do you slingshot your slide? - Page 2

ScottRiqui · February 12, 2012, 06:39 PM

Quote:

how would it stop a first round flyer? the barrel controls stabilization of the bullet, not the chamber. a first round flyer is caused by a cold barrel not an improperly seated bullet. once the metal heats and expands you end up with slightly smaller diameter barrel causing all subsequent rounds to hit a different spot. and a steep feed ramp that cant accommodate wadcutters isn't going to feed regardless of force exerted on them.

Good points, except that when you heat a barrel, the diameter of the barrel itself and the rifled hole drilled through it both get larger, not smaller.

3kgt2nv · February 12, 2012, 06:39 PM

Quote:

how would it stop a first round flyer? the barrel controls stabilization of the bullet, not the chamber. a first round flyer is caused by a cold barrel not an improperly seated bullet. once the metal heats and expands you end up with slightly smaller diameter barrel causing all subsequent rounds to hit a different spot. and a steep feed ramp that cant accommodate wadcutters isn't going to feed regardless of force exerted on them.

on a gun like a 1911 that headspaces off the case if it is not fully seated it will effect accuracy. when stripping the first round off the magezine when it has the most spring tension and the least amount of forward force from the slide may cause it to not seat fully.

and a perfect example of using the slide lock to drop the slide with a non feeding semi wad cutter is seen in 1911 fairly often. I could make a film tomorrow showing how using the slide stop can jam the round where the slingshot method will feed them properly.

I did just this today when messing with my springfield trp at the range to see how it would feed semi wadcutters for competition shooting.

tahunua001 · February 12, 2012, 06:41 PM

Quote:

what do you think sport's in the army training is. its to clear the chamber after a fail to feed, eject or shoot and no where does it teach you to use the slide lock to drop the slide and or carrier in a m4. even police teach slap,rack,bang

it's a little more complex than that. the navy and army use a 7 step process and from what I've been told by range instructors the marines use an8 step clearing process. the M4 is a completely different platform that is in no way related to the guns being discussed. you may as well be quoting a M1A2 tanks user manual when someone is asking about his chevy 2500 since they are both diesels.

Quote:

Good points, except that when you heat a barrel, the diameter of the barrel itself and the rifled hole drilled through it both get larger, not smaller.

I realized I had said that backwards as soon as I hit the save changes button

3kgt2nv · February 12, 2012, 06:47 PM

Quote:

it's a little more complex than that. the navy and army use a 7 step process and from what I've been told by range instructors the marines use an8 step clearing process. the M4 is a completely different platform that is in no way related to the guns being discussed. you may as well be quoting a M1A2 tanks user manual when someone is asking about his chevy 2500 since they are both diesels.

so your talking about 2nd and 3rd hand information about army procedure.

here is direct from the us army training procedure for the m9
How do you perform immediate action for the M9?

1 Ensure the decocking/safety lever is in the FIRE position.
2 Squeeze the trigger again.
3 If the pistol does not fire, ensure that the magazine is fully seated, retract the slide to the rear, and release.
4 Squeeze the trigger.
5 If the pistol again does not fire, remove the magazine and retract the slide to eject the chambered cartridge. Insert a new magazine, retract the slide, and release to chamber another cartridge.
6 Squeeze the trigger.
7 If the pistol still does not fire, perform remedial action.

sure sounds like the army might just teach the slingshot method of loading.

Marquezj16 · February 12, 2012, 06:49 PM

Quote:

what do you think sport's in the army training is. its to clear the chamber after a fail to feed, eject or shoot and no where does it teach you to use the slide lock to drop the slide and or carrier in a m4. even police teach slap,rack,bang

When you reload from an empty mag to a full mag.

And the M4 is not being discussed here but if you must know, when you reload from an empty mag on an M4 you release the empty mag, replace with full mag and slap the bolt release.

3kgt2nv · February 12, 2012, 06:56 PM

Quote:

And the M4 is not being discussed here but if you must know, when you reload from an empty mag on an M4 you release the empty mag, replace with full mag and slap the bolt release.

as per procedure only if loading from an open bolt, otherwise its from the charging handle.

Marquezj16 · February 12, 2012, 06:57 PM

deleted

Marquezj16 · February 12, 2012, 06:58 PM

Loading Procedure
Starting with cleared pistol
Visually inspect pistol to ensure
decocking/safety lever is in safe
position (down)
Insert magazine
Send slide forward by depressing
slide stop
Place weapon on fire

Reloading
Procedures
Remove empty
magazine
Insert new
magazine
Release slide
Fire

lcpiper · February 12, 2012, 07:05 PM

There are also two issues that have an impact on this subject.

