Letting the slide slam on an empty chamber

[That Guy]

I never heard this until today, but I was watching a Youtube video of a guy shooting a pistol and he mentioned you should never let the slide slam forward on an empty chamber. I had never heard that before, so I Googled it and I find all kinds of people saying the same thing, but nobody can say exactly what the danger is - only that it "can damage the gun."

Now, I've always let the slide slam forward and I do it for a specific reason: muscle memory. I always overhand grip with my left hand, pull back and let it slam forward, just like I do when I am chambering a round.

Is there really a good reason not to do that? Like I said, I have done it for years and years on every semi-auto I have owned and I've never had a problem I could remotely attribute to this. It is slamming metal to metal, so I would imagine it does stress the gun in some small amount, but certainly less than actually firing the weapon.

Am I wrong? Am I missing something?

 

[Glump]

I have heard the samething and never knew why. I never asked the question though because I am in the habit of just not doing it anyway.

Would be nice to know why though.

 

[jasons]

If you have a hand-fitted 1911 it's not a great thing to do. If it's just a regular gun, no biggie.

 

[Supermoto]

On a 1911, it batters the lugs (upper and lower) and is jars the sear/hammer. Its was designed to bump the round up and in (control fed) which is a lot less jarring than slamming the slide home

 

[That Guy]

If you have a hand-fitted 1911 it's not a great thing to do. If it's just a regular gun, no biggie.

Typical 1911 snob response - there are 1911s and then there are "regular guns."

 

[jasons]

Typical 1911 snob response - there are 1911s and then there are "regular guns."

Hardly. I own one only because I need it for CMP pistol matches.

 

[Gator9329]

I thought I remember the instructions that came with my ruger said not to use the slide release because it would damge the gun. they were not more specific on the damage.

 

[perry1386]

I thought I remember the instructions that came with my ruger said not to use the slide release because it would damge the gun. they were not more specific on the damage.

I recall reading this in my SR9 or LC9 manual...yeah, I read the manuals.

The LC9 slide release doesn't work well anyway when the slid is locked back, so I've gotten in the habit of using my hands instead of the release, even though it doesn't look as cool...haha

 

[mac1911]

I always thought they where slide locks and not releases ? Like anything I quess it depends on the school you went to?
I was taught to pull the slide back then release from the slide locked back posistion. I was also taught to never let a slam home on a empty chamber?
I was also taught that useing the slide lock as a release will wear on the lock ?

 

[Gator9329]

yeah the guy who trained me called it slingshoting. Pulling back and relasing the slide quick. He was a fan of snap caps.

 

[perry1386]

I always thought they where slide locks and not releases ? Like anything I quess it depends on the school you went to?
I was taught to pull the slide back then release from the slide locked back posistion. I was also taught to never let a slam home on a empty chamber?
I was also taught that useing the slide lock as a release will wear on the lock ?

Yes, I believe you're correct

 

[drgrant]

On most guns it won't damage anything.

That said, its a stupid habit to get into. You do that to someone's 1911 and they'll probably be pretty pissed at you. Its easy enough to not do it. Same thing with "ghetto loading" any semiautomatic pistol via the ejection port. Take that picture of that kid, "Douchebag Steve" wearing the funny jacket with the hat on backwards, if he owned guns those are the EXACT two things he would do, all the time, well, that followed by "flipping" the crane closed on a revolver to load it. (And this one is particularly an extra douchebag move, because it damages the **** out of revolver parts).

-Mike

 

[Zappa]

Same thing with "ghetto loading" any semiautomatic pistol via the ejection port.

Never heard that expression before, but what if you lost the magazine and still want to fire single shots ???

 

[drgrant]

Never heard that expression before, but what if you lost the magazine and still want to fire single shots ???

In an emergency? Fine... otherwise its just a bad idea, IMO.

-Mike

 

[Coyote33]

I have never heard that letting the slide close on an empty chamber hurts anything. What does everyone do at the end of the day when they are done shooting, just go home with the slide locked back? I am cracking up at some of the stuff that comes out of here sometimes.

On most guns it won't damage anything.

That said, its a stupid habit to get into. You do that to someone's 1911 and they'll probably be pretty pissed at you. Its easy enough to not do it. Same thing with "ghetto loading" any semiautomatic pistol via the ejection port. ... "flipping" the crane closed on a revolver to load it. (And this one is particularly an extra douchebag move, because it damages the **** out of revolver parts).

Really? How does it get closed if not by flipping it closed?

In an emergency? Fine... otherwise its just a bad idea, IMO.

Why is this?

This stuff all sounds like some sort of gun lore or whatever. It is just a simple piece of metal, and does not care how you load it.

