What technique do you use to drop the slide in your auto?

[Sundance]

With a semi-auto pistol, you basically have 2 techniques for dropping the slide from a locked back position on a freshly inserted full mag to chamber a round. You can press the slide release (usually with your right hand thumb if you are a righty) or you can sling shot the slide with your weak hand. (Now I realize that some compact guns don't have external slide releases and the HK P7 uses the squeeze cocker to drop the slide, but let's focus on the typical examples of semi-auto pistols, not proprietary designs.) There are many arguments for each technique being better than the other, but I am just curious what most people do and why. Please answer the poll and then tell me in the thread below, why you think your technique is superior or preferable. Thanks!

[hd1.]

I used to use the slide release lever, but when I was taking my CCW training, the instructors claimed that doing so would cause wear (round off) on the catch and make it unreliable. So nowdays, I use the "slingshot" method.

[Hkmp5sd]

I use the slide release. Guess that's why they call it a slide release.

[Number 6]

Yes, and actually shooting the gun strips the rifling out of the bore..............

However, this question is imprecise. It should differentiate between releasing the slide on a loaded mag (which IS what the slide release is for), and getting the slide into battery on an empty chamber.

I do NOT use the slide release for the latter, and "wear on the catch" is not the concern.

[New_comer]

Sling shot.

I'd hate to wear off the slide's notch and lever. :D

[ronin308]

I use the slide release. But I use my offhand. It flows very naturally for me to insert mag, put offhand in place, then hit release.

[Jim V]

My answer is not a choice given: It depends, since I use both nethods.

[DMK]

I do this for a couple reasons:

1) Not all my guns have a slide release (CZ-70, CZ-52) and this method is consistent with all my semi-auto arms.

II) I don't care about wearing the slide stop, but I don't want to wear out my slide. I've already had to replace a slide on one of my pistols for another reason and it's not something I want to have to do again.

C) The "slingshot" method is consistent with clearing a failure. Under stress, I'd like that motion to be second nature when the gun won't fire.

That said, there is a good argument that after dropping the mag with the thumb on the mag release, it's pretty easy/quick just to thumb the slide release, especially if you're shooting one handed.

[Brian Busch]

Insert mag, drag slide back and release with overhand method. Its faster than slingshot method, and uses the same movements as an AR15 reload (insert mag, tap and palm release). Pretty subjective.

[VVG]

Most defensive instructors teach the "Tap Rack Bang" method. You don't use the slide release because when amped up, you loose fine motor control.

Out of habit from target M1911's, I never drop a slide on an empty chamber, anyway.

[Walt Sherrill]

Fine motor muscle control.

There's been a bit of analysis done, recently, that indicates the fine muscle (motor) control needed to grasp the slide and pull it back may be as great, or greater, than that required when using the off hand to release the slide lock/release.

And that's a third approach, not mentioned. Use the off hand to release the slide.

I've seen it used a lot in IPSC and IDPA competition, and have come to use it myself. Since I've just inserted a mag, in most of these cases, my off hand is free to do something else, anyhow...

I've found it to be faster and less likely to cause problems -- and your off hand is ready if you have a malfunction, in any event.

[boing]

Thanks for bringing that up, Walt. For years I've about the "fine motor skills" needed to depress the slide release, and the advantage of using the overhand/slingshot method. It just isn't so, and I've never understood why people state that it is? When it comes to motor skills, it just doesn't get much simpler than mashing a button.

Maybe I'm missing something.

BTW- Didn't vote. I use both methods.

[bountyh]

You missed the way I think many people do it: when locked back with a full mag inserted, release the slide lever with the thumb on the weak hand. Most people can't reach the release lever with the thunb on the right hand without screwing their hand around the gun and messing up their grip. I find it faster just to pop the slide lever with the left hand thumb as I am re-grasping it to the gun. My right hand stays put and doesn't move during a speed reload. I realize the pros use the right hand thumb, I think most people can't do it very well that way.

[Fullauto60]

The Cyote sling shot move sounds like an nice thing and i have used it for clearing drills.

However it is my belief if you are in a real fire fight and you have to change mags because youre out, means...... your still in the fight, and need to reaquire the target fast.

