Slide Lock Reload: Which thumb for slide release?

[Jason]

I hear what you are saying, but for me, that one in 100 can become say 2 in one hundred, maybe more during a real encounter. Not to get into the "stress is a factor or not" argument, but even at 1 in 100 to be faster, I would rather be slower but be zero in 100 for failure to place a round in the chamber. Thats just me though.

[evanhill]

Jason, if I understood LAV properly when he covered this topic in class, his opinion is the same as yours for the same reasons. Not surprising that LAV and Kyle would be of the same opinion.

[JDM]

Preloaded slide release with my strong hand. I can comfortably reach the release this way on my carry gun, and it's been very fast for me.

I interpreted this technique as putting some tension on the slide lock lever after you drop the empty mag, then when you slap the fresh magazine in the 'jolt' of the fresh mag slamming home causes enough movement on the lever to release the slide, and chamber a round.

You never actually apply enough pressure to release the slide with your thumb, the slide is released only after the mag is locked in place, Correct?

[GLOCKMASTER]

You never actually apply enough pressure to release the slide with your thumb, the slide is released only after the mag is locked in place, Correct?

Yes the upward pressure of the mag insertion causes the slide release to push against the thumb.

I teach my students the big three and I try to let them decide. However, I will say that I encourage them to use the slide release.

[jlw]

I had never pre-loaded the slide stop lever until you showed it in class. While I have been a bit concerned I would actuate it pre-maturely it hasn't happened yet and I am aware of the possibility.

I will say this though .... my re-loads are faster. I can't give you a # to quantify that statement but I know they are faster. jlweems can probably attest to this as we both shot the IDPA Classifier this past Sunday and he, as well as several others, commented on my re-loads. jlweems even asked me what I was doing differently.

The part I quoted above further shows Todd's wisdom. I am more concerned with shifting my grip around during a re-load than pre-maturely dropping the slide.

I can attest to his reloads being faster (of course, they couldn't be much slower ).

I thought that his slide had gone forward on its own from the force of the magazine being inserted.

[joshs]

Another benefit, besides speed, of using the strong hand thumb, is consistency between slide lock and slide forward reloads. I used to use the weak hand thumb technique, and after shooting a lot of IPSC, I would sometimes have a short delay when I would have a surprise slide lock reload. This was due to using two different techniques for slide forward and slide lock reloads. Now, every time I do a slide forward reload, I still preload the slide release like I was performing a slide lock reload. This ensures that when I have a surprise slide lock reload, I drop the slide as part of my subconscious technique instead of needing to consciously hit the release.

[SLG]

This is just me, but I don't find there to be a difference in my reload time between SH release and WH release, so I fall in the camp that says 100% reliability for a reload. That means WH release for me with most guns. Sigs are a definite exception, though I have occasionally dropped the slide prematurely with a Sig. Never with a Glock or a 1911. I'm also of the belief that a domestic fight will almost always be decided by the ammo in your gun, not how much you have on you.

[evanhill]

SLG -

SH = strong hand
WH = weak hand

OR

SH = support hand
WH = ?

?

[SLG]

SLG -

SH = strong hand
WH = weak hand

?

Fixed it, sorry.

[Jason]

Jason, if I understood LAV properly when he covered this topic in class, his opinion is the same as yours for the same reasons. Not surprising that LAV and Kyle would be of the same opinion.

I think he did too, and I assume his rationale was similar. Like I said, from a non gun games tenth of a second perspective, having a round in the chamber every time beats the hell out of not having a round in the chamber even one in 100 times, at least for me.