So, got to the range for the first time and put a few(16, hey I couldn't find ammo anywhere) rounds down range.  First rounds through the SR1911 so I shot 4rd groups through both mags to make sure they functioned properly.  Problem, I can't work the slide release with my strong hand.  I need to twist around and operate it with my weak hand, which seems very strange coming from a poly pistol that I can "flick" off with my strong thumb no problem.  

 

So I'm wondering, do these extended slide releases come back appreciably farther to make this easier?  Am I the only one who has this problem, my hands aren't all that small.

 

This caught my eye because it may match the existing, just with an extension:  http://www.brownells.com/handgun-parts/frame-parts/slide-catch-parts/slide-catches/1911-auto-extended-slide-release-prod16468.aspx

 

 

Thanks, Joe

If you use the slide stop as a slide release, John Moses Browning will come out of his grave, come to your house and pimp slap you.

 

To properly release the slide, roll your weak hand up, grasp the slide with four fingers and the meat of your palm, pull back on the slide and let it go forward.  This does two things:

 

#1. Using the slide stop as a slide release is a fine motor skill.  Under stress - such as a gun battle-, fine motor skills break down.  Grasping with your whole hand is a gross motor skill which is much less likely to break down - although it can in condition black.

 

#2. If your thumb on your weak hand has just been shot off, you will still be able to work the slide.

 

You can you can knock me down, 

Step in my face, 

Slander my name 

All over the place. 

You can even step on by blue suede shoes, but don't use the slide stop as a slide release.

 

Note: I was deployed with the National Guard in 2005.  One time I was so scared that I couldn't work the feed tray cover to my M-60 machine gun - an action I had done thousands of times again.  But I was in condition black and practically incontinent with fear.  The one thing I can liken it to best is the adrenalin feeling you get after a car accident.  My hands were shaking so much I could not hit that little lever - and I was a soldier.  Damnit, the trainers were right.  When you are scared fine motor skills break down.

 

Put the odds on your side - grasp the slide with your hand and release it that way.

I use to have an extended slide release on mine. I can reach it with my thumb without needing to reposition my hand. Works very well. You may need to shave a notch in your grip for some added clearance for it to function properly. The added length also allows some leverage to release the slide. The only drawback I have is that I tend to ride my thumb on it so it doesn't slide lock on the last round.

 

I've since removed it for a standard slide release so I can use my 1911 in USPSA single-stack division. Extended slide release not allowed. Honestly, I don't miss it because now I just slingshot my slide to release it. Occasionally I do thumb it to release the slide, but I have to reposition my hand to do so.

 

Now for your issue. Try pulling the slide a little further back from slide lock making sure the hook doesn't touch the notch and slide it up and down to see if it moves smoothly. If it's a bit tight, then maybe it has something to do with the slide stop detent, spring and plunger tube. Maybe the pin isn't sliding smoothly inside. If the slide release works fine, maybe it's the combination of the contact point with the slide release hook and notch on the slide angled a little too aggressively and making it hard to release the slide. It'll wear in and smooth out over time unless you want to do some polishing on the contact face to accelerate the break-in period.

 

With all that said, slingshot it and you won't even notice the problem anymore. Helps reduce the wear and tear on the notch and slide release. Won't even need to shift your hand to do so, and it's practically universal. Slingshot almost any handgun to release the slide.

Ahhhh, someone beat me to it. LOL!

Ok, I completely understand the idea of racking the slide with my weak hand to chamber a round, and with a bit more research that seems to be the way to go.  But what is "slingshot"?  I'm lost on that one.

I prefer to use the slide stop as a release. Its faster on the reload and I have no issues accomplishing it. YMMV.

Ok, I completely understand the idea of racking the slide with my weak hand to chamber a round, and with a bit more research that seems to be the way to go.  But what is "slingshot"?  I'm lost on that one.

Pull back (slide) and release.

So, got to the range for the first time and put a few(16, hey I couldn't find ammo anywhere) rounds down range.  First rounds through the SR1911 so I shot 4rd groups through both mags to make sure they functioned properly.  Problem, I can't work the slide release with my strong hand.  I need to twist around and operate it with my weak hand, which seems very strange coming from a poly pistol that I can "flick" off with my strong thumb no problem.  

 

So I'm wondering, do these extended slide releases come back appreciably farther to make this easier?  Am I the only one who has this problem, my hands aren't all that small.

