Slamming closed an empty pistol; can it hurt anything?

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MeekAndMild

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I once slipped and dropped the slide closed on a 1911 pistol; the instructor nearly crawled out of his skin. He gave a long lecture on the way dropping the slide closed can bugger up the sear and all the working parts. Since then I have carefully closed empty autos, but have always wondered.

Is there any truth to this or is it an unfounded worry?
 
On a 1911 with a custom trigger job, it can be harmful. On any other pistol it really wont hurt a thing, although I still try to avoid doing it.
 
It isn't a real good idea on most semi auto rimfire guns either. The slide slams into the barrel without the cushioning effect of the rimfire round and can cause peening. It would probably take a LOT of this to cause a problem, but it isn't a good idea.
 
I personally slam all my slides home on empty chambers with all of my pistols. This includes my Colt, Beretta, SIG, HP and Ruger. Why? Personally if my pistol is supposed to be a defensive handgun and stand up to the challenge then it'll take it. If it breaks then I consider it a piece of junk and move on. Thus far none of my pistols have shown any problems.
 
I once slipped and dropped the slide closed on a 1911 pistol; the instructor nearly crawled out of his skin. He gave a long lecture on the way dropping the slide closed can bugger up the sear and all the working parts.
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This is only true for poorly executed trigger jobs. I was taught that the best test of a trigger job is to clear the gun, lock the slide to the rear, lay it on its right side and release the slide without touching anything but the slide lock lever. If the hammer falls it indicates that the sear was improperly stoned. A real gunsmith can do a trigger that isn't fragile as an egg and still breaks like a glass rod with no creap. However, to each their own.
 
I would take exception with the advice given by your instructor. Letting the slide spring forward is the proper operation for the pistol in general, so doing so with a full or empty chamber doesn't matter.
 
Most custom pistolsmiths will get upset if you tell you do that to a pistol they prepare. :)

As far as the same empty or chambering a round, that's not true. When chambering a round, the slide is slowed significantly by stripping the round from the magazine.

The real question is, is there a reason to let the slide slam on an empty chamber? The answer is no.
 
Mac Scott, of Scott, McDougal gunsmithing, has some VERY definite things to say on this subject.

Such as, it's stupid to do, because it stresses the gun in ways that it wasn't really designed to be stressed (hey, you can pop the clutch on your car, but was your car really DESIGNED to have the clutch popped like that?)

It CAN mess up a finely done trigger job on a 1911.

It can cause premature peining of certain parts on the 1911.

I look at it in the same manner as grabbing the wrist on a double barrel shotgun and flicking the barrels closed, or flipping the wrist to slam the cylinder home on a Smith, Colt, or Ruger revolver.

Sure, you CAN do it. Sure, it may not hurt to do it once, or twice.

But just what in the hell do you want to do that for?

It's a stupid practice.
 
In the 1911 style guns the slide face will hit the barrel rear MUCH harder without a cartridge in the equation. In most rimfires the slide face will be beating against the rear of the barrel (which normally gets cushioned by the rim on the cartridge). It isn't going to happen fast, but why take chances. That cartridge coming out of the magazine slows the slide considerably and absorbs a lot of the force involved. With the 1911 design, the reason good smiths don't like this practice is that it is normally done with the trigger released. When the gun cycles normally, the trigger is all the way back (you just fired it). This action locks up the sear/disconnector/and hammer engagement. Dropping the slide with the trigger forward allows all these pieces to "bounce" against each other. The lack of a cartridge simply increases the amount of force applied.
 
The sear is under tension from the leaf spring all the time. The disconnector "bounces" around when the gun is being fired. The breechface is under considerably more force when a round is fired than when a slide is released without a cartridge being chambered. The military 1911's that everyone seems to feel are so great are subjected to this practice all the time. In my six and a half years in the Army I was never allowed to ride the slide into battery during an Arms Inspection. The slide was released and the trigger pulled before reholstering the pistol. Why is it bad now?
 
There are two types of people in this world. Those that take good care of their posessions and those that could not care less.

