves.

 

[Rexster]

It depends on the pistol, and which hand I am using as the weapon hand. I use a couple of P229 SAS pistols for carry, and those slicked/rounded slides are difficult to slingshot or do an overhand/"power stroke" technique, especially when wearing gloves, or with perspiring bare hands. My hand has slipped off the rear of a P229 SAS slide, and I have sometimes responded by hitting the slide release, and sometimes going to overhand again. My P229s with sharper cocking serrations work well with the overhand technique. Either way, I am more likely to use the slide stop/release in right-hand mode, and overhand in lefty mode. This may sound schizophrenic, but I rarely get crossed-up; everything runs smoothly enough.

With a 1911, out of long habit, I often revert to using the slide stop/release, even though I have "trained" otherwise for years. I learned handgunning first with 1911s, in the early 1980's, and learned to release the slide with the slide stop/release. I didn't do otherwise until sometime in the late 1990's.