Slide lock release versus slingshotting

[PPGMD]

I broke the slide stop on my main M&P so I am sling shotting it for the moment. I am too lazy to take it down, when I will be doing a detail strip in another 1000 rounds anyways.

But I typically hit the slide stop for my slide lock reloads.

[hufnagel]

When the heel of the support hand seats the magazine, the first and/or middle finger of that hand reach around and pull the slide release down, releasing the slide.[/B] (To visualize, simulate where your hands would be as the magazine is seated. Unless you do something funky with your hands, the support hand is probably spread with the fingers on the side of the gun where the slide release is.) While this isn't quite as easy as it would be if you were right handed and could just use your thumb, it does work well with practice. It also puts your support hand much closer to where it needs to end up than it would be with an overhand slide release, so I find it to be much faster. You *may* want to change the size/shape of your slide stop lever if you find it hard to catch in a hurry.

I think I understand. I've given it a few attempts and the first thing I notice is my trigger finger is in the way during the reload. I need to consciously pull it back and make a "hook" with the tip resting on the slide release pivot to leave a space for my weak hand middle finger to slide up and snag the release. That sound about right to you?

[Arclight]

I think I understand. I've given it a few attempts and the first thing I notice is my trigger finger is in the way during the reload. I need to consciously pull it back and make a "hook" with the tip resting on the slide release pivot to leave a space for my weak hand middle finger to slide up and snag the release. That sound about right to you?

You know, to be honest, I don't really know where my trigger finger ends up when I do it for real. It's either along the frame/slide joint where it is for the rest of the reload, or possibly floating. I ended up with both permutations trying to mime it out at speed with a blue gun. I'll have to pay attention to that on my next range trip.

It may depend on the size of your hands and how high up your grip is. I grip as high as my strong hand will go without getting slide bite, and I have large hands (XL-XXL gloves) so on a G19 the release lever is around my first knuckle. I just reach over my hand and press the catch down toward the knuckle. I'm not really near my strong hand fingers.

I may not be quite understanding what you're saying though. If this answer doesn't make sense, let me know and I'll see if I can figure out what's going on.

I'd say try doing it dry a bunch of times without thinking too hard about where your hands are and see what happens. If you're having problems, then go back and dissect it to see what needs to change and drill that in. I don't recall having to consciously do anything differently with my strong hand.


ETA:
I don't know if this actually helps with visualizing it, but it might. I've got the G17 here and the slide catch is under my knuckle there. When reloading, that support hand comes around just like it slid up from where it is in my grip, wraps over the strong hand, and pushes the slide catch down. As the slide goes forward, it slides back to its grip as I press back out.

[KevinB]

I'd argue for the military that the easiest way to teach a new pistol shooter is that the reloading thumb depressed the slide release/lock whatever. Kind of like loading and charging an M4...
Of course some general asshattery exists about mashing the bolt catch to death with the palm of the hand as well (sigh).


I auto forward

With slidestop depress with my reloading thumb as it comes back onto the gun as a back up.

[breakingtime91]

I'd argue for the military that the easiest way to teach a new pistol shooter is that the reloading thumb depressed the slide release/lock whatever. Kind of like loading and charging an M4...
Of course some general asshattery exists about mashing the bolt catch to death with the palm of the hand as well (sigh).


I auto forward

With slidestop depress with my reloading thumb as it comes back onto the gun as a back up.

I spent alot of time arguing with higher ups while in the Marine infantry that using the thumb to send the bolt home was more positive and just as easy under stress, but some people just wont get away from doctrine. Never understood why you could hit the mag realease or clear a double feed but not use the bolt catch or slide stop (someone will bring up injury). Always had fun watching guys slapping the reciever repeatedly, then going to the thumb...
Sorry for the slight derail

[hufnagel]

Working on where the hardware needs to go so that the software can try and make this work.

[Rich]

Why?

My gunsmith told me to. Back then he said it would help when shooting max loads. He also said it would act as a buffer when the slide goes back . and something about metal to metal wasn't good.

They were super cheap back then under a buck or so for a little plastic ring.

After a couple days out shooting the tiny plastic buffer needed to be replaced.

So the gunsmith didn't know what he was talking about? Wouldn't surprise me.

[David Armstrong]

I've been training myself to slingshot instead of slide release, since not all of my guns are ambidextrous and I'm a lefty.

Yep. Slingshot is a universal response and works pretty much across the board and may give a slight reliability edge in some guns according to some folks. Slide release is faster, but not much. I go for the reliability and consistency of the slingshot myself.
FWIW, I tend to slingshot "overhand" unless I'm teaching Israeli style, whihc needs the true slingshot technique to work well.

[JonInWA]

Yep. Slingshot is a universal response and works pretty much across the board and may give a slight reliability edge in some guns according to some folks. Slide release is faster, but not much. I go for the reliability and consistency of the slingshot myself.
FWIW, I tend to slingshot "overhand" unless I'm teaching Israeli style, whihc needs the true slingshot technique to work well.

Or work at all, since the last time I checked the "Israeli Technique" pertained to single-action pistols carried chamber empty with a fully-loaded magazine...

The "Israeli Technique" came about during the timeframe when the preponderant IDF personal defensive weapon was likely to be a single-action Beretta 951 or a FN/Browning Hi Power, or similar clones. I suspect that time, equipment, and prevailing handguns employed by the IDF have significantly marched on to more fruitful (and modern) fields...

In my opinion, if you're carrying a single-action handgun and not comfortable with cocked-and-locked (Condition 1), then you would probably be better served with another action type. It's not as if there aren't other credible choices out there...

I think that the "universality" of the overhand/slingshot is an overstated advantage. While true, I personally think that the likelihood of it needing to be employed due to having to use someone else's pistol that you're unfamiliar with is fairly slim. And, if so, said gun may well have other controls that are different as well, such as safety levers, magazine releases, et al. I would suggest that the various techniques/"tool in the toolbox" be noted/familiarized with, but that one concentrate on and preponderantly utilize the one(s) most applicable to one's usual PDW.

Another caveat is that for the overhand/slingshot to work, it must be properly executed-i.e., with no shooter continued residual holding of the slide after release. That's an issue that simply doesn't exist when merely utilizing the slide release...Just some food for thought.

For me, the best generalized applicability of the slingshot/overhand is in the shooting sports, when at the completion of a stage/sequence of fire, after "showing clear" and the SO/RO directs "slide forward" using such techniques-but WITH continued hand control, providing a graduated residual return of the slide to battery to the empty chamber can help preclude the jarring uncushioned force of the slide slamming forward onto the empty chamber from damaging hammer hook surfaces, action jobs, etc.

Best, Jon

[Andy T]

When I took my first class from Tom Givens back in '06 he taught us Slingshot (Overhand). I stuck with this until about '09. After taking LAV's class, I started using my support (left) hand thumb to push down the slide stop - all of this with Glocks. However, the overhand method was pretty well ingrained, and at times when I wanted to use slide stop, I found myself Slingshotting the slide instead.
At present, I decided to add a P229. The Sig's, however, have the slide stop at a location that's different from most other pistols (much further towards the back). And the support hand thumb ends up pulling down on the decock lever, as it's in the position that is similar to the slide release. As a result, I decided to go back to the slingshot method. While being slower, it will at least give me the same manual of arms between Glocks and Sigs. In my opinion, this is probably one of the few pluses - regardless of the make of pistol, the slingshot will work.