Slide Release Methods

[Spawn]

I'm 21 and I just bought my first gun yesterday, a Glock 17, after months of researching, going to ranges, and shops. I just want to know if it is true that pushing the slide release lever causes indirect wearing of the slide, causing it one day to fail to lock.

[jeffrice6]

If empty, not a great practice...

[G60]

Releasing the slide using the slide release is fine. Most of the fastest shooters in the world use this method.

[NiteQwill]

Gross motor techniques

[JollyJuan]

Get some snapcaps, they are dummy rounds. You can use the slide release; that's what it's there for!

[NewbieDave]

No, your slide is a different hardness then your slide-stop. The metal is so thin on the slide-stop, you will wear it out before your slide will have issue... and it's a cheap piece to replace.

But if you can help it, drop the slide by the sling-shot... fine motor skills goes out the door when stressed. So attempting to drop that stop with your thumb is hard to do when SHTF.

My 2 cent.

[scglock]

I practice the sling shot method. When loading, i feel its easier/faster for me to just bring my loading hand over the top of my gun and sling-shot it in one motion instead of using the slide release. The slide stop will wear out eventually but I dont think the slide itself will

[dobsy5111]

I've built up the muscle memory to use the slide release when doing a combat reload. It's second nature to me now and it just seems faster. Move my thumb 1 inch to the lever (thumb is actually already on the release by the time the mag clicks in, just need to press down).... or move support hand from pushing mag in all the way to the top of the gun, grip slide, pull back and release? Thumb to slide release works better for me. if done right, mag clicks in and slide goes forward almost at the same time.

[VictorFranko]

GLOCK calls it a "slide stop lever" for a reason, not a "slide release".

I have seen semi-autos fail to fully go into battery releasing the slide with the slide stop lever, never with the overhand method.

[Twofer]

I have seen semi-autos fail to fully go into battery releasing the slide with the slide stop lever, never with the sling-shot method.

I have. My old SA Champion 1911 4". It just wouldn't go into battery on a full mag. Slide release or slingshot.

That said, slingshot'ing is my preferred method. Or on certain guns, just ram the magazine in there and let the slide go forward without any other action. (Like on a M&P.)

[G60]

Let's dispense with the motor skills rubbish right now before it gets ever further out of hand.

" As soon as you hear someone starting to talk about gross motor skills and fine motor skills, you are officially justified in tuning out. Both racking the slide and hitting the slide release are fine motor skills...

Hitting slide release lever = fine motor skill
Overhand racking slide = fine motor skill
Slingshotting slide = fine motor skill
Banging head against wall after hearing this debate the 1,000th time = gross motor skill"

http://pistol-training.com/archives/160

[G60]

fine motor skills goes out the door when stressed. So attempting to drop that stop with your thumb is hard to do when SHTF.

My 2 cent.

You do realize pulling a trigger, aligning weapon sights, hitting a mag release, seating another magazine are all fine motor skills as well. How come nobody ever tells people not to do those things in a gunfight?

[Steve1968LS2]

GLOCK calls it a "slide stop lever" for a reason, not a "slide release".

I have seen semi-autos fail to fully go into battery releasing the slide with the slide stop lever, never with the sling-shot method.

I've seen people "ride" the slide using the slingshot meathod or they somehow mess it up causing some sort of feeding issue.

I use the slide release just because it's what I'm used to doing.

[Mr310]

I use the slide release. There are 1911s out there that have been used HARD for thousands of rounds for centuries and have no peening of the slide stop notch in the slide. It's also HIGHLY doubtful that the slingshot method was used for even half of the releases of the slide.

As someone said earlier, just don't do it on an empty chamber.

[JJ1911]

A 1911 has a slide release, a glock has a slide stop. The 1911 slide release is pretty hefty compared to the glock slide stop. I use slingshot because its consistent with all my semi autos.