Running your slide?
- Thread starter 1911Alaska
- Start date
Crow Hunter
New member
Make sure you aren't confusing this with Tap/Rack/Bang drill.
Generally the best thing to do when you have a failure to feed for any reason is to:
Tap (or smack
) the bottom of the magazine.Rack the slide again to get a fresh round in the chamber.
Bang (pull the trigger).
If this doesn't work, swap magazines then Tap/Rack.
If still no Bang, hopefully you have a backup gun or back up friends with guns.
Or, you can also throw the gun at them and run away.
I think it also depends on the gun.
Glocks slide stop doesn't work very well as a slide release and does require some "fine motor skills" unless you go with the extended release.
Other guns, particularly smaller pocket guns, may not have one at all. (My NAA Guardian .32 ACP doesn't, nor did the old PPK I used to have.)
I train to just rack the slide. It is slower, but for me it is more sure. That and being part of the lowest common denominator means I can spend less time training.
Strafer Gott
New member
I can see why group trainers use this.. Technique has to replace strength for marginal personnel. I have seen LGS crew struggle with a shorty Kimber to overcome the heavy springs they require. Any semi auto shooter should consider their ability to rack their slide, and do a little physical training, if required. The pushup is still a wonderful training aid, albeit under used outside of the uniformed services. Hey, I never said man up, no sir, I never did!
Thanks for the eyes
Thanks for the eyes
Much of the current training emphasizes tactical reloads vs. emergency reloads. So, manipulating the slide is done less often. In a fight you don't want to ever find yourself with a slide locked back because it means you are out of ammo! At least for a bit. With a tactical reload you're never totally empty.
But when you do need to release the slide, slingshotting is preferred for the reasons noted above plus the fact that it gives you a quarter inch or so more spring action. Assuming of course you have 2 hands available. With just one, then slide stop release is it, obviously.
And, the malfunction clearing drill is now slap, rack, ROLL. Slap the mag, rack the slide back, hold it and roll the gun to the right to allow gravity to pull out any round that has been cleared. Then release slide and go bang.
But when you do need to release the slide, slingshotting is preferred for the reasons noted above plus the fact that it gives you a quarter inch or so more spring action. Assuming of course you have 2 hands available. With just one, then slide stop release is it, obviously.
And, the malfunction clearing drill is now slap, rack, ROLL. Slap the mag, rack the slide back, hold it and roll the gun to the right to allow gravity to pull out any round that has been cleared. Then release slide and go bang.
Never answer when sleep deprived...
... and never answer when thinking about another thread.
Sorry, in this context, raimius, Crow Hunter, and moxie are all correct, "tap" is positively seating the magazine.
In a discussion of a specific pistol that I own, I had mentioned having to tap the back of the slide on the last round a few times, and my mind had wandered to that discussion.
Realized it after going to bed last night, and thought, "well, somebody will correct it..."
They did.
... and never answer when thinking about another thread.
Sorry, in this context, raimius, Crow Hunter, and moxie are all correct, "tap" is positively seating the magazine.
In a discussion of a specific pistol that I own, I had mentioned having to tap the back of the slide on the last round a few times, and my mind had wandered to that discussion.
Realized it after going to bed last night, and thought, "well, somebody will correct it..."
They did.
Seems like long ago,over ten years, I read an article about the standard training for Israelis who were carrying Browning HP's.They were carrying chamber empty,and from the draw they would bring the handgun up close in front of the chest,grab the slide,punch toward the target.
I do not intend to argue the merits of carrying a round in the chamberIMO,that is how a 1911 is carried for business,but might it be possible an entry level class to carrying a variety of handguns might teach this Israelli method ?
One caution I will suggest,the real life immediate action drills have merit,but in a range situation,if the pistol does not go bang and cycle,slow down,keep the muzzle safe,and figure out what is going on.A squib load can leave a bullet in the barrel,and things go bad if you shoot again.
I do not intend to argue the merits of carrying a round in the chamberIMO,that is how a 1911 is carried for business,but might it be possible an entry level class to carrying a variety of handguns might teach this Israelli method ?
One caution I will suggest,the real life immediate action drills have merit,but in a range situation,if the pistol does not go bang and cycle,slow down,keep the muzzle safe,and figure out what is going on.A squib load can leave a bullet in the barrel,and things go bad if you shoot again.
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