Pre-loading the slide release

[VolGrad]

The auto forward ... I don't rely on this and actually it pisses me off when it happens as it F's up consistency in technique.

However, a point of note I think I actually learned in the AFHF while discussing pre-loading, etc. It might have been in the HACK class I took the next month. Who knows? I just recall making the note in my notebook at some point this spring, then testing it on the range and it was almost 100% on the money. The auto forward can be triggered by slamming the mag in with more force directed toward the rear of the base plate/back of the pistol grip .... on a GLOCK anyway. More pressure toward the front (bullets forward) rarely, if ever, triggered an auto forward event. More pressure on the rear, nearly always.

[jslaker]

The auto forward ... I don't rely on this and actually it pisses me off when it happens as it F's up consistency in technique.

However, a point of note I think I actually learned in the AFHF while discussing pre-loading, etc. It might have been in the HACK class I took the next month. Who knows? I just recall making the note in my notebook at some point this spring, then testing it on the range and it was almost 100% on the money. The auto forward can be triggered by slamming the mag in with more force directed toward the rear of the base plate/back of the pistol grip .... on a GLOCK anyway. More pressure toward the front (bullets forward) rarely, if ever, triggered an auto forward event. More pressure on the rear, nearly always.

Interesting. I'm in the "can generally make a gun auto-forward if I want" camp, though I pre-load as a matter of course.

I index the magazines in my hand such the tip of my index finger is on/near the nose of the tip round, the body of the magazine is pinched between my thumb and middle finger, and the base pad rides on the ball of my palm. I'm sitting at work right now and can't really run through my mag insertion to be 100% sure, but I'm fairly sure that would put most of the force I'm imparting on the basepad toward the rear.

That's something I've never really even thought about before. I've always grabbed my mags that way because A. it lets me use my index finger to better align the magazine with the mag well and B. it allows me to put enough force behind the mag that it'll consistently lock in place regardless of the gun while still letting me simply rotate my weakhand back into place after the gun's charged.

[LOKNLOD]

I know Todd watched me drop the slide too early several times during class, and I’ve played with this technique on subsequent range visits but reached the point where I think there are more important and impactful places for me to prioritize spending my limited practice time.

But for the sake of discussion, here’s where my hang up lies – If I hold my thumb rigid, and the grip firmly, then my thumb can’t really move relative to the weapon in a way that finishes actuating the slide release. One of two things ends up happening for me then: a) I loosen my grip slightly so the whole gun can slip upwards and finish pressing the release against my thumb; or b) I still end up timing the rest of the press but since it’s preloaded I tend to drop it early on an empty slide. The first seems to result in a big exaggerated movement of the pistol and/or slightly compromised firing grip; the second gives me some tap-rack-bang (or often “rack-bang-oops-I-forgot-to-tap”) practice. Neither of those is very conducive to a rapid follow-up shot on the reload for me. I’m missing something in the thumb action, I think?