Racking the slide

B

brianidaho

New member
I've been told to "ease" the slide forward on a round, rather then releasing it by the slide release and letting it slam home. Supposed to be hard on the gun that way. This doesn't make sense to me as firing the weapon allows the slide to slam home. Also seems to increase the odds of the slide not going fully into battery. I've also been told that Glock slides were meant to be released "gently". The ones I've handled seem to like the slide (recoil spring) tension to be released from the slide stop prior to releasing them, takes alot of force on the little button they use otherwise. What's the real story here? Any difference with loading a round as opposed to letting the slide drop on a empty chamber?

My Witness allows operating the slide with the safety on (as long as the hammer is cocked), which I do. Is there anything wrong with releasing the slide and letting it slam home to chamber a round?

Thanks for the input, somewhat of a newbe here.

Bri

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I will choose a path thats clear-I will choose freewill-Neal Pert

I swear-by my life and my love of it-that I will never live for the sake of another man, nor ask another man to live for mine-Ayn Rand

[This message has been edited by brianidaho (edited October 13, 2000).]
 
I always make it a rule not to slam home the slide if there is no round being stripped form the mag. I see no harm in this as it basically the same force (less) as firing, however I will not let the release the slide on an empty chamber, I will ease it.
 
I heard that releasing the slide on an empty chamber is one of the worst things you can do to your gun besides throwing it against a wall.
 
We teach our officers never to ride the slide forward. You are correct when you say that the slide might not go fully into battery. We also teach them on the Sig to release a locked back slide by grabbing it and pulling it to the rear like they were loading it and then letting go. We feel that the stress of a fight plus the hands possibly being slippery (from sweat, blood, rain, etc.) might make it difficult for them to use their fine motor skills and hit the slide release lever. I know that the Phoenix PD teaches the same thing. I have heard that on a 1911 that has had a trigger job you should not drop the slide on an empty chamber as that can damage the hammer-sear engagement. Don't know if that's true or not, but I do let the slide down easy on an empty 1911. But I never ride the slide on any gun when chambering a round. FWIW.
 
Never let the slide slam home on an empty chamber.

If you have a tricked out 1911 with target trigger job, you can ruin it. At least that's the word to me from a respected 1911 gunsmith, Mac Scott, of Scott McDougal.

Conversely, don't ease the slide forward when loading a round. Let it run forward under spring pressure. This helps to ensure positive chambering.

When there is a round going into the chamber, it acts as something of a shock absorber.

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Smith & Wesson is dead to me.

If you want a Smith & Wesson, buy USED!
 
Mike,
MOST professional shooters (I have friends on ARMY Marksmanship Unit) (AMU) and he says their shooters NEVER allow pistol to 'slam' forward on an empty chamber on even one with a round in it. The reason is the one told to you. It will ruin that $100 trigger job quicker than dirt. On the other hand, my buddy told me on a normal milspec pistol, it probably wouldn't make a whole lot of difference one way or the other, given the looseness of the parts fit.

[This message has been edited by Wallew (edited October 13, 2000).]
 
Don't let the slide slam forward on an empty chamber. This is more of an issue for 1911s and such, as it will hurt the sear.

However, NEVER ride the slide down when chambering a cartridge. If you do, there's a possibility that the slide will not go completely into battery. Also, it will take more time, time that you may not have when your up against a goblin.

M1911
 
Don't ride the slide home to chamber a round. Don't let it slam home on an empty chamber. For anyone familiar with bows and arrows, it's like dry-firing a bow - not good. Stripping a cartridge from the magazine and chambering it softens the impact considerably. In fact, the cartridge is such a good cushion that it's not recommended to chamber the same round more than a couple times as the bullet will likely get seated further and further into the case. But that's probably old news here anyway.

[This message has been edited by ether (edited October 13, 2000).]
 
Thanks all for the input. I'm glad you all were willing to respond before I did some damage to my gun. This is one of those issues that really isn't spelled out too well in the manual.

Bri
 
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>In fact, the cartridge is such a good cushion that it's not recommended to chamber the same round more than a couple times as the bullet will likely get seated further and further into the case.[/quote]
Now it could just be me, but I fail to see how the bullet could get seated further into the case when the only thing holding the cartridge from the front is pressure on the case mouth. I could see a problem if you had a pistol that chambered at the wrong angle, whereas the bullet would scrape the top of the chamber drastically on every loading, but if you have a smooth, properly maintained weapon with smooth feeding ammo, this should not be a factor. I say slam it home each and every time, especially when you are chambering a round.
 
The bullets get seated deeper by impacting the feed ramp. I check and rotate the rounds in my carry guns from time to time against fresh (never chambered) rounds ever since I found that a 155gr. 40*&* Golddot I`d been cycling in and out of the chamber was a full 1/8" shorter OAL than it was supposed to be! As most of you know 40*&* + super deep seated bullets often = KB!!! :( Marcus
 
There is no need to baby self defense weapons. If they break when you rack the slide they are not worthy of bing carried. Also malfunctions can be induced by not letting the slide slam home.
PAT

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I intend to go into harms way.
 
Those pure target pistols with feather weight triggers need to be babied. But no one should be using something like that for a defense gun. A defense piece should not need to be treated like a fine piece of jewelry, so let the slide drop, empty or not.

Jim
 
I always thought the reason for this was to keep the extractor pin from being damaged. From what people say, it can break or damage the extractor by slamming it against the edge of the case too fast. I have had no problems with this. as someone said above, if it breaks this easily it aint worth owning as a defense gun.


Tim : )
 
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by brianidaho:
I've been told to "ease" the slide forward on a round, rather then releasing it by the slide release and letting it slam home.[/quote]

Whoever you are talking to doesn't know what they're talking about! I never allow the slide to slam on an empty chamber, this can damage a match trigger on many SA pistols. The problem in this case is the slide rebound, or so I've been told. As far as easing the slide down on a round, that's a good way to have a problem when it comes time to fire. As you correctly pointed out, the pistol doesn't ease the slide down when it strips the next round, so it seems silly to do so with the first round.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Wallew:
MOST professional shooters (I have friends on ARMY Marksmanship Unit) (AMU) and he says their shooters NEVER allow pistol to 'slam' forward on an empty chamber on even one with a round in it.[/quote]

Please explain how they stop that from happening on any round but the first one in the magazine??? I agree with the empty chamber, but it makes absolutely no sense to ride the slide when chambering a round.
 
OK, lets look at it this way, I'll use sheer numbers to prove my point. Every day in the Military there are firearms training classes, also there are the weekly cleanings during which NOONE ever told me not to drop the slide, release the bolt, etc.etc.etc....
on an empty chamber. the first 1911 I was issued was so loose I could rack the slide by placing my right thumb on the grip safety and my four fingers across the top of the slide and just squeeze my hand, it was that loose! I never heard of or had a problem with extractor tension or any other problems at all. treat your gun(s) like you expect to use them.
 
I have an HK MK23 that I have beat the $h!t out of..
I have racked the slide numerous times when it was empty and even dry fired it with no snap cap many many times.
I have over 20,000 rounds through this and I treat a gun the way it was engineered to be used.
The MK23 has never even hinted at failing.

I don't do this to match/target type guns because it serves a different function.
Maybe I am wrong, but I don't treat a sharp knife like I do a slegde hammer..
 
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