After reloading you want that gun back on target with your best warrior stance, then your hand is right in a good two handed grip. Then... release the slide with the slide relaese when you complete the reload.

I cant see why would you waste that time to bring your hand back up pull the slide back then establish that grip again.


:confused:

"train like you fight. fight like you train"

[Archer1440]

Neither.

Overhand method. Much stronger and more reliable than pinch.

(This ignores the fact that if you need to emergency reload from slide lock, you have already screwed up.)

[Sundance]

Just to clarify...by slide release method...I mean using the slide release PERIOD...regardless of which hand or finger you use. And by sling shot method...I mean the method of using your off hand to pull the slide back and release it...including but not limited to the pinch method or the overhand method.

Sorry, I should have been more specific.

Thanks for all the replies.

[kalibear45]

On my 1911s, I only use the slide stop & for my Walther PPK there isn't one...

[don't shoot it's me]

I always use the slide release to load the chamber since there is less chance of the second round moving to far up from me riding the slide.....

[3rd ACR]

boing,
You're absolutely right (IMHO), there's nothing simpler, or more reflexive for me than to push the slide release as soon as the mag clicks in place. Usually the slide is forward before I even get my weak hand back on the gun.

bountyh,
That was one of the key reasons I bought the HK USPC, because I could reach the slide release WITHOUT altering my grip. I have little hands and can't do that with too many pistols. I don't want to carry a gun that requires any unnecessary movements.


Just my .02,
Kurt

[ob_juan]

I used to always use the slide release method. I did read that this may cause wear on the slide stop/release. Moreso on a 1911 style pistol. I am not sure about every semi-auto. Another reason I now prefer the slingshot method is because I do not need to break my grip to hit the release. Again, referring to a 1911 style pistol where the release is a little bit hard to reach without rotating your hand slightly. Unless you have an extremely long thumb. Just my opinion.

[mlk18]

What's a slide release lever? All my guns have slide lock levers.

I agree with what Archer said. Overhand method. Unless all
you do is target shoot and will never use your sidearm in a
highyl stressful combat situation.

Use a lever in any of the tactical or firearms instructor schools
that I have been to and you will get yelled at.

mlk18

[9mmepiphany]

the last school i went to taught using the slide release to drop the slide from slide-lock. the comment was "why would you not use the the gun the way it was designed to be used?"... granted, this was made in reference to the beretta 92/96 family

much of the instruction being passed on (not dropping the slide on a chambered round, press check) was based on use of the 1911 pistol...not all apply equally to all pistols

[voilsb]

When loading a magazine, I often times slap the mag in hard enough it causes the slide to ride forward automatically. On an unloaded gun, I tend to ride the slide forward, kinda with a combination of sling-shotting while hitting the slide release. If loading the mag doesn't force the slide forward, I usually just hit the slide release with my firing hand.

That's about all there is to it, for me.

[CastleBravo]

If I'm reloading from slide lock, I put the mag in and hit the release. It is the fastest, most sure method IMHO... it is easier to bugger up a slingshot method under pressure than it is to mess up just hitting the silly little lever. Slide stop wear is an irrelevance to me, if it starts to show wear I'll just replace the sucker.

What I don't do on general princibles is let the slide slam home on an *empty* chamber, or drop a round in the chamber by hand & then let the slide slam home.

[counselofrecord]

I read somewhere that the first shot in an auto is slighly less accurate because the slide racks home differently when the gun is fired versus hand racked. Therefore I use the slide release because it seems to duplicate the slide in firing...or so i think;-)
thanks
Bill

[blades67]

I use both methods at different times for different reasons.

[jrpeterman]

I'm a righty, so I have always used the slide release for the S & W and Glock semi-autos that I owned. My daughter happens to be a lefty, so when I began to teach her to shoot, I showed her the sling-shot method which made handling the pistol much more convenient for her. The bottomline is for the shooter to use the method which is more comfortable and natural for them.

[Sundance]

I read somewhere that the first shot in an auto is slighly less accurate because the slide racks home differently when the gun is fired versus hand racked. Therefore I use the slide release because it seems to duplicate the slide in firing...or so i think;-)
Actually, I would think just the opposite. I would think that an overhand yank back and release would much more duplicate actual firing than using the slide release. But that is just me.

