1911 dropping slide bad for gun?

[techme06]

i'm fairly new to hang guns. i recently just picked up my first hand gun the springfield 1911. i was wondering if you guys can give me a few tips on how not to break it. lol, yes a very nob question. i only know the basics keep it only and clean it after shooting.

i'm been watching you tube and i'm not sure if this is correct. dropping the slide will damage the gun ? also is it ok to dry fire the gun or does the same concept for rifles follow hang guns as well.

i wouldn't mind your input at all and would like to hear any tips about the 1911 springfield if you have any. Thanks

[smokingloon]

I do NOT dry fire my 1911. I use snap caps for it.

If I want to return the slide with nothing in the chamber, I manually return the slide.

If the slide is locked back and I want it to chamber a round, I use the "sling-shot" method. Basically I use my non-firing hand to slightly move the slide rearward and let go.

I do NOT use the slide catch to release the slide.

[ty423]

isn't it technically "dropping the slide" each time you shoot it anyways? I don't see why it would be bad. I just don't ever drop the slide with the slide stop but rather pull back and let it release on its own with a fresh mag.

[What Just Happened?]

Dropping the slide on an empty chamber is bad because it will cause hammer-follow over time. If there's a round in the magazine, then that stripping of the round will slow down the slide so it doesn't harm the firearm.

[Darius94523]

Originally Posted by What Just Happened?

Dropping the slide on an empty chamber is bad because it will cause hammer-follow over time. If there's a round in the magazine, then that stripping of the round will slow down the slide so it doesn't harm the firearm.

I highly doubt that the force it takes to strip a round from a magazine is anything compared to the force the compressed spring exerts.

[The SoCal Gunner]

The belief is that is is possible to cause early signs of wear from dropping the slide on an empty chamber because the stripping of the round and chambering of the round acts as a buffer and reduces impact.

Dry firing modern guns shouldn't be a problem but again some believe that using snap caps can prevent unnecessary wear. I dry fire all the time.

Learn to use the slide release for quicker reloads and follow up shots..

[CalNRA]

Originally Posted by Darius94523

I highly doubt that the force it takes to strip a round from a magazine is anything compared to the force the compressed spring exerts.

you would be surprised. The heavy slide on a 1911 has a lot of inertia upon return and the feed angle of the ramp and the action of the extractor clamping onto the next round slows down the action a lot. If you watch a slow mo video of a feeding cycle you can see how much movement a round sees as it leaves the magazine and gets pushed into the chamber.

Think of the 1911 feed cycle like this, as the round gets pushed forward by the returnign slide, its nose continuously pushing against the ramp as the slide returns to battery, the face(?) of the slide pushes the round but the friction is enough to cusion the impact. The difference in let it slam home empty versus chambering a round is huge.

The slide-stop-only release method is not always recommended because over time the place on the slide where the stop catches can round all and cause failure to lock back over time.

[ARMED 777]

Go take a pistol class if you are very new to firearms. After you see the way we put our pistols through a whole days worth of CQB training. It would be the last thing you have to worry about your pistol. A gun is a mechanical machine, and just like any machine it will sooner or later break. Yes don't dry fire unless you have to and rack it or hit the slide release which ever one is fastest to get the bullet in to save your life. The most important thing you should be asking, is that are you sure enough about your skill and knowledge about your weapon when the time comes that you have to actually use it to save your life or a loved one. Do you use and trust your weapon enough that you know that weapon will not break in the time of need. I asked my self all those questions and after 6 classes, I can honestly tell you that I, 100% trust my weapon and my skills, to save my family and my own life.

[Max-the-Silent]

Originally Posted by techme06

i'm fairly new to hang guns. i recently just picked up my first hand gun the springfield 1911. i was wondering if you guys can give me a few tips on how not to break it. lol, yes a very nob question. i only know the basics keep it only and clean it after shooting.

i'm been watching you tube and i'm not sure if this is correct. dropping the slide will damage the gun ? also is it ok to dry fire the gun or does the same concept for rifles follow hang guns as well.

i wouldn't mind your input at all and would like to hear any tips about the 1911 springfield if you have any. Thanks

Dropping the slide doesn't hurt your pistol if done once in a blue moon, but it won't help it in the least if done often.

Ease the slide into battery under control when the chamber is empty.

[Colt]

Dry firing should be no problem. Dropping slide on empty chamber is not a good idea. Also, when the slide is off the frame, don't pull trigger to drop hammer (as if firing the weapon) - it can do some damage.

Enjoy the new 1911!

