IDPA shooters, drop slide on empty chamber?

I rarely just let the slide go on an empty chamber. I just don't like the sound it makes personally.

But years and years of using Army Beretta M9's have shown me that it probably doesn't matter in that weapon at least. Every time you go to the range, people are letting the slide go forward to an empty chamber all the time. And those of us who believe this causes stress that can be avoided, we all cringe when people do it.

When I get in my car, I COULD slam my door every time. I doubt it would do much harm to the door for some time. But after a while, the window WILL break and then, the handle will break. While cars and handguns are very different animals, I still don't slam my car doors or my gun slides. Just something about the sound makes my ears hurt.
 
if all it takes is dropping the slide on an empty chamber to ruin your gun, then you need to buy a different gun. i don't see why anyone would ever be worried about this. probably the same guys that IG their guns every time they go to the range.
 
I don't make a habit of dropping the slide on an empty chamber, however when I am competing and the SO says "... show me clear ... SLIDE ... trigger ..." I do just let it slam forward on "SLIDE".

So if doing it only in those cases causes any harm, I'm hosed. So far, never any issues. I'm about four years and 10,000 rounds in, so far - on this one pistol.
 
I looked at photos 19 & 21 and from the looks of the damage I would say the it was caused by misaligned live rounds striking the edge of the chamber opening. The bolt face and the breech face are mated machined surfaces and unless there were something foreign on the face of the bolt or the breech this damage is not possible. The sharp, hard nose of a .50 BMG will act as a perfect punch if it is slightly out of alignment with the bore of the weapon. I think this is referred to as a "jam" or "misfeed".
 
For those of you who keep contending that the slide slams forward when firing, you're missing the point-the slide dispenses the majority of its energy stripping, feeding and chambering the cartridge in the magazine.

If you drop the slide empty on a 1911, you're encouraging the sear and hammer to bounce together; this is the mechanism that damages the trigger group. It's not hurting the slide or frame, its essentially shaking the guts of the trigger group.

On a Glock, of course, who cares? :)
 
I've shot competition all over the USA and not once did any RO command me to drop the slide on an empty chamber.
Once the gun is shown as being clear easing the slide down into battery is in no way a safety infraction unless you break other safety infractions that are specified in the rules of the match.

As for dropping the slide on an empty chamber, anyone that understands metalurgy and the efects of crashing hardened steel together will discontinue that practice.
The 1911 pattern gun can and will be damaged in many different areas if the user continues to drop the slide on an empty chamber.

For those that believe it does no harm, keep doing it, it helps keep gunsmiths in business.

Regards
Bob Hunter
www.huntercustoms.com
 
To me it is a non-issue whether it hurts the gun or not. Firing the gun hurts the gun! That is why after a while they get loose and need rebuilding. If dropping on an empty chamber damages something I will just replace it as a normal maintenance/wear issue. That is why you inspect your guns, rotate through a stock of competition and carry guns so when one is being fixed another can be used. They are tools, they wear, they are fixable and replaceable and it only takes money, which I have. Non-issue.
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Interesting expression of the opposite view to us non droppers...guess I will explain it this way;

I dont slam doors, talk or play loud music or TV late at night, wear loud clothes (my loincloths are alway neutral or pastel coloured), pop clutches, race other drivers, run everything to the max or get my gun training from Die Hard. I dont spend every shooting session hosing down the berm. In fact, Im rarely a hoser, even with a full auto

I didnt deliberately break my toys as a child. Hell, I pale in comparison to SWMBO, who goes so far as to put covers on her books (Book is Important, need not to be dirty):D

I was trained to treat guns of any type as a complex mechanical device that deserves respect and Ill go so far as to say that while I too can afford to replace a gun, and while I have the services of trained gunsmiths on call for free, I dont, out of respect.

But your gun, your boom box, your money. You can even pose whilst you drop the slide (i have seen folks do that in the shop), its ok, I wont be involved in your social and cultural milieu anyway.

Just don't drop the slide on my pistol or flip my cylinder closed. Kind of hard to find parts for SIG 210s and Webley Pryse No 4 ;)

To me, I see a flipper or dropper and just raise my eyebrow like I do when I see any attitudinal acts by anybody


WildandtheyouaboveisauniversaloneandnotdirectedattheopAlaska TM
 
Don't 'ride' anything.

Subjecting use on your gun by sending the slide into battery on an empy chamber is nothing-nothingcompared to the 19,000 psi pressure of just one round of 9 mil. Don't sweat the small stuff.

Train like you mean it.

Live long enough to say you wore a martial out. The cost of the gun will be nothing compared to your gas, range fee(s) and ammo.
 
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