Thumb keeps hitting slide release

[Chewbacca10]

A while ago I started this thread about the thumbs-forward grip: https://pistol-forum.com/showthread.php?43910-Thumb-conundrum. Due to some of the advice on that thread and lots of dry fire, I'm comfortable with the thumbs-forward grip now and shoot as well as I did when I was gripping my HK P30 more like a revolver with the thumb of my left hand over the thumb of right.

I have, though, had one issue. I've been shooting the FAST test. About 70 percent of the time after the first two shots, my right-hand thumb is unconsciously depressing the slide release lever at some point during the firing sequence. I don't realize that I am doing it until I am reloading and I realize that I have to rack the slide instead of just releasing it. It's quite frustrating, because it is definitely hurting my scores.

Any thoughts on how to solve the problem?

Thanks in advance.

[Mas]

Assuming that you're right-handed, try locking the (left) support hand down so the thumb is pointed at the target and in line with the radius bone of the forearm, and if it contacts the gun at all contacting on the frame forward of the slide stop lever. Bring the right thumb off the gun and on top of the base of your support hand thumb. This should keep both thumbs "out of the working parts," while retaining everything else that is making "straight thumbs" work for you.

[LOKNLOD]

This is a common issue with the P30 in particular. A hardware solution could be to replace the slide lever with the shorter unit - https://hkparts.net/product/slide-release-left-hk-p30-p30l-p30sk-short-p2486.htm/

However Mas’s tip is spot on and how I evolved to shoot P30s when that’s what I was shooting primarily. I felt like it really helped lock my support hand grip down too. As I shot more it became pretty natural and I can still pick up a P30 and shoot it without the issue.

[Oldherkpilot]

This is a common issue with the P30 in particular. A hardware solution could be to replace the slide lever with the shorter unit - https://hkparts.net/product/slide-release-left-hk-p30-p30l-p30sk-short-p2486.htm/

However Mas’s tip is spot on and how I evolved to shoot P30s when that’s what I was shooting primarily. I felt like it really helped lock my support hand grip down too. As I shot more it became pretty natural and I can still pick up a P30 and shoot it without the issue.

Go with the hardware solution. I swapped all my P30s to the short lever and solved the problem in one fel swoop.

[John Hearne]

I had the same problem when I shot thumbs forward with classic Sigs. I had someone cutdown the slide catch lever which kind of worked. Ultimately, I changed to a thumbs up shooting grip.

[Sig_Fiend]

Additionally, if the short release lever still gives you problems, there is a slimmer and shorter model (https://hkparts.net/product/hk-p30sk-slim-short-slide-release-lever-set-p18028.htm/) (works for any P30 despite being listed as just for the P30SK). It definitely takes a bit more conscious effort to activate, but it's not a big deal IMO once you put in some reps. It is a bit different, though. I find myself pressing more on the top of the release lever, in the dip between the shaft and the notch. So it's certainly "threading the needle" just a bit more than stock.

For most people, I wouldn't necessarily recommend starting with this one. I'd probably only recommend trying this one if the short one is still inconsistent for them.

74938

[Chewbacca10]

Assuming that you're right-handed, try locking the (left) support hand down so the thumb is pointed at the target and in line with the radius bone of the forearm, and if it contacts the gun at all contacting on the frame forward of the slide stop lever. Bring the right thumb off the gun and on top of the base of your support hand thumb. This should keep both thumbs "out of the working parts," while retaining everything else that is making "straight thumbs" work for you.

Good tip. I'll try it dry practicing this week.

Also, I can't help but ask: are you "the" Mas?

[Chewbacca10]

This is a common issue with the P30 in particular. A hardware solution could be to replace the slide lever with the shorter unit - https://hkparts.net/product/slide-release-left-hk-p30-p30l-p30sk-short-p2486.htm/

However Mas’s tip is spot on and how I evolved to shoot P30s when that’s what I was shooting primarily. I felt like it really helped lock my support hand grip down too. As I shot more it became pretty natural and I can still pick up a P30 and shoot it without the issue.

I'll try the hardware route if the software route doesn't work. :cool:

[Duelist]

Good tip. I'll try it dry practicing this week.

Also, I can't help but ask: are you "the" Mas?

Massad Ayoob? Yes, and one of the best reasons to be on this board,

[SoCalDep]

Assuming that you're right-handed, try locking the (left) support hand down so the thumb is pointed at the target and in line with the radius bone of the forearm, and if it contacts the gun at all contacting on the frame forward of the slide stop lever. Bring the right thumb off the gun and on top of the base of your support hand thumb. This should keep both thumbs "out of the working parts," while retaining everything else that is making "straight thumbs" work for you.

First, gotta give a big "YESSIR!!!" to the above.


With that, and having studied a lot of different "grips" from Bob Vogel to Rob Leatham to Ron Avery to others and teaching several tens of thousands of people shooting stuff I've come to the conclusion that physiology, injuries, and experience in various aspects of motor learning have a huge effect on learning to shoot and getting better to shoot.

What Mas said is a great way to build a good grip... but there's no one "perfect" grip that applies to everyone... a "good" instructor (Mas is one of them) - and thay are a bit harder to find than one would think - can look at what you do and refine it. I'm not a fan of a grip that overrides the controls of the pistol, but I've heard that the P30 commonly causes this issue. If the grip can be modified to allow good performance and avoid overriding controls then that's good. If it's not just an HK thing (like you're overriding controls of several different types of pistols), then overall grip needs to be looked at more.

All that so say it would'ne be a bad thing to post a picture or several of your grip for us to see... We could maybe give some better information when we're seeing what you're doing.

[Sauer Koch]

My P30, with the ‘regular’ short lever. It cured my issue quickly.

75182

[Chewbacca10]

What Mas said is a great way to build a good grip... but there's no one "perfect" grip that applies to everyone... a "good" instructor (Mas is one of them) - and thay are a bit harder to find than one would think - can look at what you do and refine it.

Yeah, I spent a significant amount of time teaching, and one of the hallmarks of a good teacher is that there are good general principles to performing certain tasks but also realizing that what works for one student may not work for another.


I'm not a fan of a grip that overrides the controls of the pistol, but I've heard that the P30 commonly causes this issue. If the grip can be modified to allow good performance and avoid overriding controls then that's good. If it's not just an HK thing (like you're overriding controls of several different types of pistols), then overall grip needs to be looked at more.

I can't say that I have noticed it on other platforms, but I shoot the P30 97+ percent of the time when shooting a semiautomatic.


All that so say it would'ne be a bad thing to post a picture or several of your grip for us to see... We could maybe give some better information when we're seeing what you're doing.

Noted. Give me a few days.

[MVS]

I recently found myself in the same boat. After years and years of primarily shooting Glocks, I switched to a Walther Q5 which has a huge ambi slide release. Being left handed I never had an issue before. So now I can either modify my grip or my gun.

[Chewbacca10]

I tried the suggestion from Mas while dry practicing for the past few months and focused hard on my thumb placement when drawing from concealment, and that seems to have worked without swapping the hardware. I was shooting one at a time this past weekend at the range to see if I had improved, and I did not hit the slide release on accident at all in 25 rounds.Thanks for the suggestions.