First, the slide doesn't always lock on the last round with all pistols. In this case it would become and obvious thing to slingshot the slide to chamber a new round.

Second, not all manuals make a destinction between loading, and reloading, and almost never bring up reloading on a partial magazine.

3kgt2nv · February 12, 2012, 07:07 PM

guess the army teaches a different operation, we are both right i guess
http://www.ut.ngb.army.mil/campwilli.../fm3_23x35.pdf

Quote:

1-11. LOADING
To load the pistol--
• Hold the pistol in the raised pistol position.
• Insert the magazine into the pistol.
• Pull the slide to the rear and release the slide to chamber a round.
• Push the decocking/safety lever to the SAFE position.
a. Always make sure the muzzle is pointing in a safe direction, with the finger off
the trigger.
b. Never attempt to load or unload any firearm inside a vehicle, building, or other
confined space (except a properly constructed shooting range or bullet trap). Enclosed
areas frequently offer no completely safe direction in which to point the firearm; if an
accidental discharge occurs, there is great risk of injury or property damage.
c. Before loading, always clean excess grease and oil from the bore and chamber,
and ensure that no obstruction is in the barrel. Any foreign matter in the barrel could
result in a bulged or burst barrel or other damage to the firearm and could cause serious
injury to the shooter or to others.

personally i always use the slide on my 1911's and on most others i use the slide lock. i have found some guns to be picky with one method or the other so i use a mix.

Marquezj16 · February 12, 2012, 07:10 PM

Yup

I am actually getting in the habit of just pulling back the slide. It makes it consistent with all my pistols.

lcpiper · February 12, 2012, 07:11 PM

That's the loading proceedure, not the reloading proceedure.

On the M4, when operating properly, the bolt will lock to the rear on the last round, you use the bolt release to chamber the first round of the new magazine.

I too have always used the slide release on my pistols with one notable exception, my P238 just likes a more "vigorous" method so I slingshot it.

K_Mac · February 12, 2012, 07:15 PM

My Ruger SR9c has a slide stop-not a slide release. Unless you have very strong hands you will not release the slide using it.

Walt Sherrill · February 12, 2012, 07:15 PM

The argument about fine motor skills is over-stated.

It still takes fine motor skills to grasp, pull, and release the slide properly. Pressing the slide stop can be done with the offhand, using a single finger or several (made into a "functional" hook), or the thumb of the shooting hand.

Some years back one of the shooting mags evaluated both methods. They had a doctor administer stimulants (simulating the adrenaline-stoked conditions we find ourselves in when under stress or danger), and had shooters try both methods in a number of IPSC-type shooting scenarios. If I remember correctly, there was no clear winner.

A man I know -- who has been an instructor for a number of our IDPA club members -- and who has spent the better part of the past 5 years working with and training Special Forces and Special Ops personnel in Ft. Bragg, says that the Army has changed its training for this topic.

In combat, using the sling shot method, especially when wearing gloves (which is quite common on some combat areas), many troops were having problem with their weapons not properly going into battery. That would require a clearance drill, the loss of time, the loss of a round, and a chance to do it wrong again.

The ARMY now teaches troops in these specialized courses to use the slide stop/slide release to close the slide. It's apparently a more consistent approach. It may take just a bit longer, but it's more sure. (You can fingers of the offhand to release the slide -- two or three fingers are more able to hit it than just one finger or thumb -- and can bring more pressure to bear.

I haven't shot competitively in several years now -- went back to school and then had a bad cataract to contend with -- but final years before I stopped shooting in competition, I found that I was getting more consistent results using my offhand to release the slide -- if only because only one or two of my guns really allowed me to release the slide using my strong hand without changing my grip.

Do what works best for you -- but because it works best for you, not because of some arguably false rationale about fine motor skills. But give yourself some time to try it both ways.

3kgt2nv · February 12, 2012, 07:15 PM

Quote:

That's the loading proceedure, not the reloading proceedure.

On the M4, when operating properly, the bolt will lock to the rear on the last round, you use the bolt release to chamber the first round of the new magazine.
__________

this is true but nowhere was it mentioned what action was being performed.

Noreaster · February 12, 2012, 07:30 PM

For years we were taught to rack the slide with your weak hand over the top of the slide. Doing this while remaining somewhat on target. Problems arose with the hand blocking the ejected casings or worse causing them to go back in and jam the action. Then there was the fact that you couldn't see if you actually cleared the malfunction and or put the pistol in battery. The last few years we've been taught the sling shot method and to bring the firearm back in close to the body and below the line of sight. Seem to work very well and it works for everyone including the weaker shooters.

