A bucket that required special attention or technique to pour out of would be of limited very limited use. A pistol requiring the same to eject an unfired round would have little value to me. While clearing a double feed, the last thing I need is to have to perform another step to clear my weapon.
Is the norm for the 1911
- Thread starter Gunslick
- Start date
A bucket that required special attention or technique to pour out of would be of limited very limited use. A pistol requiring the same to eject an unfired round would have little value to me. While clearing a double feed, the last thing I need is to have to perform another step to clear my weapon.
Just finished a 1911 45 build.Decided this was something to check.
Ejector is out of the pkg,untuned.Slightly extended...overhangs the mag less than 3/16 in.
One round 230 gr ball,loaded in mag,inserted.Slide drop chambered.
Mag removed.
Racked the slide as usual,not particularly vigorous.
Round came spinning clear on about a 2 oclock trajectory.
Must have done something right.
Ejector is out of the pkg,untuned.Slightly extended...overhangs the mag less than 3/16 in.
One round 230 gr ball,loaded in mag,inserted.Slide drop chambered.
Mag removed.
Racked the slide as usual,not particularly vigorous.
Round came spinning clear on about a 2 oclock trajectory.
Must have done something right.
It is a Springfield 1911 A1 Stainless..not the ILS model. It is pretty awesome and nice. I love it.
Hey here's a question: So I know you are not supposed to drop a slide on an empty chamber but I was just function checking 5 new Chip Mckormick 8 round mags and I accidently dropped the slide on an empty chamber..only once. It has only happened this one time.
Hey here's a question: So I know you are not supposed to drop a slide on an empty chamber but I was just function checking 5 new Chip Mckormick 8 round mags and I accidently dropped the slide on an empty chamber..only once. It has only happened this one time.
Almost anything like that will not "kill" the gun, done ONCE, or rarely. Unless, of course, the one time you do it is THE one time it breaks! 
The "rule" of not dropping the slide on an empty chamber, for the 1911A1, comes from some folks who found that repeatedly do so shortened the life of their "nth degree" match grade trigger jobs.
Doing so on a 1911A1 standard gun, even one with a good trigger pull does no harm I ever found.
Now, putting a round in the chamber, and letting the slide slam shut on it, is another matter entirely, and DOES have real world risks!
There are some variants of the 1911 style that can be safely loaded that way, but its a stupid risk for no gain in my view.
ALWAYS feed 1911 style guns from the magazine, just as habit, as it hurts nothing, ever.
The "rule" of not dropping the slide on an empty chamber, for the 1911A1, comes from some folks who found that repeatedly do so shortened the life of their "nth degree" match grade trigger jobs.
Doing so on a 1911A1 standard gun, even one with a good trigger pull does no harm I ever found.
Now, putting a round in the chamber, and letting the slide slam shut on it, is another matter entirely, and DOES have real world risks!
There are some variants of the 1911 style that can be safely loaded that way, but its a stupid risk for no gain in my view.
ALWAYS feed 1911 style guns from the magazine, just as habit, as it hurts nothing, ever.
g.willikers
New member
No doubt the idea of never allowing the slide to go home on an empty chamber comes from the same source that sez never dry fire one, either.
Gunslick, I just gotta' ask:
Where are you getting your 1911 information?
Don't forget the original motivation for the guns invention.
It ain't exactly fragile.
Gunslick, I just gotta' ask:
Where are you getting your 1911 information?
Don't forget the original motivation for the guns invention.
It ain't exactly fragile.
polyphemus
New member
Here is a logical explanation of why slamming the slide on an empty chamber
may eventually damage the pistol
1911 Tuner:
may eventually damage the pistol
1911 Tuner:
and
g.willikers
New member
For what it's worth,
I've seen countless examples of letting the slide go home followed by a dry fire on an empty chamber at the "unload and show clear" command at action type matches.
Granted it was only four to six times a match, but multiplied by the entire seasons worth, that would add up to a lot of times.
I don't recall anybody ever showing any concern about it, including some folks with real expensive custom guns.
While I, too, was concerned with doing it, the range officers frowned on letting the slide down softly and capturing the hammer to prevent a dry fire.
They wanted the guns to act normally to be sure they were actually empty before the competitor left the range.
Apparently with good reason, 'cause every once in awhile there would be a very loud noise during the procedure.
Maybe if this were done all day long every time one went to the range .....
I wouldn't sweat it - and I don't.
But to be fair, after I quit going to matches, I no longer did it.
Now I follow Tuner's advice just to keep that old clunk running as it always has.
Hope this helps to allay your fears.
I've seen countless examples of letting the slide go home followed by a dry fire on an empty chamber at the "unload and show clear" command at action type matches.
Granted it was only four to six times a match, but multiplied by the entire seasons worth, that would add up to a lot of times.
I don't recall anybody ever showing any concern about it, including some folks with real expensive custom guns.
While I, too, was concerned with doing it, the range officers frowned on letting the slide down softly and capturing the hammer to prevent a dry fire.
They wanted the guns to act normally to be sure they were actually empty before the competitor left the range.
Apparently with good reason, 'cause every once in awhile there would be a very loud noise during the procedure.
Maybe if this were done all day long every time one went to the range .....
I wouldn't sweat it - and I don't.
But to be fair, after I quit going to matches, I no longer did it.
Now I follow Tuner's advice just to keep that old clunk running as it always has.
Hope this helps to allay your fears.
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I have been told by two experienced gunsmiths who have a lot of experience with model 1911s that repeatedly allowing the slide to slam closed on an empty chamber can be damaging to a pistol that has had a decent trigger job.
The same two indicated that there is absolutely no harm in dry firing a model 1911.
I do not have enough experience to say one way or the other. I am simply repeating what I have been told.
The same two indicated that there is absolutely no harm in dry firing a model 1911.
I do not have enough experience to say one way or the other. I am simply repeating what I have been told.