Racking the slide hard vs. gently racking?

With the 1911s in my carry rotation, I ride the slide forward to chamber the top round.

Never a problem. Never fails to feed or go to full battery.

Of course, I use only proper magazines with tapered feed lips that release the cartridge a little later and more gradually than most "tactical" mags...so there's that.

And After about 50 chamberings with the same round, I might see .003 inch of bullet setback.

Works for me, anyway.

 

Springfield recommends a hard rack for the XDs. I find that the harder I run that gun the better it responds.
Some guns just like it rough...

 

The only time my EDC needs reloading is at the range, when I have run it dry, or at home, when i am done cleaning it.
I don't understand why you feel the need to unload/reload every day. Creates more problems than it solves...not to mention, what happens if someone kicks in your door at 0300?
Just get a biometric safe and be done with it.

 

Riding the slide forward is a great way to end up carrying a gun that is out of battery.

For the record, if setback is a concern, the one gun I know of that states in the manual that it is alright to drop a round in the chamber directly, and ease the slide down, and allow the extractor to slide over the chambered round, is the Beretta 92 series guns. On that one type of gun, you can avoid setback by doing this. Other manufacturers do not ever suggest this.

It was a total surprise to me until I bought a Wilson/Beretta Brig Tac, and asked about it on the Beretta forum.

 

Same with mine.

 

I either use the release or slingshot it.

I only ride the slide if there isn't a round to be chambered.

 

If you're at home, and you know what "out of battery" means, and you have eyes... then I only see one potential issue with riding the slide. That could build a bad habit that might cause you to jam a different gun when you're not at home? Other than that, if it works with your gun, I don't see any problem.

This is how I do it. Let it slam when I mean to load it. Ride the slide while looking through the ejection port when I clear a gun.

But I suppose it might be useful to know if your gun CAN be loaded quietly, in case a reason ever pops up.

 

Myself?

I slam then in when outside and have a clear range in front of me.

Tight match guns won't always put the first shot in the group unless allowed to slam shut normally.

Inside the house or a car?
I ride the slide and check for full in-battery closing by pressing on the back of the slide with my thumb once loaded.

rc

 

Pull the slide sharply to the rear until it hits the rear of its travel, let it fly forward under full spring pressure. The action is designed to work this way, and you cannot possibly exert the same force on it with just your hands that firing a cartridge does.

 

I don't have a set number. I do keep an eye on the round. My carry gun is very seldom unloaded anyway.

 

To prevent bullet setback and have an extra round in the gun, you could take an extra round and drop it in, close the slide and then put in the magazine

 

Most handguns, yes. Some handguns, the 1911 for example, the extractor is designed for the rim to slip under during loading. "Jumping" the extractor repeatedly can cause failure.

 

Always baby the 1911; operate the slide very gently and don't ever let it go or pull it back too fast. Of course, never, whatever you do, ever, fire the gun. If you do, the slide really takes a beating, slamming around and banging against things!

Jim

 

Kimber Manual

Let it go for loading, ride it for empty

Kimber Manual

http://www.kimberamerica.com/media/wysiwyg/manual-download/Compact.pdf

instructions from page 25 for loading an ultra carry

To chamber a round, hold the pistol in the
shooting hand without touching the trigger.
Make sure it is pointed in a safe direction. With the thumb and forefinger of the opposite
hand, grab the serrations on both sides of the
rear of the slide and pull it fully rearward,
then release. Do not “ride” the slide down to
the forward position. Fully release the slide
allowing the recoil spring to move the slide
unhindered. Keeping your hand on the slide
may cause a misfeed, or stop the slide from
fully closing.


instructions from page 26 for unloading an ultra carry

4. Release slide forward onto the empty chamber
by pulling slide fully rearward and releasing or
by manually rotating the slide stop downward
past the slide stop notch. Repeatedly allowing
the slide to slam closed on an empty
chamber will cause premature wear and
loosening on a match grade 1911 such as the
Kimber. Ease the slide closed.

5. Pull the trigger allowing the hammer to fall
forward on the empty chamber. Do not
“ease” the hammer down by holding or
blocking it. Doing so may mar the sear tip
which will result in a substandard trigger pull.

 

If you plan on rechambering the same expensive carry ammo over and over, by all means ride the slide. Or you could just keep your carry gun loaded

Noooo!

I rechambered the same round for a half hour one day to test for set back, and found the bullet deformed before any setback could happen. Test your ammo, because some is more prone to setting back then others.

 

That's the best way that I know to lose an extractor in a pistol designed to operate on the controlled feed principle. I believe that only the Beretta 92/M9 is designed to accommodate it.

They'll all tolerate single loading occasionally or a few times...as in an emergency if/when the magazine is lost or damaged...but not as a daily practice.

 

Riding the slide will jam my PPK darned near every time. The operator needs to simulate the shooting action when racking the slide to chamber a round. Plain and simple.

Of course , there are mechanisms which refuse to jam , ride the slide , limp wrist , etc. .. example : S&W 5906.

Still - cycle the action "briskly".

 

NOOOOOOO!!!!!!! You can damage the extractor by doing this which can lead to failures at a bad moment. I hate quoting myself, but

If it doesn't say in your manual that this is alright to do, then don't do it. Use the gun as it was designed to be used.

 

IMO setback is an ammo problem more than a loading method problem. If the ammo was made to proper specs setback is extremely rare. Sloppy manufacturing and users who insist on multiple rechamberings is the real problem. Setting aside rounds that have setback to shoot at the range is not a solution. The problem is still very much there. If you can see setback with the naked eye - don't shoot it.

 

Good idea, I'll have to do that. I get my new FNH FSN 9 Compact EDC in on Monday and will have to test the new ammo with it.

 

My fullsize FNS is CZ accurate! Very nice pistols!

 

[/QUOTE]To prevent bullet setback and have an extra round in the gun, you could take an extra round and drop it in, close the slide and then put in the magazine[/QUOTE]

I think you want to chamber one with an additional or same magazine, drop magazine, insert full magazine. Using your safety if need be.

 

Like Tuner said, it can depend on the magazine design. Most of the mags these modern guns use have short, straight feed lips that release the round pretty early rather than a slow steady rise like classic 1911 mags.

The thing is, if the rounds are getting stuck when you ride the slide forward or use the slide stop, it's probably because the extractor is too tight or the mag is releasing too early and the rounds are nosing down. Releasing from full-recoil position to get the most out of your spring/using a heavier spring is only putting a band-aid on a deeper issue.

 

I don't rack mine leaving house Its always loaded except shooting or cleaning. Also I wouldn't do it for whole world to see out side my house.