[RBid]

Originally Posted by bruno diaz

My most recent one irritated me until I googled it:

I rented an SR9c and (as I was trained) tried to use the "slide release lever" (as I recalled it being labeled, though I now see they are being called slide stops or slide stop levers) to release the slide. It was so stiff I couldn't push it down with my thumb, no matter how hard I tried. I noticed the lever/slide stop was considerably smaller than what I was used to, so I thought maybe it was just designed to be that stiff/difficult to move. It was a well-broken in rental gun, so it wasn't as if it was because it was brand new.
I talked to the guy behind the counter and told him my concerns. His response was, "Well, yeah, it's stiff! That's not what that's used for! You'll break it if you try to release the slide by pushing that down!" I smirked, and didn't want to disrespect him because he's a competition shooter and a person whose opinion I generally respected until I heard that. I asked him if he was serious, and he said, "Yes. You have to "slingshot" it. That's what they teach you in the military and the police academies." I let him know that's not how I was trained in the academy and he just gave me a puzzled look. A year later, I bought an SR9c from a different shop (an hour away, vs. 7 minutes away, but I fully respect the owner/operator's opinions) and the "slide stop" works just fine for releasing the slide. It's not nearly as stiff and I'm not worried about breaking it.

Another time, when I was younger, I saw a case full of Raven p-25s with $300 price tags on them. I had gotten mine from a friend for $25 dollars. I had to ask what the deal is. The guy behind the counter told me, "Those are just for show. Those tags a joke. He pointed to a sign on the top of the case that said "These are junk. We will not sell these to our friends." He went on to explain that these were notorious for "blowing up in people's hands", causing severe injuries. I, of course, was concerned. I did all the research I could and couldn't find any documented cases of them "blowing up." Years later, I still have my p-25 and love it.

Was the empty mag in the pistol when you were using the slide stop? I see people trying to fight the follower all day, every day... even guys who are legitimate 'gun guys'.