OK, since I started this thread, here goes...

I have always used the slide release until I went to a recent school that taught the overhand method. They argued that the slide release wasn't a slide release...it was a slide lock...and they said no gun manufacturer calls it a slide release. To which I say B.S. They also argued that the slide release might be hard to hit if you were wet or bloody in a fight, which might have some merit.

Now another expert gun guy friend of mine has been to many shooting schools including several trips to Gunsite. He uses the overhand method and argues the fine motor skill vs. gross motor skill theory.

I have been to Blackwater and they didn't really care as long as you got the job done.

I have recently started trying the overhand technique and find it very effective, but I don't think it is as fast as the slide release. I think that I will just practice both methods alot so I am proficient with both. And if I ever am in a high stress situation and have to do it, I will do which ever one comes natural and not worry because I will be competent at both methods.

[Dr.Rob]

That's a slide release lever, that's what it's for. I too have had my slide close (on Colts and BHP's) from slamming the mag in hard enough.

If you can't reach the lever, get a custom one or get different grips, ideally your shooting hand should not change its grip during shooting or reloading, other than keeping your finger off the trigger.

I had to "figure out" how to make a Walther work when I shot it to slide lock, as even my Ruger mk 2 had a bolt release. Course if I had a manual.. i would have known.

This poll is closer than I thought it would be.:rolleyes:

[Preacherman]

One thing about the "slingshot" slide release: it works on most any pistol. At Thunder Ranch, they usually include a drill in every class where the students place their pistols at their firing points, with plenty of loaded magazines, and then each student moves down the line, one place at a time, shooting every other pistol on the course. They point out that no matter what pistol you're shooting, the "slingshot" slide release works every time. If you don't know where the slide stop control is on that particular pistol, you might lose valuable combat time finding it, and end up hurt or killed. So, by practicing the "slingshot" slide release, you're using a technique that is "portable" to any pistol you might find yourself using in a fight (e.g. your partner's, a cop's backup gun, or even one BG's gun that you've had to pick up and use on his friends when you've run your own gun dry). This makes sense to me, and is the reason that I use the "slingshot" technique most of the time.

[9x19]

I use the slide stop lever... been using them for 25 years, and I have never had one wear out, nor have I had a slide stop notch round off from the practice.

I can't even imagine how steel that is so soft as to round off the notch by slipping over the slide stop's tab in one direction (tab going down) wouldn't also round off by slipping over the tab in the other direction (tab going up). I mean, when you lock open the slide on a empty pistol, you do hold the slide stop down until you have the slide fully retracted, then release the stop and ease the slide forward so it doesn't wear... right?

Not to mention steel that soft is going to have the notch peened by slamming into the slide stop during firing... or be peened by the hammer blows at the rear or peened by the barrel hood (or locking lugs) long before the slide stop notch shows any wear. The notch is only affected twice per magazine. The ejection port (as on a SIG or Glock etc.) or locking lug recesses are affected at every shot.

Nothing like urban legends... bah humbug!

[jungleman]

The slingshot method does not work well all of the
time with the first roung of a fully loaded magazine in my Kahr PM9. I believe the slide release lever is best.

[BDF0574]

I use the slide release on my 1911 out of habit, though I have heard recently that doing that (especially on 1911 style pistols) can cause wear on the slide lock and the notch...my opinion is that the notch is part of the forged slide and is probably tough enough to last as long as the rest of the gun....and if the lock does wear or "round off" I'll just get a new one, its a silly little piece...I find it so much faster to use the slide release, too because of the placement of my hands when I reload.
I'll reiterate what most people said though, which is that you should NEVER release the slide on an empty chamber, that just causes much undue wear and tear...in that instance I'll just rack the slide forward slowly with my off hand.
Another consideration is that when chambering a round, there IS always a slight risk that the round could go off...and I would much rather have a good grip on the pistol and have my thumb on the slide release than have my off hand anywhere near the top of the slide when this happens (though its never happened to me, I do know of people that have gone through this)
Anyone know anybody that wore out a slide lock and notch?
not me
-B

[Coronach]

I use the slide release. But I use my offhand. It flows very naturally for me to insert mag, put offhand in place, then hit release.Same here. Good thing, too, since I can't even hit the release on my duty gun with my strong-hand thumb, thanks to the ergonomics engineering monkeys at S&W. :rolleyes:

I like the idea of the rack being the same as tap-rack-bang, but man...slapping a magazine home puts your support hand right there...rotating it up into place also puts that thumb right by the release. Thats just gotta be faster than putting your hand there as you seat the magazine, pulling it away to rack the slide, and then putting it back.

