This is a shortcoming of my training. Every pistol I have owned or been trained on has utilized some style of rear sight that allows you to “hook” the sight on an object to aid in manipulating the slide. I’m now in possession of a 5906 with Novak style sights. What is a good way to “hook” the slide on a belt or other object to manipulate it one handed? I don’t see much surface are on the ejection port, front sight seems like a small target. Looking for some suggestions. Thanks.
Jam top of the slide near the front of the rear sight, hard, and rack it. With striker fired guns this works fine. I don't know about hammer fired guns. I use my leg. It hurts, but it works.Originally Posted by Hot Cereal
It's been several years since I've been around many 4 digit S&W pistols. We had 15 or so 5905s as test pistols and fewer than ten co-workers carried 645s/4506s.
From memory, when it came to working them one-handed, if the rear sight couldn't be used, we showed using both the ejection port and front sight.
I've seen folks in class with grip tape on top of the slide in front of the rear sight and/or behind the front sight to aid in one handed racking.
I have no experience with it, other than trying it once with a borrowed pistol, so this isn't a recommendation as much as something to consider.
We issued 4 digit S&W pistols for a time. They had either genuine Novaks or a sight of similar shape made by Meprolight. We accomplished one handed manipulations by racking off the belt or items on the belt. The shape of the rear sight just required a little more "inward" force vs "downward" force alone.
As Jason mentions - more inward force. Some officers had a hard time getting onto the duty belt with enough angle, so we also practiced off the duty holster - of course the duty holsters were further from the body than a concealment holster.
Another thing that works is to take a knee and really bear down on the area in front of the rear sight using the heel or side of the sole of your boot or shoe.
Experiment a little on objects around the house or where you might find yourself - for instance, can you catch the front of the slide. or front sight on the edge of filing cabinet? Can you drive the front sight into a telephone pole and angle the pistol enough to cycle the action?
I know that most pistols I've used will also work off the trailing edge of a car door, I was pretty free about practicing on our range vehicles, you might want to check on a borrowed or wrecked car so as to not mar paint until you need to.
My Kimber Warrior had genuine Novaks, and I could run it off my belt, pocket, and holster without much effort. Pant leg worked, but was not as forgiving of less than perfect technique. More in than down, but really, really try to move that frame sharply for that fraction of a second the slide is stationary against whatever you are using.
There are also boot heels and soles...and objects in the environment.
pat
I don’t know if learning to operate a gun that is out of production with limited parts avaibility and obsolescent sights installed one handed is a hole in your training so much as it’s similar to learning to run a gun with a heel-magazine release like a p7 or original p220
That being said here’s a video of Blowers doing one handed clearance drills with a sightless glock and a 1911 with Novak style rear sight.
im strong, i can run faster than train
When I was mandated to carry a 4006 as a duty weapon, I used the ejection port for one handed manipulations.
I had an ER nurse in a class. I noticed she kept taking all head shots. Her response when asked why, "'I've seen too many people who have been shot in the chest putting up a fight in the ER." Point taken.
I agree with your take on learning the new method. For me though, the training with the old guns stuck. I've kept doing it the same way even after going to Glocks. I haven't given it much thought but there is probably some utility? In the unlikely event that I have to press an old pistol into service or the only very slightly more likely event that I am stuck using a Glock equipped with plastic factory sights that fail, my ingrained response has a better chance of making the one-handed clearance work on the first go.
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