Recommended follow-up for Glock 19 Gen4 firing pin failure

[LeeC]

I wouldn't worry about all of a sudden losing the ability to remember your training and move your thumb less than an inch, Lee.

I've read too many gun books lately and am too tired to hunt down the reference, but something I read recently quoted a believable study/history/experience that when the SHTF, the fingers finding the slide stop release sometimes no-workie. Hell, my fingers don't work right half the time just sitting at my bench trying to put little sight screws into tiny socket wrenches. Seems believable to me, and I'm not working on a FAST coin just yet anyway, so I can spare the few extra subseconds.

Also, I watched a disturbing video (link somewhere on this forum) of some middle-eastern guy in a store get shot to death while trying to chamber a round from his Israeli-carry pistol. Seems like he got stuck on getting the slide to release while the BG was filling him with lead.

But I'm getting a lot of good, stress-filled training at NRA Range with folks in the next lane over doing things like trying to perform a cardioectomy by using their chest as a muzzle vise for clearing a stovepipe. In spite of all that was going on (whack-o's next door, lane face/edge controller malfunctioning, slide "auto-forwarding", wife melting down) I was able to get my 6-round-from-concealment "Bill Drill" time under three seconds which was a milestone for me and my bifocals.

[ToddG]

but something I read recently quoted a believable study/history/experience that when the SHTF, the fingers finding the slide stop release sometimes no-workie.

If your thumb cannot work the slide release, how did it work the mag release? How is your index finger pulling the trigger with adequate precision to get hits at speed? The study/history/experience referenced is a bunch of horse manure.

[LeeC]

If your thumb cannot work the slide release, how did it work the mag release? How is your index finger pulling the trigger with adequate precision to get hits at speed? The study/history/experience referenced is a bunch of horse manure.

I'll dig up the reference, but you do make a good point that my tired brain cannot counter tonight. And I'm finding out that there is almost as much compost passing as "information" in the gun industry as there is in mine ("information technology").

[LittleLebowski]

Also, I watched a disturbing video (link somewhere on this forum) of some middle-eastern guy in a store get shot to death while trying to chamber a round from his Israeli-carry pistol. Seems like he got stuck on getting the slide to release while the BG was filling him with lead.

My takeaway from that is "don't carry Israeli style."

I've had formal pistol training from Todd (civilian) and Larry Vickers (Delta Force). Both recommend the slide release if possible.

[ToddG]

I've had formal pistol training from Todd (civilian) and Larry Vickers (Delta Force).

Not to toot my own horn or anything, but I bet I've played far more Rainbow Six than Larry ever has, and anyone who's read Clancy knows that Rainbow Six > Delta so...

[Ga Shooter]

Not to toot my own horn or anything, but I bet I've played far more Rainbow Six than Larry ever has, and anyone who's read Clancy knows that Rainbow Six > Delta so...

Funny story but many, many moons ago after reading Rainbow Six I came across a 96fs and just had to buy it because well...... Rainbow Six.

[Mr_White]

If your thumb cannot work the slide release, how did it work the mag release? How is your index finger pulling the trigger with adequate precision to get hits at speed?

you do make a good point that my tired brain cannot counter tonight.

I don't think you are going to be able to counter it after resting either. It's a highly logical argument.

The argument Todd expresses above is precisely what convinced me to try the slide stop lever in the first place. I have not looked back.

Seriously, I say this as a long time student of schools that advocate overhanding the slide. I trained that way for most of the time I've shot pistols, but I've gone another way now.

The argument for overhanding the slide is sometimes based on the false dichotomy of: under stress, you will always fail at operating the slide stop lever, and you will always succeed at overhanding the slide.

If I am honest with my memories of years of training to overhand the slide, there are plenty of times my hand slipped off and had to regrip to do it again. That turns an already slow technique into an even slower one. When you screw up and don't press the slide stop lever, it is a much smaller motion to remedially press it again.

My slidelock reload using the slide stop lever, even when I screw it up BIG TIME (miss initial clearing of the concealment garment, miss initial insertion of the magazine, and miss initially hitting the slide stop lever) is about on par with most of my clean repetitions of slidelock reload overhanding the slide. It makes that much time difference for me.

[LeeC]

OK, Todd so I've experienced a "synthetic memory" where I mashed up some details into my own version of what I remember reading. "Surgical Speed Shooting" by Andy Stanford talks about using a different method for checking to see if your round is chambered than what you do to chamber a round. For example if you check the chamber overhand, rack the slide slingshot. Then I think I read one of many posts discussing the point, and later my background mental processes brewed up some belief that I read it in a book.

So, thank you Todd for calling BS on BS. That law school training is paying off!

Now, how about topping off your magazines, or not, to avoid spring failure? Is there a thread here on that? I sent an email to a physicist friend who also shoots a pistol, but haven't heard back from him. This article seems convincing, but I would still like to hear from a scientist that is known and reputable. I suspect the truth is somewhere in the mix, and that's what keeps concerns like Snopes and Mythbusters going.

And while I'm falling on my sword, I'll own up to changing the subject....

Now we don't have to attempt to clear this up in between gunshots at the range tomorrow.

[ToddG]

I always top off my carry mag. I don't usually top off when practicing.