Slide Release Methods

[Ubermcoupe]

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

[walmart_ar15]

IMHO, most loading and reloading situations require racking the slide; loading an empty gun, clear a mis-fire, and clear a FTF/FTE. Loading with a slide lock back, only happens when the shooter empty the gun.

In a "combat" situation (something we face on a daily basis ) empty ones firearm in a fire fight may not end well. Therefore, training will dictate that shooter to count their shots so as to reload when there are still round in the chamber. Hence, common wisdom is to train folks to rack the slide to impinged that into muscle memory to respond to a stoppage, not to reload because the gun is empty. Besides, racking the slide will load 99.9% of the modern auto hand guns. Not all gun's slide release are in the same location with the same feel.

However, racking the slide will take your gun off the point of aim (not a worry when you gun is jammed anyway), so most competition shooters will use the slide release to reload as they empty their weapon. Most common is to use the weak hand thumb after inserting the new mag. Some do use strong side thumb, but generally will require re-aligning of target once the gun is reloaded.

At the range punching paper, just do what ever is comfortable to you. Slide wear from using the slide release is just not going to be that noticeable from a life time of use.

[bear308]

Technique aside, I've sent a lot of glocks to Georgia because of a worn out slide stop notch in the slide. However you probably won't shoot it enough to get to that point.

[Old4eyes]

If a picture is worth a thousand words, then a video has to be worth more.
Take a gander at ZombieTactics Gun FU on this subject:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JST1HaSMuB8&list=PLEB7BB44447E350BC&index=4&feature=plpp_video

[G60]

FWIW, your manual (you did read it, didn't you?) should have this exact text in it somewhere:
"Insert a new magazine and then EITHER push the slide stop lever (27) downwards (see photo), or pull the slide slightly backwards and allow it to spring forwards. The weapon is now again secured and ready to fire."

Again, do whatever you feel comfortable with.

[Grumpyoldretiredcop]

Laughed at that video. When my agency transitioned to Glocks, the trainers referred to a Glock that goes into battery when you slam a magazine into the pistol as a "Bonus Glock". It isn't always a good thing as slamming a plastic magazine against a plastic slide stop can do interesting things to both of them.

Seriously, with the Glock, rack the slide. I've watched quite a number of Glock-using officers who thought it was a slide release experience failures, usually failure to go fully into battery, when dropping the slide by releasing the slide stop.

As for the "big muscle/small muscle" debate, it has more to do with the technique used to rack the slide. Reaching over and trapping the slide between the fingers and the heel of the hand uses larger muscles than grasping the slide from the rear with the fingertips. Hurt your hand, and the latter technique won't work so well. The reachover technique will work as long as you have one finger working to trap the slide against the heel of the hand. Go ahead, try it.

[vintagearms]

What competant trainer have you been to that has advocated using the slide release/slide stop lever as a way of releasing the slide?

Both the overhand and slingshot are a GROSS motor skill, not a fine motor skill.

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]

What competant trainer have you been to that has advocated using the slide release/slide stop lever as a way of releasing the slide?

Oh, I dunno, Todd L Green, Rob Leatham, Dave Sevigny, Travis Haley, Larry Vickers, Kyle Defoor, among others. You might have heard of them? Or probably not, considering your post. It's "competent" btw. Ironic, isn't it.

Both the overhand and slingshot are a GROSS motor skill, not a fine motor skill.

No, they're not, did you read the post, or does that require too many fine motor skills?

[tuna quesadilla]

If empty, not a great practice...

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.

The reason for "don't do it on an empty chamber" is because of one of several design flaws in the 1911. Dropping the slide on an empty chamber of a 1911 can cause sear/trigger damage. This does not apply to the Glock, or any other modern pistol for that matter.

[tuna quesadilla]

Oh, I dunno, Todd L Green, Rob Leatham, Dave Sevigny, Travis Haley, Larry Vickers, Kyle Defoor, among others. You might have heard of them? Or probably not, considering your post. It's "competent" btw. Ironic, isn't it.


No, they're not, did you read the post, or does that require too many fine motor skills?

Frankly, I don't care what your semantic definition of "fine" vs "gross" is.

You can argue racking the slide vs. pressing the slide stop all day long.

The fact is that using your whole hand to grab the slide and rack it does not require as much dexterity as using the very tip of your thumb to swipe a button the size of your pinky fingernail.

It is for that reason, and the fact that racking is a universal movement that will work equally on ALL semi-autos, that I prefer racking over using the slide stop.

[VictorFranko]

Wow, I actually learned something from a ZombieTactics video.
I didn't know that "sling-shot" referred to the little "grip" thing ZT was doing.
I reach over the top (overhand) and rack the slide forcefully, actually punching the gun forward, right into my natural shooting position.

[HiveDR.]

Oh, I dunno, Todd L Green, Rob Leatham, Dave Sevigny, Travis Haley, Larry Vickers, Kyle Defoor, among others. You might have heard of them? Or probably not, considering your post. It's "competent" btw. Ironic, isn't it.


No, they're not, did you read the post, or does that require too many fine motor skills?

You forgot one, Col. Jeff Copper the father of modern handgun tactics.

[USMC 82-86]

I use the overhand method always have. I use it because it feels natural for me and I also clear malfunctions with the same method, I don't have to change anything regardless if the gun is running smooth or I encounter a malfunction. I also turn my weapon between 45 and 90 degrees when inserting my mags it is the way I was trained and it feels comfortable and natural. I don't worry about a mag falling out because it wasn't seated properly when doing a retention reload or a tactical reload. I like the tactical reload as well and train for them as well but one mag at a time is what most people should stick to, to help ensure that a good mag does not go on the ground and it is harder to ensure a good seating of the magazine under stress. I think what is important is to do what you do well and do it everytime just like the time before and when you need to put it to the test you will be ready. Consistency in your training method and doing it the right way everytime is what is important not that your method is different from someone else.

Sorry for the long winded response just get carried away when comparing what amounts to a choice in methods to get a job done.

[PRCABR4Christ]

I'm a sling shot kinda guy...never had a prob

[Lc17smp]

I bought a HK just so I dont worry about releasing the slide.