 

This caught my eye because it may match the existing, just with an extension:  http://www.brownells.com/handgun-parts/frame-parts/slide-catch-parts/slide-catches/1911-auto-extended-slide-release-prod16468.aspx

 

 

Thanks, Joe

 

 

Pull back (slide) and release.

 

 

Basically this.  I like to think of it as pulling the slide back with your weak hand until you hit yourself in the shoulder.

 

The sling shot method will work on just about any semi auto pistol and it makes perfect sense to train in that style.  I do, however, feel that the slide stop on the 1911 can be utilized.  I would caution you to keep in mind that you can (and probably will) lose fine motor skills in high stress situations.  If you are going to use the slide stop, train, train, train and ingrain that motion. 

Ok, I completely understand the idea of racking the slide with my weak hand to chamber a round, and with a bit more research that seems to be the way to go.  But what is "slingshot"?  I'm lost on that one.

 

It's where you use your thumb and index finger of you weak hand to grasp the serrations of the slide, pull back and release.  I don't like this much either because again, it is a fine motor skill.  I discourage this.

 

If you want a good example why, make sure your 1911 is unloaded and close your eyes.  Now try to release the slide by slingshotting it.  You'll find yourself grasping around for it.  But even when you are scared and in the dark, fist meets fist. You can roll your hand up the pistol grip, cup it with your four fingers and the palm of your hand, and pull back, and release the slide.

If you use the slide stop as a slide release, John Moses Browning will come out of his grave, come to your house and pimp slap you.

 

To properly release the slide, roll your weak hand up, grasp the slide with four fingers and the meat of your palm, pull back on the slide and let it go forward.quote]

 

Do that. Didn't you ever wonder why a Glock (combat design) has such a small slide stop?

What will suck is when you release the slide release and it fails to go into full battery and will not fire,,

 

Best to sling shot the slide..

Agreed. My dad taught me to never use the slide release. Said they're for sissies.

 

Interestingly, my new hk will consistently release the slide when you reload in anger. Some others do it as well, but the hk does it every time you slam the mag in. It's a feature, not a bug.

 

 

Walt

Sling shot method is a fine motor skill also, as is pressing the mag release and the trigger.  If your fine motor skill are so bad that you can't hit the slide release, then you can't hit the mag release or press the trigger.

Learn and practice both.  They both work, but the slide release is the faster way because you release the slide with your weak thumb as you regain your grip

Walt, sorry, not a feature, just a design anomoly. If it was a feature they would all consistantly do it. My stainless usp compact would, my black one would not. Most HK's I have had hands on, would not. If it was a feature, they would all do it consistantly.

 

Ill tell former Delta Force Operator and 1911 Pistolsmith Larry Vickers your dad thinks he is a sissy since he is a proponent of the weak hand slide stop release method.

Larry called. He was very hurt. He said he will adjust his method and contact everyone he trained as a training "recall" of sorts because he dont want anyone to be called a sissie!

Larry called. He was very hurt. He said he will adjust his method and contact everyone he trained as a training "recall" of sorts because he dont want anyone to be called a sissie!

Lol burn!

I can use slide grease on either hand. Keeps my gun from getting indian burn and blisters. Tried without grease, me no likey!

Makum gunnum sorum.

 

Sent from John's iPad 2 via Tapatalk HD

Typos courtesy Apple...

Larry called. He was very hurt. He said he will adjust his method and contact everyone he trained as a training "recall" of sorts because he dont want anyone to be called a sissie!

 

LOL. Glad to hear that Larry has become more "sensitive" to what people say and how others feel.

 

NOT!

 

I too am a slide release sissy. It works for me to thumb it.

Larry called. He was very hurt. He said he will adjust his method and contact everyone he trained as a training "recall" of sorts because he dont want anyone to be called a sissie!

That's hilarious.

 

I was just parroting what my dad said. Just to clarify, my dad, at the height of his power, made Archie Bunker look and sound like a Pointer Sister.

 

I have no ill will against anyone that chooses to use their slide release. After all it's called a "slide release"

 

Sally forth.

 

 

Walt, sorry, not a feature, just a design anomoly. If it was a feature they would all consistantly do it. My stainless usp compact would, my black one would not. Most HK's I have had hands on, would not. If it was a feature, they would all do it consistantly.

That's interesting. I tried my other pistols and only one other sig did it. None of the others did.

 

What's your feeling? Is it a good thing or bad. Obviously need strong trigger finger control. And to get accustomed to it and have it not happen would be at least embarrassing or the last surprised look you'll ever give, depending on the situation.