We've been taught not to use the slide release because in dynamic situations, (I've seen it in training,) you can get a malfunction and the user is engaging the slide release and nothing is happening, where as a tap and rack would have cleared the malfunction.

lcpiper · February 12, 2012, 07:58 PM

Quote:

We've been taught not to use the slide release because in dynamic situations, (I've seen it in training,) you can get a malfunction and the user is engaging the slide release and nothing is happening, where as a tap and rack would have cleared the malfunction.

If they are doing something wrong in training this is a training problem, they need more of it, not an excuse for changing methods. If they have malfunction then there is a method for clearing it properly based on the design of the weapon.

This goes back to the same old thing. Departments want to save money on training so they skimp on training. Then officers have problems qualifying or in situations and they say they need simpler weapons. They buy simpler weapons and skimp on training again and still the officers can't properly operate their weapons because, ...... they aren't getting enough training.

rduckwor · February 12, 2012, 09:00 PM

I agree with doing what works best for you. I cannot reach the slide release on my 1911 with my strong hand while maintaining a shooting grip. I find it is faster to simply rack the slide. Same is true for my Sigs.

However, I do believe in the argument re: fine versus gross motor skills. I have seen too many med students and residents decompensate under stress to the point they couldn't tie their shoes. No one was even shooting at them!

Hoosier_Daddy · February 12, 2012, 10:59 PM

I do not release the slide lock to chamber the first round. I was taught in my NRA classes to pull the slide back and release the slide to chanber a round. It is a habit with me now.

Walt Sherrill · February 13, 2012, 07:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rduckwor

However, I do believe in the argument re: fine versus gross motor skills. I have seen too many med students and residents decompensate under stress to the point they couldn't tie their shoes. No one was even shooting at them!

The issue is not whether fine motor skills are impaired by stress or adrenaline (and in the case of med students, FATIGUE) -- they are -- but whether the SLINGSHOT method of releasing the slide is less demanding of those fine motor skills than using the slide release.

Tests seem to suggest that both methods require fine motor skills, and under pressure, both can be a problem.

As noted in my earlier response, the U.S. ARMY now feels that the slingshot is a less-effective method than using the slide release under actual combat conditions, and has modified its training accordingly -- at least for Special Ops personnel being trained or evaluated at Ft. Bragg.

A more practical concern is whether using the slingshot method forces the shooter to move the gun much more off target than using the slide release. Is this a significant issue, and does this extra movement required by using the slingshot method have offsetting advantages?

We may all be straining at a gnat in this discussion...

.

Scout · February 13, 2012, 08:12 AM

Uncle Sugar taught me to reload the 1911 by dropping the empty magazine, putting a fresh one in and releasing the slide lock with my weak hand. It has always worked for me.

icedog88 · February 13, 2012, 08:14 AM

In my training with the M9 (back in the 1990 to 2002), the Marine CQB instructors were teaching "slingshot" on your initial mag, then slide release on reloads. I haven't changed this method on any semi auto since being instructed this way. I've encountered no issues in training with this method. Never had to draw my sidearm in combat and use it.

tahunua001 · February 13, 2012, 09:44 AM

Quote:

My Ruger SR9c has a slide stop-not a slide release. Unless you have very strong hands you will not release the slide using it.

the slide stop on my SR9C was incredibly hard to actuate when releasing the slide when I first bought it but after the first 5 or 6 reloads it smoothed out a lot. as stated, in the OP, I use the slide stop/release on all my handguns.

Slugthrower · February 13, 2012, 10:37 AM

All have their reason for using their methods and retracting the slide and releasing it on a pistol is reasonable enough. For me I do both depending on the circumstances. If dealing with an unfamiliar pistol it saves time rather than searching for the slide stop lever. It is a default for immediate action for me.

When using my own pistols I will retract the slide, if for some reason hitting the slide stop lever doesn't release the slide. When performing a speed reload the support hand will depress the lever. When performing a reload,with retention of an empty mag, the primary hand will be used to hit the lever.

It is easier in my mind to let the mag drop free, as I grab a fresh magazine and insert it. Wrap the support hand around the grip and hit the lever than to grab the slide and retract it, as I would have to wait for the support hand to return to the grip. It is faster as well IMO. In such a case a speed reload is about getting the pistol back into the fight as fast as possible. For myself this is the best way to do it.

