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seabiscuit
07-15-2011, 04:19 PM
Question about practicing reloads - is it OK to let the slide forward full-force on an empty mag/chamber?

I practice using the slide stop lever, but I've heard it will damage the pistol if you slam the slide forward on an empty mag/chamber.

I should probably just get some dummy rounds.

Odin Bravo One
07-15-2011, 05:40 PM
Most modern arms will not suffer ill-effects of letting the slide forward on an empty chamber for quite sometime. Older pistols had issues from letting slides slam into battery, but most of that was due to softer metals used in production. Modern metalurgy has brought firearms durability to new standards.

However, it is possible to damage your pistol if you do it excessively, not to mention the stress you are putting on your magazine followers by depressing the slide release. All in all, it is not a very good idea, and is silly to do it when you don't have to.

My question for those asking, whenever this topic comes up, "Why not just buy the snap caps?". Mostly because people are too cheap. They will buy a $3000 custom pistol, fork out for training ammo, maybe even float the money to attend some training, then balk at buying a 6 pack of snap caps or dummy rounds. I have had the exceptionally rare student who truly could not afford the $15, so I donated some of my older ones to the cause, but it never ceases to amaze me how many people show up to training without dummy rounds or snap caps, or the ones that do who panic when they have lost one.

NGCSUGrad09
07-15-2011, 11:15 PM
Visit STActionPro.com and buy some dummy rounds. Even though I don't necessarily need them, it does provide a more realistic practice with some type of cartridge in the magazine.

seabiscuit
07-16-2011, 07:19 PM
@SeanM, I spent $500 on my pistol and extra money in my budget has gone to practice ammo and Vickers slide lever and mag catch. But I'm beginning to realize that some snap caps are probably a better investment than 50 rounds of FMJ.

grimel
07-16-2011, 10:06 PM
@SeanM, I spent $500 on my pistol and extra money in my budget has gone to practice ammo and Vickers slide lever and mag catch. But I'm beginning to realize that some snap caps are probably a better investment than 50 rounds of FMJ.

They are $0.82 each at STaction. For the price of a Vicker's slide lever you could have enough to last a long time. Much better investment that 50rds of FMJ.

JDM
07-16-2011, 11:11 PM
@SeanM, I spent $500 on my pistol and extra money in my budget has gone to practice ammo and Vickers slide lever and mag catch. But I'm beginning to realize that some snap caps are probably a better investment than 50 rounds of FMJ.

PM me your address and I'll send you a handful.

9mm right?

Munson
07-17-2011, 12:35 AM
If u reload or have access to a loader, just load up a dozen rounds without primers or powder...oh and mark them to make sure they stay seperate from the real stuff.

seabiscuit
07-17-2011, 07:58 AM
PM me your address and I'll send you a handful.

9mm right?

Thanks for the offer, but I can get some with my next paycheck. It's not that I can't afford them, I've just never considered them more important than other firerarm related purchases before.

NickA
07-17-2011, 03:22 PM
Visit STActionPro.com and buy some dummy rounds. Even though I don't necessarily need them, it does provide a more realistic practice with some type of cartridge in the magazine.
Thanks for the tip. I'd seen those in a class but never bothered to track them down. Much more economical than the A-Zooms.

jar
07-18-2011, 08:40 PM
If you know anyone who reloads, having them make a few dummy rounds would be the way to go. They hold up a lot better, plus a mag loaded with them puts your gun at a realistic weight.

seabiscuit
07-18-2011, 09:13 PM
If you know anyone who reloads, having them make a few dummy rounds would be the way to go. They hold up a lot better, plus a mag loaded with them puts your gun at a realistic weight.

Thanks for the tip but I don't know anyone who reloads... I'll just order some snap caps.

Slavex
07-26-2011, 10:48 AM
I used to use homemade dummy rounds identical to my normal shooting ammo, but without powder or primers. Until one day, doing dry fire and mag changes and clearance drills in my living room, I found a live round on the floor with the homemade dummies I'd just ejected. I've got cats that love to get into stuff, so it's not uncommon for them to use ammo as play toy, and as such, they can be anywhere in my house. From that day on I only use one of two snap caps, the solid plastic bright orange ones, or the chrome ones with bright orange plastic tips. I will never ever use my own dummy rounds again, and can't recommend anyone else use their own either. Unless they have made them impossible to confuse with a live round. Pretty much everyone I know who shoots has a cup in the laundry room filled with random live rounds. Far too easy for those to get knocked on the floor, kicked across the house and end up under a table where that homemade round you just ejected ends up too.

jetfire
07-26-2011, 11:31 AM
Visit STActionPro.com and buy some dummy rounds. Even though I don't necessarily need them, it does provide a more realistic practice with some type of cartridge in the magazine.

I know it's way old, but thanks for the link to that. I've been looking for some dummy rounds that were a bit better than my A-zoom snap caps. The downside to these is that they're nickel plated, just like my carry ammo.

JAD
08-01-2011, 02:48 PM
Question about practicing reloads - is it OK to let the slide forward full-force on an empty mag/chamber?

I practice using the slide stop lever, but I've heard it will damage the pistol if you slam the slide forward on an empty mag/chamber.


Sorry to pick up an old thread, but I hadn't seen this said otherwise. Dropping the slide on an empty chamber will damage the sear of a 1911; I am not aware of it doing harm to other designs. This isn't due to soft metal, but rather the design of the pistol. Y'all can think that's a design flaw if you like; more for the rest of us.

HeadHunter
08-01-2011, 05:26 PM
I've done an awful lot of dryfire reloads with Glocks and none of them were the worse for wear. I use the CRTC Safety Mags and no snap caps.

http://youtu.be/GXtR80Knmug