Sling Shot The Slide Vs. Slide Release?

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I'm left handed, I slingshot. Does it honestly matter?
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It matters to some people who think that if you don't use their method, you're not tacticool. Also, guns are now being made with ambi controls, so lefties won't have to always use the same method anymore (M&P for example).

I'm dying to hear why the sling shot sucks.
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You're SAVED!!!! The slingshot sucks because you're using a smaller surface area (thumb and forefinger) to pinch and pull on a 14-18lb resistance, relying on the friction attained through the small amount of force that you can pinch with, across a potentially slick surface.

I see MANY MANY MANY people screw this up with just a time constraint, not even REAL stress.

If you're going to swear off the slide release , at least use the overhand method and get some more meat on the slide, and use the stronger force that your whole hand can provide.

PS: Nothing says you have to use the pinky and ring finger only for the overhand. The first three fingers work for this method.
 
I blew through a quick hundred rounds in my 1911 last night. I was firing Winchester white box and using the slide stop method after every reload. I had 2 FTF the first round out of 7 or 8 reloads. I proceeded to use the slingshot and overhand mix after that and had zero issues.

Any ideas what it could have been? :confused:
 
By FTF I assume you mean failure to feed, not fire.

Also, did the round fail to feed, in other words did it fail to take a round off of the magazine (slide forward, empty chamber) or did it fail to chamber the round that did feed?

On a properly functioning 1911, the slide release should work to chamber rounds. You're compressing the spring less than 1/4" more by pulling it fully to the rear. This is not a significant increase in the amount of force pushing it back into battery.
 
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RobMoore said:
By FTF I assume you mean failure to feed, not fire.

Also, did the round fail to feed off, in other words did it fail to take a round off of the magazine (slide forward, empty chamber) or did it fail to chamber the round?

On a properly functioning 1911, the slide release should work to chamber rounds. You're compressing the spring less than 1/4" more by pulling it fully to the rear. This is not a significant increase in the amount of force pushing it back into battery.
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What Rob said.
 
You're worried about the guide rod or his trigger finger? I'd be more concerned about that earplug that flew out of his gun.

DayOne249.jpg
 
RobMoore said:
By FTF I assume you mean failure to feed, not fire.

Also, did the round fail to feed, in other words did it fail to take a round off of the magazine (slide forward, empty chamber) or did it fail to chamber the round that did feed?

On a properly functioning 1911, the slide release should work to chamber rounds. You're compressing the spring less than 1/4" more by pulling it fully to the rear. This is not a significant increase in the amount of force pushing it back into battery.
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Rob, yes I mean failure to feed. Specifically failure to chamber the (first) round by using the slide-stop method. I used to never do it this way, always the overhand on larger pistols, slingshot on smaller.

Basically I load in my magazine, hit the slide stop, and the first round gets stuck in the slide.

I'm going to try and duplicate it at home and post pics as soon as I can. Until then I'm open to any ideas/solutions. I have heard that it could be the actual slide stop itself... :confused:
 
I've used the overhand method for a decade with zero problems. Slingshot doesn't work for me because I roll the pistol in the direction of the ejection port whenever I operate the slide to load, unload and clear stoppages. Rolling the pistol allows gravity and centrifugal force to help clear the action. I don't touch the slide lock unless I'm locking the slide open.
 
What is the orange thing above the shooter's left hand in the picture?

For me it depends on the gun. On a 1911, S&W or Beretta I use the lever but on a M&P, Glock, Sig or Taurus PT145 I slingshot because the polymer guns tend to have slide releases which I find harder to operate and the Sig 226 release is in an akward position.
 
What is the orange thing above the shooter's left hand in the picture?
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Training cartridge.

521044.jpg

http://www.midwayusa.com/viewproduct/?productnumber=521044
 
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Yup, but it is funny how much it does look like a foamy, specifically these:

nax-1.jpg

Something else about that picture. He may not have only been using the last two fingers. The slide is fully to the rear. That may be after his hand is already coming off the slide.
 
Yes, I imagine he’s doing a clearing drill where someone inserted a dummy round randomly in the magazine and when the gun didn’t fire, he cleared the ‘malfunction’ by stroking the slide. So it’s not really releasing the slide since the slide was probably forward when he initiated the drill.
 
The darn slide serrations on my 1991a Commander are so dang sharp, I feel like I"m going to slice my fingers open when I overhand rack the slide.....

Sling shot seems to put more of the calloused pads of my fingers on the serrations.

So I sling shot because I'm a wuss :)

But seriously... I do all three from time to time and would suggest that proficiency with all three is a good idea.

So there... I settled it... Yes, yes and yes
 
If the slidestop protrudes from the frame and has texturing on it...it's designed to be used as a slide release, and it should chamber a round as reliably as the slingshot method or the overhand tug. If it won't...you have a malfunction, and it should be corrected because it'll eventually show up no matter which method you use.

For right-handed shooters, using the slidestop to release the locked slide is faster and less fumble-prone than either of the other two if properly done. A little practice is all it takes.

Finally...a locked, empty gun is a stoppage, no matter how you cut it.
 
slide lever, pretty much all the time. I have also tried the overhand (and the slingshot, which I didn't like), but I go back to the slide lever. Never had a problem with it yet, in probably 10 or 12 thousand rounds through 1911's (and a few thousand through other autos)
 
To each his own IMO.

I reach over the top and draw the slide back to release it or to chamber a round. I would say it's the correct way, just the way I was trained to do it.
 
If the slide closes for whatever reason during a reload, it is possible it didn't pick up a round and hitting the side release lever will do nothing. Racking it ensures you have a round in the pipe.
 
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