If I am wanting to retain the mag and toss it into a pouch. I will grab the fresh mag bring it to the pistol, while releasing the spent mag into the same hand. Insert the fresh mag and as I am putting the empty into the pouch the lever is pressed with the primary hand. By the time my support hand is done with disposing of the empty mag the slide is already returned to battery and the pistol can be fired one handed if needed. If not then the support hand can return to the pistol and assist in returning the pistol to the target.

Should there be some kind of need to eject a partially spent mag and toss it into the pouch the pistol will have a round in the chamber anyway. Either way the fresh mag is brought to the pistol and the mags are traded as the empty is tossed into a dump pouch. There is the possiblity that somehow the slide is in battery and the chamber is empty. This would be solved with the standard TRB method. That would be about the only time I can see retracting the slide by hand rather than using the stop lever.

Comes down to what we are comfortable with and works best for our own ways. Quite a few people use the method that you saw in the Topshot. It's all in how they have trained themselves or were taught to accomplish the task by an instructor. For what it is worth, that method is more fool proof for those that practice very little with their pistol of choice. YMMV

A speed reload isn't my preference as it requires me to retrive the spent mags from the ground. Not something I want to do if given the choice for a myriad of reasons. Certainly if the need to get the pistol back in action is the primary concern, then just dumping the mag onto the ground is preferred. Always good to have the body trained to what SA demands of the task at hand. More methods equal more tools. More tools equal more solutions to more problems on the fly. As they say, under stess we will default to our lowest level of training and so it goes.

kraigwy · February 13, 2012, 10:57 AM

Both:

Funny part is I couldn't answer the question. I had to go out back to the range and see what I did.

Most of the time I use the slide release, but doing clearance drills I "slingshot" the slide. "Rap, Tap, Bang". I also "sling the slide when loading the camber most of the time, like during the command, "load and make ready".

But most of the time I use the slide release. In shooting competition you have to "show clear" before stepping off the line. To do this while still pointed at the target I drop the mag by pushing the mag release, rack the slide back and locking it (to clear the chamber), show clear, release the slide with my shooting hand thumb, drop the hammer and re holster.

What's odd, is I couldn't say until I went out, pick up the gun and see how I worked the slide.

As I was checking I also remember a point my Colt 1911s have over my Beretta, that being the exposed barrel on the Beretta. After shooting a session of steal (lots of rounds fired there) things get hot. When I grab the slide to clear the gun, I burn my hand on the Beretta. (I grab the front part of the slide so I can catch the ejected live round instead of letting it fall in the snow.

February 12, 2012, 06:57 PM	#32
Marquezj16 Senior Member Join Date: April 3, 2011 Posts: 2,088	deleted Last edited by Marquezj16; February 12, 2012 at 06:59 PM. Reason: fail lol

February 12, 2012, 06:58 PM	#33
Marquezj16 Senior Member Join Date: April 3, 2011 Posts: 2,088	AFPAM 10-100 Airman's Manual Pg 119 Loading Procedure Starting with cleared pistol Visually inspect pistol to ensure decocking/safety lever is in safe position (down) Insert magazine Send slide forward by depressing slide stop Place weapon on fire Reloading Procedures Remove empty magazine Insert new magazine Release slide Fire

February 12, 2012, 07:05 PM	#34
lcpiper Senior Member Join Date: May 15, 2011 Posts: 1,405	There are also two issues that have an impact on this subject. First, the slide doesn't always lock on the last round with all pistols. In this case it would become and obvious thing to slingshot the slide to chamber a new round. Second, not all manuals make a destinction between loading, and reloading, and almost never bring up reloading on a partial magazine. __________________ Colt M1911, AR-15 \| S&W Model 19, Model 27\| SIG P238 \| Berreta 85B Cheetah \| Ruger Blackhawk .357MAG, Bearcat "Shopkeeper" .22LR\| Remington Marine Magnum SP 12GA., Model 700 SPS .223

February 12, 2012, 07:11 PM	#37
lcpiper Senior Member Join Date: May 15, 2011 Posts: 1,405	That's the loading proceedure, not the reloading proceedure. On the M4, when operating properly, the bolt will lock to the rear on the last round, you use the bolt release to chamber the first round of the new magazine. I too have always used the slide release on my pistols with one notable exception, my P238 just likes a more "vigorous" method so I slingshot it. __________________ Colt M1911, AR-15 \| S&W Model 19, Model 27\| SIG P238 \| Berreta 85B Cheetah \| Ruger Blackhawk .357MAG, Bearcat "Shopkeeper" .22LR\| Remington Marine Magnum SP 12GA., Model 700 SPS .223