JMO,

Mike

[youngun]

It is a slide lock.
Look at its function: it does not release the slide, it locks it back. To release the slide you must defeat that lock. This is similar to thinking the clutch is engaged when you press the pedal; the pedal defeats the clutch.
Reloading, I use the slide lock, but when practicing clearing malfunctions, T-R-(B) with the overhand slingshot.

As for this needing fine motor skills, could that have been about the pinch method? I've never been comortable with that. Much better feeling to me just to grasp that sucker whole-handed and yank BACK! till it slips from my grip.

[Navy joe]

Seat mag hard, works on BHPs, 1911's, and Glocks. Other than that, use trigger finger (lefty :D) to activate slide release. Plan to load before slide lock above all.

[Archer1440]

A couple of examples.

HK refers to the slide lock as a slide release.

HK's USP slide releases are extended and therefore meant to have utility as a release. The HK manual advises either actuating the slide release OR overhand releasing, either is acceptable, so long as you don't ride the slide forward.

Springfield Armory, Ed Brown, and many other 1911 producers refer to the part in question as a slide stop.

They advise an overhand release, con brio, again so you don't ride the slide.

The point has been well-made elsewhere on the site, that the overhand release is a universal solution for all pistols, for example, the Walther PP series, while the actuation of the slide lock/stop/release is not.

As a final consideration, please note that typical Stainless Steel slides are considerably softer than the material used for the locking pawl of the slide lock, and notch wear on such firearms can be expected to be quite rapid.

[hdm25]

Use the overhand method almost exclusively. I have no care for the arguments about motor skills, I have simply come to the conclusion that it is faster than any other method.

The shooting school that I learned it at taught it for years before it caught on. The chief instructor said that people they sent to other schools to pick up new techniques would use it at the other schools and would be challenged as to its efficiency. In tests against other methods, the overhand method continually proved to be faster and more reliable. It seems to be the preferred method of the majority of professional trainers now. It just works...at least in conjunction with the reloading method that I was taught. I can easily see how it wouldn't be as fast when you've still got your gun out in front of you in a firing grip, trying to fumble a magazine into the well, and then trying to overhand it.

Instead, here is the drill:
1. Shoot to slide lock or gun is empty (might end up with the slide moving back into battery if you're shooting with high thumbs and not being careful)
2. Strong hand pulls the handgun back to the chest while dropping the magazine
3. At the same time, your weak hand is reaching for and checking for the magazine (don't do the magazine drop on step 2 if you have no spare magazine)
4. Weak hand puts the magazine into the magazine well with the gun pulled back and almost resting on the chest. This turns a reload into essentially a two-dimensional exercise rather than a 3-dimensional one.
5. Magazine slams home and the weak hand goes up and grasps the slide overhand
6. Gun is pushed forward while the weak hand is still grasping the slide
7. The slide is released and the weak hand assumes its place in the firing grip as the arms reach full extension and you can resume firing

I am not as well-practiced as some that I have trained with and I am still faster with reloads than pretty much anyone that I go up against in competition who uses another method. With more practice, I just don't think that anything is faster, translates better between various guns, or translates into malfunction-clearing as easily. It is the SAME drill regardless of the circumstance.

That's just MHO, though.

;)

[lockandrock]

I have simply come to the conclusion that it is faster than any other method.

Will I would have to argue differently. Doing a single mag switch out on my glocks where as soon as the magzine is seated I just left my thumb and drop the slide. This for me is way faster than moving the same weak hand that just slam a magazine in the well to the back of the slide to release the slide.

No matter how quick I think my weak hand is, my thumb is always quicker and god gave me long fingers and thumbs so this operation is a breeze for me.