As a matteer of fact they get a twisted joy out of destroying their posessions as quickly as possible. I guess it gives them an excuse to go out and buy another and start all over again.

Facts. Abusing any weapon by slaming it home on a empty chamber is poor foolishness.

Take a look at the way your weapon locks up. The frame and slide and locking lugs take a beating even when the gun is being
fired under normal conditions , properly lubricated and squeaky clean. Sooner or later they all wear out. The rockwell harndess of steel used in most firearms is not all that great. If they were made as hard as tool steel the cost would be phenominal. A comprise is needed to produce them for a reasonable price.

If you have a delicate trigger job done on a 1911 any good gunsmith worth his salt will tell you to ease the slide down even when loading it with a round in the chamber. If you do not have one of the rediculous looking new model grip safeties it is recomended that you hold down the hammer with your finger and with your other hand trip the slide release lever. This is a more positive way to seat the round than easing it down by hand.

Let's face it there are many people who do not know the difference between a good trigger pull and one of perfection because they have never owned a first class target weapon. To them the gritty 5,6 or 7 lb pull is just great. So this information to them may as well be written in Klingonese.

True that some of the new wave guns have done away with locking lugs but they in my opinion are a way less safe firearm in regards to overloads which can accidently take place not only from bad ammo but a bore obstruction such as a stuck bullet , a forgotten cleaning patch left in the bore or a nasty fall that suddenly plugged up your bore with snow or mud. Anything can and eventually will happen and the old Browning style locking lugs were designed to take twice their normal operating pressure and if they failed a properly headspaced Browning type weapon will also seat on the barrel hood as well acting as an additional safety lug. You don't get all this protection from some of the newer designed models that currently infest the gun market.

In conclusion don't act like a fool , take care of your expensive firearms because if you do not you will get little out of them in resale value or they may fail you in a critical moment of truth. W.R.
 
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Not only Mac Scott, but Ed Brown, a fairly reputable 1911 'smith also recommends against this practice. Oh, and so does Bill Wilson. But, then, what the heck would guys like them know? :p
 
Well I used to do that all the time because I liked the sound and the feel of my 1911 slamming into battery.

They someone pointed out to me that the extractor is slamming into the barrell without the benefit of a bullet case to lock into on the other side.

Apparently this can break an extractor.

Thats the last time I slammed a slide on an empty chamber with any of my pistols.

YMMV
 
Do what you wish with your own pistols but let me know when you trade one in, I want to make sure I don't mistakenly buy it. I don't mind spending money to fix a worn gun but it's annoying spending money on one that's been unnecessarily abused.

Anyone who has ever dropped the slide on one of my 1911's with an empty chamber has never touched one of my guns again.
 
WR - there are more types of people than you allow. And they are not the two extremes that you portray. There are people who dry fire weapons and those who don't. That is their option.

I NEVER dry fire or slam a slide home on someone else's weapon. Mine are all tools, none are to look at and admire. I understand that some firearms are intended for this purpose, I just don't have any. :)
 
Well, we'd really appreciate it if you'd etch your name on all your pistols. When you sell or trade them, I want to make sure I don't accidently buy one of them! :)
 
Whenever I'm shooting with 1911 nuts I always take a perverse pleasure in dropping the slides on my Glocks, HK's etc... the 1911 shooters just get this sick little twitch... it's so cute. I guess some people will put themselves through all kinds of contortions to get a trigger pull that cuts their groups by 1". Personally I'd trade a 1" smaller group @ 25yds for improved reliability and not having to worry about hurting my po widdle gun.
 
WR - "Abusing any weapon by slaming it home on a empty chamber is poor foolishness. "

How about this: buying a firearm which needs excessive babying (such as never dropping the slide on an empty chamber) is nothing but poor foolishness. ;)

I dry fire my guns without snap caps, I'm always dropping the slide on an empty chamber after showing clear. No problems after thousands of rounds with any of them. Simply because I won't buy a firearm which needs baby care...
 
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