February 12, 2012, 07:15 PM	#38
K_Mac Senior Member Join Date: September 15, 2010 Posts: 1,850	My Ruger SR9c has a slide stop-not a slide release. Unless you have very strong hands you will not release the slide using it. __________________ "Any fool can criticize, condemn and complain and most fools do." Benjamin Franklin

February 12, 2012, 07:10 PM	#36
Marquezj16 Senior Member Join Date: April 3, 2011 Posts: 2,088	Yup I am actually getting in the habit of just pulling back the slide. It makes it consistent with all my pistols.

February 12, 2012, 07:15 PM	#39
Walt Sherrill Senior Member Join Date: February 15, 1999 Location: Winston-Salem, NC USA Posts: 6,348	The argument about fine motor skills is over-stated. It still takes fine motor skills to grasp, pull, and release the slide properly. Pressing the slide stop can be done with the offhand, using a single finger or several (made into a "functional" hook), or the thumb of the shooting hand. Some years back one of the shooting mags evaluated both methods. They had a doctor administer stimulants (simulating the adrenaline-stoked conditions we find ourselves in when under stress or danger), and had shooters try both methods in a number of IPSC-type shooting scenarios. If I remember correctly, there was no clear winner. A man I know -- who has been an instructor for a number of our IDPA club members -- and who has spent the better part of the past 5 years working with and training Special Forces and Special Ops personnel in Ft. Bragg, says that the Army has changed its training for this topic. In combat, using the sling shot method, especially when wearing gloves (which is quite common on some combat areas), many troops were having problem with their weapons not properly going into battery. That would require a clearance drill, the loss of time, the loss of a round, and a chance to do it wrong again. The ARMY now teaches troops in these specialized courses to use the slide stop/slide release to close the slide. It's apparently a more consistent approach. It may take just a bit longer, but it's more sure. (You can fingers of the offhand to release the slide -- two or three fingers are more able to hit it than just one finger or thumb -- and can bring more pressure to bear. I haven't shot competitively in several years now -- went back to school and then had a bad cataract to contend with -- but final years before I stopped shooting in competition, I found that I was getting more consistent results using my offhand to release the slide -- if only because only one or two of my guns really allowed me to release the slide using my strong hand without changing my grip. Do what works best for you -- but because it works best for you, not because of some arguably false rationale about fine motor skills. But give yourself some time to try it both ways.

February 12, 2012, 07:30 PM	#41
Noreaster Senior Member Join Date: January 30, 2011 Location: New England Posts: 1,449	For years we were taught to rack the slide with your weak hand over the top of the slide. Doing this while remaining somewhat on target. Problems arose with the hand blocking the ejected casings or worse causing them to go back in and jam the action. Then there was the fact that you couldn't see if you actually cleared the malfunction and or put the pistol in battery. The last few years we've been taught the sling shot method and to bring the firearm back in close to the body and below the line of sight. Seem to work very well and it works for everyone including the weaker shooters. We've been taught not to use the slide release because in dynamic situations, (I've seen it in training,) you can get a malfunction and the user is engaging the slide release and nothing is happening, where as a tap and rack would have cleared the malfunction.

February 12, 2012, 09:00 PM	#43
rduckwor Senior Member Join Date: June 26, 2008 Location: L.A. - Lower Alabama Posts: 365	I agree with doing what works best for you. I cannot reach the slide release on my 1911 with my strong hand while maintaining a shooting grip. I find it is faster to simply rack the slide. Same is true for my Sigs. However, I do believe in the argument re: fine versus gross motor skills. I have seen too many med students and residents decompensate under stress to the point they couldn't tie their shoes. No one was even shooting at them! __________________ RMD

February 12, 2012, 10:59 PM	#44
Hoosier_Daddy Senior Member Join Date: January 27, 2011 Location: Lower Michigan Posts: 163	I do not release the slide lock to chamber the first round. I was taught in my NRA classes to pull the slide back and release the slide to chanber a round. It is a habit with me now.

