Does using the slide release on a empty gun damage it?

[BaronW]

Aw man, now I feel like a noob for doing this to a P6 I examined at Turners.

[randy]

UCLAPLINKER got it right. Even if it didn't damage the gun its just bad ediquite. Nobody wants to hear a slide slamming home in a gun store. When it happens people look to see what direction the gun is pointed. If its your gun go right ahead and drop it. If its your gun drop a round in the chamber and drop the slide. If its my gun you're handling you won't be after doing either of those things.

[JTROKS]

Yup! It is good etiquette when handling guns that aren't yours to baby them. I was at a gun shop and this gangstah/hip hop type kid with his platimun brass knuckle type ring and a few more big size regular ring is looking around for pistols. He's observing too and he sees other folks can ask to handle the pistols. The clerk behind the counter said, "You'll have to remove all of your rings, to prevent scratching the finish of the pistol". I don't know how often I forget to remove my wedding ring when handling guns, but I know I take good care not to ruin the finish of any guns. I really hate the waiting period back in the day it started. I won a pistol from a major competition in the bay area back in the 90s. The pistol was brand new no marks anywhere, I get it back and the grip and front strap is all dinged up. I gave it to them in a box, they had to look for the box when I came to pick up. I didn't like the way they handled that one.

[SigAlert]

I can't think of any reason to let the slide slam home on an empty chamber other than a safety check for sear engagement.

People who do it on a regular basis are ill informed and watch too many movies. (mall ninjas)

[tonelar]

Aside from the myriad gunsmiths checking the sear engagement on their race-gun .45s, people who do this are just showing their ignorance.

[choochboost]

I'm not concerned that its going to cause any issues, but I don't do it, and don't like it when someone else does it to my pistols.

Most gun store clerks lock back the slide when handing over a pistol, but most people pistol shopping prefer to feel it out with the slide in battery so clerks should just do themselves a favor and pre-emptively ask the person to refrain from letting it fly.

[ricknadine1111]

Are there any photos of what peened metal look like?

Also, I've also heard and dismissed that cocking the pistol by pushing back on the hammer also stresses internals...

[RossRinSD]

I was told that it wears the actual slide catch. It begins to wear the squared up edge on the rear into a rounded one.

[ajl2121]

OP: it's called a slide stop - not a slide release - for it's own reason. Besides all of the aforementioned possible damage to the barrel/lug/trigger job it causes premature rounding of the slide stop lug itself. This little nubbin holding the slide back being worn down can cause a slide to "jump the stop" accidentally; meaning, if it's worn down (rounded off) from too much "slide release" action, when you hurriedly slam a mag into the well the force upwards can cause that slide to slam forward on it's own, unintentionally.

I had a used-to-me CZ 75BD (decocker, no safety) once that had that problem, the previous owner had slide-released it with the slide stop too often. I'd be at the range and slam a mag into the well and the slide would jump the stop and slam closed ready to fire all on it's own - a very dangerous malfunction if you're not expecting it. (of course that part got replaced by me and it was fine)

I'm surprised that it took so many posts for someone to finally mention this. HK, for ex., won't warranty their slide stops or their slides if it's evident that the user had continually used the slide stop to release the slide rather than racking the slide back to chamber the next round. It causes visible wear on the nub of the slide, and the little notch on the slide stop will soon start to lose its initial shape and become rounded.

[sigguy552]

I spoke with John Jardine in regards to the myth of dropping the slide on an empty chamber damaging the gun and he went on a 15 minute tirade of what BULL**** that is. This myth was created due to "gunsmiths" who did **** jobs on 1911's action work and claimed it was dropping the slide on an empty chamber that caused the malfunctioning in their custom gun. The violence of a gun cycling has much more force than dropping a slide from slide lock. He explained in technical terms which I understood but cannot articulate. Guns that are properly spec'd will not be damaged. Only guns that are improperly built will fall apart but that is just from shooting it.

[FlyingPen]

I spoke with John Jardine in regards to the myth of dropping the slide on an empty chamber damaging the gun and he went on a 15 minute tirade of what BULL**** that is. This myth was created due to "gunsmiths" who did **** jobs on 1911's action work and claimed it was dropping the slide on an empty chamber that caused the malfunctioning in their custom gun. The violence of a gun cycling has much more force than dropping a slide from slide lock. He explained in technical terms which I understood but cannot articulate. Guns that are properly spec'd will not be damaged. Only guns that are improperly built will fall apart but that is just from shooting it.

Well this certainly adds fuel to the fire.

That was my initial hypothesis as well that the incredible amounts of force involved in actually shooting the gun would dwarf any force you might put in releasing the slide.

[sigguy552]

I would consider John one of the authorities on 1911's and I don't think many would challenge that. If your 1911 is dropping hammer on slide release, you better 86 that pistol real quick. Any gun that drops hammer/half cocks from slide release has a gun with a **** action job. He also warned me about "trigger jobs" as there is no such thing. I can't elaborate as I'm not that familiar with 1911's but every component of the action must be tuned for a pistol to function properly/efficiently/safely.

This is pretty much the same BS as barrel break in and don't lube the gun too much myths. Guns run best WET and LUBED just like women. Barrels do not need to be broken in either but people have yet to figure that one out.

[happy_gunner]

Most gun store clerks lock back the slide when handing over a pistol, but most people pistol shopping prefer to feel it out with the slide in battery so clerks should just do themselves a favor and pre-emptively ask the person to refrain from letting it fly.

They lock the slide to check and make sure there is no round in the chamber or mag, and a gun shop doesn't tell ppl right off the bat because even though it is gun ettiquette, it may offend some customers, the customers may feel the shop clerk is treating them like a noob.

[timmerk]

In the manual for SA XD's is a section on loading the gun. If the slide is locked back, the instructions say to insert a mag and press the slide stop lever to load the round. I fully agree with the opinion that you should not let the slide slam home on an empty chamber. I can see how using the slide stop to release the slide will eventually wear down the corner of the stop, but it can't be that bad if SA suggests loading the gun in this manner.

[forty5]

Not true. Releasing the slide when there's a round to chamber has the brass to cushion the impact.

+1 Stripping a round from the magazine and pushing the round into the chamber will slow down a slide considerably. If you want to push the slide stop and release the slide on an empty chamber on your own gun that is fine. But it is just bad manners to do it on other peoples guns.