Slide release or rack the slide??

[SomeGuy75]

Ok I was always taught to use the slide release (slide stop as some call it) after loading a new magazine into a semi-auto with the slide locked open. I can release the slide with my strong hand immediately after loading the mag with my weak hand. It just seems faster to me. It seems like I see more and more people at the range racking the slide instead. Which do you prefer?

[Triple765]

I use mine as a slide stop & only release by pulling the slide. I haven't tried in years but mine would be pretty stiff.

[Tere_Hanges]

I always rack. It minimizes the chance of malfunction FTF, out of battery, etc.

[Yodaman]

[tradecraft]

On Glocks I just slam the mag in and go.

[ugimports]

I rack the slide so it's consistent across all my semi-auto firearms. I have some where using the slide lock is very very difficult.

[champu]

Smart *** answer: reload sooner.

[OCEquestrian]

The slide on my VP9 releases when I slam a full mag into the gun..

[enegue]

The slide on my VP9 releases when I slam a full mag into the gun..

Yup, if you slam the mag in with the right technique, the slide will do its thing automatically on some pistols. Very common on Beretta 92s.

[SkyHawk]

I think OP is referring to slingshotting the slide not racking the slide.

[diveRN]

When the pistol reaches slide lock after the last round in a mag is fired, I was always trained to chamber the first round on a fresh mag by pulling the slide back and releasing.

Two reasons: 1.) The extra bit of force exerted on the spring when you pull the slide all the way back helps to ensure the round goes fully into battery. 2.) Releasing the slide with your thumb requires fine(r) motor skills than an over-the-top, full hand approach in pulling the slide and releasing. With the adrenaline dump that inevitably occurs during a firefight, fine motor skills are pretty much gone.

[ugimports]

When the pistol reaches slide lock after the last round in a mag is fired, I was always trained to chamber the first round on a fresh mag by pulling the slide back and releasing.

Two reasons: 1.) The extra bit of force exerted on the spring when you pull the slide all the way back helps to ensure the round goes fully into battery. 2.) Releasing the slide with your thumb requires fine(r) motor skills than an over-the-top, full hand approach in pulling the slide and releasing. With the adrenaline dump that inevitably occurs during a firefight, fine motor skills are pretty much gone.

I have heard that a counter argument for #2 is if that was true you would never be able to hit your mag release either.

[phdo]

Rack for me.

[Kmai24]

Always trained to rack slide.
Rumor has it that in some instances using the “slide stop” to chamber a new round can cause a failure to fire/failure to feed because there wasn’t enough force/energy for the slide to go into battery. When you rack/sling shot the slide, that little extra 1/4” or what ever it is gives insurance of a properly chambered round.

I’ve honestly only ran into that with my 1911’s due to tight tolerances. So out of habit, I rack all of my guns.

** sorry should of read the thread all the way through..looks like DIVERN beat me to it and some. So yeah, what he said.

[unusedusername]

Hitting the slide release is really hard when your hands are wet or covered in mud.