February 13, 2012, 08:12 AM	#46
Scout Senior Member Join Date: August 9, 2009 Location: Central Florida Posts: 510	Uncle Sugar taught me to reload the 1911 by dropping the empty magazine, putting a fresh one in and releasing the slide lock with my weak hand. It has always worked for me. __________________ God bless the U.S. Cavalry

February 13, 2012, 08:14 AM	#47
icedog88 Senior Member Join Date: April 16, 2011 Location: norwich ct Posts: 737	In my training with the M9 (back in the 1990 to 2002), the Marine CQB instructors were teaching "slingshot" on your initial mag, then slide release on reloads. I haven't changed this method on any semi auto since being instructed this way. I've encountered no issues in training with this method. Never had to draw my sidearm in combat and use it. __________________ "The bended knee is not a tradition of our Corps"-LtGen. Holland M "Howlin' Mad" Smith, USMC,1949 Have you forgotten yet? Look down and swear by the slain of the War that you'll NEVER forget. [Siegfried Sassoon,"Aftermath,"1919]

February 13, 2012, 10:37 AM	#49
Slugthrower Senior Member Join Date: October 22, 2006 Posts: 823	All have their reason for using their methods and retracting the slide and releasing it on a pistol is reasonable enough. For me I do both depending on the circumstances. If dealing with an unfamiliar pistol it saves time rather than searching for the slide stop lever. It is a default for immediate action for me. When using my own pistols I will retract the slide, if for some reason hitting the slide stop lever doesn't release the slide. When performing a speed reload the support hand will depress the lever. When performing a reload,with retention of an empty mag, the primary hand will be used to hit the lever. It is easier in my mind to let the mag drop free, as I grab a fresh magazine and insert it. Wrap the support hand around the grip and hit the lever than to grab the slide and retract it, as I would have to wait for the support hand to return to the grip. It is faster as well IMO. In such a case a speed reload is about getting the pistol back into the fight as fast as possible. For myself this is the best way to do it. If I am wanting to retain the mag and toss it into a pouch. I will grab the fresh mag bring it to the pistol, while releasing the spent mag into the same hand. Insert the fresh mag and as I am putting the empty into the pouch the lever is pressed with the primary hand. By the time my support hand is done with disposing of the empty mag the slide is already returned to battery and the pistol can be fired one handed if needed. If not then the support hand can return to the pistol and assist in returning the pistol to the target. Should there be some kind of need to eject a partially spent mag and toss it into the pouch the pistol will have a round in the chamber anyway. Either way the fresh mag is brought to the pistol and the mags are traded as the empty is tossed into a dump pouch. There is the possiblity that somehow the slide is in battery and the chamber is empty. This would be solved with the standard TRB method. That would be about the only time I can see retracting the slide by hand rather than using the stop lever. Comes down to what we are comfortable with and works best for our own ways. Quite a few people use the method that you saw in the Topshot. It's all in how they have trained themselves or were taught to accomplish the task by an instructor. For what it is worth, that method is more fool proof for those that practice very little with their pistol of choice. YMMV A speed reload isn't my preference as it requires me to retrive the spent mags from the ground. Not something I want to do if given the choice for a myriad of reasons. Certainly if the need to get the pistol back in action is the primary concern, then just dumping the mag onto the ground is preferred. Always good to have the body trained to what SA demands of the task at hand. More methods equal more tools. More tools equal more solutions to more problems on the fly. As they say, under stess we will default to our lowest level of training and so it goes. __________________ History is a freak show and a dark comedy. Mankind is a spectacle all to itself. Play your role, let the jesters play theirs. In the end...who has the last laugh?

February 13, 2012, 10:57 AM	#50
kraigwy Senior Member Join Date: June 16, 2008 Location: Wyoming Posts: 11,061	Both: Funny part is I couldn't answer the question. I had to go out back to the range and see what I did. Most of the time I use the slide release, but doing clearance drills I "slingshot" the slide. "Rap, Tap, Bang". I also "sling the slide when loading the camber most of the time, like during the command, "load and make ready". But most of the time I use the slide release. In shooting competition you have to "show clear" before stepping off the line. To do this while still pointed at the target I drop the mag by pushing the mag release, rack the slide back and locking it (to clear the chamber), show clear, release the slide with my shooting hand thumb, drop the hammer and re holster. What's odd, is I couldn't say until I went out, pick up the gun and see how I worked the slide. As I was checking I also remember a point my Colt 1911s have over my Beretta, that being the exposed barrel on the Beretta. After shooting a session of steal (lots of rounds fired there) things get hot. When I grab the slide to clear the gun, I burn my hand on the Beretta. (I grab the front part of the slide so I can catch the ejected live round instead of letting it fall in the snow. __________________ Kraig Stuart CPT USAR Ret USAMU Sniper School Distinguished Rifle Badge 1071