[H2H]

Originally Posted by ARMED 777

Go take a pistol class if you are very new to firearms. After you see the way we put our pistols through a whole days worth of CQB training. It would be the last thing you have to worry about your pistol. A gun is a mechanical machine, and just like any machine it will sooner or later break. Yes don't dry fire unless you have to and rack it or hit the slide release which ever one is fastest to get the bullet in to save your life. The most important thing you should be asking, is that are you sure enough about your skill and knowledge about your weapon when the time comes that you have to actually use it to save your life or a loved one. Do you use and trust your weapon enough that you know that weapon will not break in the time of need. I asked my self all those questions and after 6 classes, I can honestly tell you that I, 100% trust my weapon and my skills, to save my family and my own life.

Amen. thanks.

[ck867]

I dry fire without a snap cap all the time
I do not drop the slide on an empty chamber
I do not use the slide release to chamber a round, I use the sling shot method

[TMC]

Many professional shooters dryfire hundreds of thousands of times with no damage to the gun.

"dropping the slide" on an empty chamber of a 1911 puts stress on the barrel feet. As the slide runs forward, the barrel moves up and then the feet some to a hard stop on the slide stop. It has nothing to do with the hammer and sear or damage to them unless the gun is defective or has a gun plumber trigger job that won't stay cocked.

As has already been said, with the gun cycles with a loaded magazine the round being stripped cushions the blow.

I don't know of any professional shooter or trainer who doesn't advocate using the slide stop when reloading from slide lock. Use it, that's why they put it on the gun.

[otteray]

Repeatedly letting the slide slam home on an empty chamber will cause wear.
I don't let the bolt slam home on my unloaded semi-auto shotguns and rifles for the same common sense reason.

[blindluck]

Here's a longer but high-yield article:
http://10-8performance.com/id9.html

[ohsmily]

Originally Posted by Colt

Dry firing should be no problem. Dropping slide on empty chamber is not a good idea. Also, when the slide is off the frame, don't pull trigger to drop hammer (as if firing the weapon) - it can do some damage.

Enjoy the new 1911!

This is the post I most agree with in this thread.

I dry fire my 1911s all the time. I never drop the slide on an empty chamber.

[gdr_11]

One of the great things about this forum is the diversity of advice and opinions. You simply read the responses and select the ones that make the most sense for you.

Me? My dad taught me 50 years ago not to dry fire anything and I still follow that advice. Slide stop? Never on an empty chamber, but often when speed reloading.

Your Springfield? Great choice for your first 1911; it will serve you well.

[Beelzy]

The only gun that should not have the slide released with the slide catch
is the Desert Eagle. It will wear the notch out on the slide on that weapon.

If you can't release the slide on an empty chamber on a particular firearm
once in a while without causing damage, its worthless IMO.

[cactustactical]

My .02.....

The 1911 has been around for a very long time with good reason.

Use it, abuse it, clean it and shoot it ALOT!! It will keep coming back for more!

I use the slide release all the time in IDPA and training drills and it does not hurt the 1911 at all... I however do not drop the slide on an empty chamber, my question would be.... why would you do that in the first place?

Use it, abuse it and use it some more... It's a 1911!!


.

[Jon1911]

I don't see why anyone objects to using the slide-stop to release the slide and chamber a new round.

I've seen explanations of why dropping the slide on an empty chamber is bad and it makes sense. Does anyone have an explanation for why using the slide-stop without pulling the slide rearward would be bad?

[4D5auto]

I believe you will put more wear on your weapon just by using it, more so than dry fire or slide cycle with out ammo! That wear is so minute, it's a moot point! I would recommend Shock Buffers..

[ZirconJohn]

Never drop the slide on one of my 1911's!

Argue all you want, not a good practice to do such a thing to a 1911 and is just not necessary!

Use a snap cap

[homerm14]

Dry fire all you want. Do not drop the slide on an empty chamber of a 1911. It is bad for the feet of the barrel and the link pin.

[A324]

Both Kimber and Springfield manuals say NOT to drop the slide on a empty chamber.

[Mazilla]

The funny thing is it's never me that drops the slide on an empty chamber on my 1911, it's always one of my friends who thinks it looks cool or enjoys the sound or something dumb. I swear, unless I tell every newb who touches on of my firearms not to, they always do...

[JTROKS]

How many buy extra power Wolf recoil springs and drop the slides on an empty chamber with their guns. It's not just 1911s, keep doing it and eventually something will shear or chip off.

[homerm14]

Originally Posted by JTROKS

How many buy extra power Wolf recoil springs and drop the slides on an empty chamber with their guns. It's not just 1911s, keep doing it and eventually something will shear or chip off.

The big problem there is the EXTRA POWER springs.