Slide manipulations with a dot

[Whirlwind06]

Mods if this doesn't belong in this subforum please move.

I running a Glock 34.5 MOS with CHP V4 plate.
During normal administrative pistol handling, make ready, show clear, dry firing, etc.
I'm pretty good about not grabbing the dot.

During a match with time pressure, if I have to rack the slide to clear a malfunction, I think I end up grabbing the dot at times.
Should I be practicing an overhand grip on the slide? Then I may run the risk of muzzling myself.
Should I not be worried about it, just grab the dot?
Is there a better way?

Thanks for any input.

[HeavyDuty]

Following. Still trying to come with terms myself.

[GJM]

I think are a number of viable methods. With longer barrel pistols like the 34 and 5 inch CORE, I tend to grab the slide in front of the optic, and let the back of my palm contact the front of the optic. The contact with the optic anchors my hand and offers some more leverage.

With a shorter slide like a Glock 19/45, I slingshot the slide from behind the optic, as the shorter barrel doesn’t allow me enough clearance to make me feel comfortable in terms of getting in front of the barrel.

I try not to grab the optic as I worry about touching controls or levering on the mounting system. That doesn’t seem to worry the Sage guy, though!

[dontshakepandas]

I've always just grabbed the slide over the optic if it is an emergency drill, or use front serrations if it is administrative and I can take my time. The size of my hands makes it relatively easy to reach over the optic to get get a good grasp on the slide, but I don't concern myself too much with putting pressure on the optic either.

I would think if your mounting system can survive the reciprocating slide, occasional pressure from a slide manipulation shouldn't hurt it.

[JM Campbell]

I find myself doing a judo chop at the base of the optic/slide on malfunctions. For administrative actions I use the front serrations.


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[Norville]

I sling shot from the rear. Sometimes I end up grabbing part of the optic but it’s never been a problem. And it works with any pistol, optic or not.

[TCinVA]

I have ACRO's mounted on my carry gun and my backup gun.

I have zero concerns using the optic to give additional leverage on the slide if I need to run it. I don't run around deliberately slamming the optic into hard surfaces to rack the slide, but if the occasion arises where doing so is necessary once or twice I have no problem doing that either.

I try to avoid touching the glass, but that's primarily about not smudging the window with dirty hands.

[GJM]

An issue with grabbing the optic is when you turn the optic off or change intensity.

[YVK]

Optics or irons, for consistency reasons, overhand grab of slide in front of ejection port / by front serrations. With optic at times my palm ends up in contact with glass. Not too worried about loosening the optic, and palms are generally mud-free.

[GJM]

Optics or irons, for consistency reasons, overhand grab of slide in front of ejection port / by front serrations. With optic at times my palm ends up in contact with glass. Not too worried about loosening the optic, and palms are generally mud-free.

Didn’t you tell me a well endowed blonde caused your optic to come loose on a CZ by grabbing the thing too much?

[YVK]

Didn’t you tell me a well endowed blonde caused your optic to come loose on a CZ by grabbing the thing too much?

That was my fault. The above mentioned endowment required a larger and more supportive gear for the containment in place.




I mean stronger screws and more loctite, of course.

[Shoresy]

Front serrations.

[Archer1440]

My HK VP9-OR and OR-Los have a very robust mounting system, and I use correct procedures for installation.

Since July, I ran an SRO through two separate classes with Larry Mudgett, a range day at Gunsite, the Gunsite Alumni Shoot, about 20 trips to the range, and a week long 499 class, where the optic took a beating (lots of one handed manipulations and malfunction clearances, racking off holster using the optic, etc) and I have had zero problems of any kind with this setup at a round count of about 5500.

Lots of holster wear on the pistol, but the optic is completely pristine. Zero is completely unchanged. I may pull the mounting screws and replace with a fresh set sometime before the end of the year, as the HK maintenance schedule for the (rather beefy) plate screws which secure the plate to the slide have a 2000 round maintenance cycle. Or, I may just keep shooting and checking as I go.

I won’t go out of my way to abuse the thing, but a proper mount and reasonably robust optic is actually a potential asset to pistol manipulations in my experience.

[Erick Gelhaus]

<--- left-hander.

Initially, I was swiping at, chopping at the optic.

Now, with a handful of administrative manipulations, I may well grab the forward portion of the slide. However, for clearing a stoppage, speed (slide lock) reload, and the like I grab the whole optic in an overhand grip like I would the rear of a bare slide. Aimpoint Acro, RMRs, Leupold, and Bushnell's new offering.

GJM's mention of unintentionally adjusting the brightness setting is interesting. I'll try to keep that in mind and see if I encounter that going forward.

[BigT]

I find myself doing a judo chop at the base of the optic/slide on malfunctions. For administrative actions I use the front serrations.


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Me too. I also judo chop on empty starts.

[Erick Gelhaus]

GJM's mention of unintentionally adjusting the brightness setting is interesting. I'll try to keep that in mind and see if I encounter that going forward.

And I found it happening to me & my Acro over the weekend. Seemed to have addressed it by running my fingers flat, straight down rather than grasping with the tips coming in-board.

[HCountyGuy]

I’ve been working on re-training myself to work the slide utilizing the front serrations. Occasionally I’ll go dumb and revert to trying to work it from the rear (phrasing).

[TCB]

The only thing I don’t a thumb over (towards the ejection side) the top on the front serrations manipulation is when there is a serious jam that locks the gun up and needs real force to un-jam it. Then it’s a full grip over the top (fingers toward the ejection side) and use my firing hand to hit/push the frame forward. The thump over at the front serration manipulation is much more efficient if you care about economy of motion.