Using the Glock "slide lock" as a slide release

[Skofnung]

It depends...

If I am reloading my gun after cleaning, inspection, or slow fire at the range, I "slingshot" it. I find it easier to keep the muzzle pointed in a safe direction when I do it this way for some strange reason.

If I am shooting and reloading as fast as I can, I use the "slide lock" as a "slide release." It is faster, and I have never had trouble making it work.

Then again, the slide release on the Glock is next to useless for anything other than administrative handling due to its extra tiny "perfected" size.

Now THAT was funny! I own two Glocks, but that whole "Perfection" thing makes me laugh.

 

[Black Snowman]

If it wasn't meant to be used as such, why would Gaston make an extended version?

The same reason everything is made. $$$

 

[Walt Sherrill]

So hitting a small level requires fine motor skills? Check. Grasping a chunk of slide requires gross motor skills? Check. What about those tiny little mag release buttons?

Its not a fine motor skill if you use your OFF HAND, and all of your fingers on that hand to brush/sweep downward in the area of the lock/release. One of my four fingers will find the release every time... And since my hand was already in the area, performing a mag exchange, its not a big deal.

I'm not advocating one method over another, by the way, but some of the folks arguing against the use of the slide lock/release assume there's only one way to do it -- and that's ain't so.

The best argument against using the shooting hand to release the slide is that many guns and most hands require a shifting of the grip to make it possible. I have only two guns that, given my hand, will even allow me to release the slide with my shooting hand -- one is a Glock 34. I still use my other hand.

The time required to hit the release using the "Sweep" method mentioned above, and the time required to grasp the slide won't be that much different -- some may argue that grasping the slide, while a bit slower, will be more reliable over time. Could be.

 

[Edmond]

I have used the release to release the slide but I don't make a habit out of it. I just prefer to pull the slide back with my left hand.