Relearning the HK P30 LEM V1 (auto-forward slide issue)

I've owned at P30 for a while but only recently began to actively train around the "auto-forward" issue.

Other P30 owners have said they stage their strong hand thumb above the slide release, then use the inertia of inserting a fresh mag to drive the gun upward, forcing the thumb to push the slide release down. This technique eliminates the chance the auto-forward doesn't occur consistently, which has been my experience.

Today at the range, about 50% of the time this technique is leading to a dropped slide on an empty chamber before the mag is fully inserted.

Any one else run into this? Any tips for learning to do this correctly?

Thanks.

Old problem with a thread somewhere.
Todd taught me to prep the slide release so I was in control of it.

I know I'm a one off heretic for what I'm about to say, but I never had an issue with an empty chamber on my 3 P30 configs over 6 years and over 50k rounds on my primary. I just got used to the auto forward and rolled with it. It became a feature and not a bug for me.

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Originally Posted by 2xAGM114

I've owned at P30 for a while but only recently began to actively train around the "auto-forward" issue.

Other P30 owners have said they stage their strong hand thumb above the slide release, then use the inertia of inserting a fresh mag to drive the gun upward, forcing the thumb to push the slide release down. This technique eliminates the chance the auto-forward doesn't occur consistently, which has been my experience.

Today at the range, about 50% of the time this technique is leading to a dropped slide on an empty chamber before the mag is fully inserted.

Any one else run into this? Any tips for learning to do this correctly?

Thanks.

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Sounds like the "opposing forces" reload. My first exposure to it was from Paul Van Dunk.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6B1WiWAH01s

I had the same problem as you at first. I'd anticipate the mag and drop the slide early or I'd hesitate or "hitch" when pressing the release. The "trick" if there is one, is to not put any pressure on the slide release and hold the gun with a relatively relaxed hand. Just let your thumb touch the lever. Think of it this way. If you're about to hit a nail with a hammer, you don't hold the hammer in a white-knuckle grip the whole time. Your hand starts relaxed on the backswing, but tenses up just before the hammer impacts the nail. If you flagged your thumb up high, chances are you'd instinctively bring your thumb down to wrap around the hammer's grip before impact. Same if you were holding a bat with a loose grip, and I tried to knock it out of your hand. By holding your thumb high, when your brain anticipates the "impact" of the mag seating, you will subconsciously bring your thumb down as your fingers tighten to keep the gun from flying out of your hand. Practice with dummy rounds. Just think about anything other than what your thumb is doing. The slide should seem to drop on its own. The dummy in the chamber will verify that it stripped off a round and the technique becomes easier to trust. It took some practice to learn, but I can use the technique even on the slimmest slide releases (factory Glock) and on guns that don't auto-forward. I've even switched most of my extended slide stops back to factory.

I was never comfortable with auto forwarding. On one pistol I recut the slide notch to lessen likelihood of occurrence. Too I quit slamming magazines. I fumble enough without having to deal with this. I explain the phenomenon to new shooters by using an AR with the bolt locked back without a magazine inserted. Then I hit the stock on the floor. Inertia causes the bolt to retract enough to let the slide move forward. The same thing occurs when the shooter slaps his pistol when slamming a magazine. I see this as inducing a malfunction.

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Originally Posted by willie

I was never comfortable with auto forwarding. On one pistol I recut the slide notch to lessen likelihood of occurrence. Too I quit slamming magazines. I fumble enough without having to deal with this. I explain the phenomenon to new shooters by using an AR with the bolt locked back without a magazine inserted. Then I hit the stock on the floor. Inertia causes the bolt to retract enough to let the slide move forward. The same thing occurs when the shooter slaps his pistol when slamming a magazine. I see this as inducing a malfunction.

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I disagree. It saves me time on slide lock (usually idpa) reloads as a left handed shooter of a weapon with a non ambi slide release. Like a poster above, I view it as more a feature than a bug. To each her own, I guess ? This isn’t on any hk, just my 92s.

Like others on here, I run a P30 LEM and have never had an empty chamber. You can't overthink it. I allow my thumb to rest on the slide release and when the magazine hits home, it causes the gun to jump up just enough to push the release into my thumb.

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Originally Posted by SecondsCount

Like others on here, I run a P30 LEM and have never had an empty chamber. You can't overthink it. I allow my thumb to rest on the slide release and when the magazine hits home, it causes the gun to jump up just enough to push the release into my thumb.

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For the 6 years or so that I shot the platform this was my experience as well.