Slide Can Cause Damage?

  • Thread starter Thread starter TC
  • Start date Start date
T

TC

New member
While in my favorite gun store I was looking at Glocks, Kimbers, SA's, and Sigs. The first gun I looked at was a G29. The clerk handed it to me after checking it and I released the slide letting it close on it's own. The clerk told me not to let the slide close that way with an empty magazine. He wasn't beligerent and didn't come leaping over the counter at me. He just mentioned it FYI. I had no problem with that and proceeded to hold the slides on the other guns as I released them. I didn't ask him why so I'm posting this.

Does having the slide strip a cartridge out of the magazine absorb that much energy? Or is that the reason? I have been holding the slide on my empty guns since but I'm not sure why. Please explain. Thanks.
 
I think if I had to put a logical reason behind it, it is that the energy is absorbed partly by stripping a round, and partly by slamming on the soft brass case instead of the hard chamber/frame.

I have heard that, on Colts particularly, the slide can crack when repeatedly released on an empty chamber.

Of course the next poster will say, correctly, that the weapon was designed to slam shut after thousands of rounds, and that the force cannot be measurably different.

I just don't LIKE to slam a slide on an empty pistol.
 
on a 1911 with a light trigger, yes, releasing the slide repeatedly on an empty chamber may harm the sear/hammer engagement depending on the hardness of the metal

on a Glock? nope, t'won't hurt nuttin
 
What about the buyer?

Repeatedly letting the slide slam on an empty chamber can damage the gun. Would you want to buy a gun that had been so abused? I think the seller was thinking of the buyer of the gun. I've been in shops where even dry-firing of certain firearms for sale was prohibited for this reason.

Regards.
 
Here's What I was Taught....

The extractor on most automatics is a snug fit between the bullet case and the side of the chamber.

If you let the slide slam forward on an empty chamber you can break the extractor as it slams into the side of the chamber with no round to cushion the movement.

There are probably other good reasons not to do this, but that is the reason I was taught not to do it.
 
To me, Letting the slide down on an empty chamber is no big deal. If it's a new gun, I don't let people do that. The reason is that any excessive handling causes handling marks on the internals that, after a few handlings, lower the value of the gun. On used guns, slam away.

As far as damage, only on match grade guns and, perhaps, some tuned 1911's. Give me a break on the Glock, though. You won't get damage. Dry-firing also won't cause damage but excessive dry firing will reduce the service life of the striker.

As a rule, though, always ask the owner if it's okay to do something to a gun before you do it.
 
Thanks guys. I honestly didn't think this was a problem but like I said after I was told not to do it I didn't. I did ask before I dry fired though.
 
It's a no-no on 1911s. It won't hurt a Glock. The extractor doesnt slam into anything when you drop the slide on an empty chamber, so no, you can't damage it that way. Now, dropping the slide on a manually inserted round is a no-no with all semiautos, as you can damage the extractor.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top