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.
Praise be to the LORD my Rock,
who trains my hands for war,
my fingers for battle.
-Psalm 144:1
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.
You can get much more of what you want with a kind word and a gun, than with a kind word alone.
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.
@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.
Praise be to the LORD my Rock,
who trains my hands for war,
my fingers for battle.
-Psalm 144:1
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.Originally Posted by seabiscuit
PM me your address and I'll send you a handful.
9mm right?
Nobody is impressed by what you can't do. -THJ
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.
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.
Praise be to the LORD my Rock,
who trains my hands for war,
my fingers for battle.
-Psalm 144:1
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.
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.
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