 

I have been fiddling with it now with a snap cap. And it will do it on command. Strong manly seating of the mag will release the slide. A more feminine approach make it work normally.

 

(You know I'm just kidding about the feminine stuff. )

All in good fun My more in depth thought is simply that all methods should be on your training schedule as each has its place and scenario where appropriate. If you have several different pistols including ones with decockers (where some manufacturers recomend against slide stop used as a release)then I can see where defaulting to a power stroke method could be advantagious. But when blanket statements are made that the slide stop method is wrong, I disagree.

 

On the slide release on vigerous mag insertion, I actually do not like it. I dont like when something performs an operation without me expecting it to. I would say it could also cause a training scar when you get your next pistol and expect it to do the same thing and it doesnt.

wait, what's the point of a slide release if not to use it?  i normally rack the first mag (have to) and then use the slide release on subsequent ones..  i didnt realize that was wrong (?)

wait, what's the point of a slide release if not to use it?  i normally rack the first mag (have to) and then use the slide release on subsequent ones..  i didnt realize that was wrong (?)

 

This is kind of akin to pointing to the ejection port and saying: "what's the point of putting a bottle opener on a gun when it's not supposed to be used a bottle opener?"

 

The point is that it's no more a slide release than an ejection port is a bottle opener.  Calling it a slide release doesn't make it so.  It's a slide stop.  It just so happens that you can release the slide with it, but it is not advisable for many of the reasons above.

mcbethr, Im curious to know exactly what makes you think it was never intended to be used as a release in the case of the 1911? What exactly is the downside? If its the gross motor skills argument, I think that is overstated in this case.

mcbethr, Im curious to know exactly what makes you think it was never intended to be used as a release in the case of the 1911? What exactly is the downside? If its the gross motor skills argument, I think that is overstated in this case.

 

 

Well, #46 is my first clue.  There is a reason it's called a slide stop.

 

I have don't believe that the Gross Motor Skills argument is overstated.  See my personal story here:

http://njgunforums.com/forum/index.php/topic/56499-grip-when-racking-the-slide/

To be honest, slide stop, slide release, ninja turtle lever, etc, semantics. 

 

 

It CAN be utilized as a way to charge the pistol.  You can disagree about losing the motor function all day long, but the lever does bring the slide forward when depressed. I think that reloading a magazine into an empty gun can be just as difficult under stress, but when you practice it a few thousand times it becomes intuitive.

 

If we were talking about another model of pistol, it would be a completely different story. 

Jeez, this whole thing should've died years ago!

The whole notion of releasing the slide via the slide stop/release being a fine motor skill is just silly. If this type of motion really degrades under stress, how did you release the magazine in the first place? Hitting the mag release button (which often requires a shift in grip AND pressing a button smaller than many slide release levers) requires the same level of precision as operating a slide lever.

Not to mention, the whole art of shooting accurately comes down to being able to press the trigger without jerking the gun can also be defined as a fine motor skill.

mcbethr, I read your other post. However, I dont think it really translates entirely. You open the can without actively training at it and building muscle memmory. In consideration of your story, it probably would be a good idea to do so. At any rate, at this point, I do not even think about it, its commited to memmory. It occurs on muscle mem autopilot, just like taking off the safety on the draw. Heres an example. I was teaching someone drawing their P30S from a holster. Because they were struggling with the mechanics of it after over 20 years of carrying a revolver, I suggested going safety off and hammer down. They asked about why not hammer down safty on. I went to illustrate what it would look like if they were to draw the pistol and forget to take off the safety as their muscle mem was that of a revolver. I still clicked off the safety! My hands do what they were trained to do and will obey their muscle mem even more under stress.

 

In regards to your anecdotal evidence of a part name, my opinion is not based on the symantics of a part name. It is based on discussions with those that are life long students of the JMB design thought process. The position widely held is that he designed it for both operations as there would likely be situations where each is prefered. Look at an original USGI 1911 mag release. It's serrated to give better purchase when pressed. Look at a slide stop. Its serrated too. Why do you think that is?

I use the "slingshot" method of releasing the slide so that I do not alter my strong hand grip. If I do use the slide release/stop, I use my left hand (weak hand thumb) to toggle it up or down.

 

During USPSA matches, when the "unload and show clear" command is given, I use the slide stop to keep the action open for the RO  to see that the chamber is empty.