 

[economist]

I always thought they where slide locks and not releases ? Like anything I quess it depends on the school you went to?
I was taught to pull the slide back then release from the slide locked back posistion. I was also taught to never let a slam home on a empty chamber?
I was also taught that useing the slide lock as a release will wear on the lock ?

Brownells calls the part for the Glock a "slide release". Elsewhere I've seen it called a "slide stop lever". In any case, I know from experience that a reload can be substantially faster if I release the slide with that lever rather than using the off hand. Now maybe that wears out the part (can't say -- haven't ever worn one out). But even so, for $12 that's a price I'm willing to pay.

As for the OP's question, I guess the place to start is to ask why one would need to release the slide on an empty chamber in the first place, apart from storing a gun empty after shooting. I don't like unloaded guns, so this rarely is an issue. Maybe for competition after showing clear? You sure don't need to do it in a hurry.

 

[Gammon]

Dropping the slide on an empty chamber in any semi auto is a form of abuse. When the pistol is fired, chambering the next round slows the slide, like a shock absorber, preventing any excessive wear. As Mr. Moto says, this practice can damage the barrel hood, and the upper and lower lugs as well as the hammer and sear.

This practice is most damaging to hand fitted pistols, but can also inflict excessive wear on a stock gun. It will also label you as a "turkey" when performed in the presence of experienced shooters.

 

[bpm990d]

If you know about the armed forces and inspection arms then dropping the bolt is common practice. I don't think it's all that bad when kept to a minimum, but it depends on the individual gun. On an AR it will batter the cam pin so no big deal. Those are easily replaceable, but on something like an M1A it will beat on the op-rod and the bolt roller. Expensive and difficult to fix.

In the service they do it IMO because it looks snappy and makes a cool gun noise.

B

 

[DMan7]

On most guns it won't damage anything.

That said, its a stupid habit to get into. You do that to someone's 1911 and they'll probably be pretty pissed at you. Its easy enough to not do it. Same thing with "ghetto loading" any semiautomatic pistol via the ejection port. Take that picture of that kid, "Douchebag Steve" wearing the funny jacket with the hat on backwards, if he owned guns those are the EXACT two things he would do, all the time, well, that followed by "flipping" the crane closed on a revolver to load it. (And this one is particularly an extra douchebag move, because it damages the **** out of revolver parts).

-Mike

Scumbag Steve would also hold the pistol sideways.

 

[jasons]

It will also label you as a "turkey" when performed in the presence of experienced shooters.

Gobble, gobble.

 

[50 BMG]

Similar question may help, you can shut a car door or slam it shut. Which do you think will wear the parts of the door quicker. I don't think its going to ruin most of the lower end firearms out there but as someone else stated if it is a custom hand crafted firearm I guess my question is why do you need to slam the slide forward in the first place?

 

[eisenhow]

I have never heard that letting the slide close on an empty chamber hurts anything. What does everyone do at the end of the day when they are done shooting, just go home with the slide locked back? I am cracking up at some of the stuff that comes out of here sometimes.

Big difference between letting it close as you ride it vs letting it slam from slide lock under spring tension.

Really? How does it get closed if not by flipping it closed?

Closing it with your hand is fine. Twisting your wrist to slam it closed is a great way to bend the crane.

Why is this?

Because the extractor is designed to have the cartridge slide under the hook rather than have the hook snap over it.

 

[OfficerObie59]

Brownells calls the part for the Glock a "slide release". Elsewhere I've seen it called a "slide stop lever".

That's been driven home in most of my Army and police training so that you chamber by racking the slide, not simply letting go of the slide stop release whatever-you-wanna-call-it--which I still have a bad habit of doing anyways.

If your gun is on an empty chamber, why not treat it with care? You're certainly not worried about proper seating of a live round. Still, there are certainly worse things you can do to your gun, like dry firing a 1911 or a 92FS without the slide on the frame.

 

[Coyote33]

Big difference between letting it close as you ride it vs letting it slam from slide lock under spring tension.

Closing it with your hand is fine. Twisting your wrist to slam it closed is a great way to bend the crane.

Because the extractor is designed to have the cartridge slide under the hook rather than have the hook snap over it.

We're all talking about steel guns, right? On the last one, I have no clue, but don't see any difference.

 

[bpm990d]

You can see the cartridge slipping under the extractor in this video. Think of a mauser rifle with the big claw extractor. It's designed to slip under that extractor and not over.

 

[eisenhow]

We're all talking about steel guns, right? On the last one, I have no clue, but don't see any difference.

In the first case the cartridge slides under the hook (the hook doesn't bend), the second case the hook has to violently snaps over the rim (the hook does bend).

 

[fencer]

My Dad taught me to always ease the slide back by hand. I have done it that way for more than 30 years and that is how I taught my son to do it. It just seems like the right way, less slammy

 

[jdesro]

I actually cringe a little anytime I see someone slam a slide home on an empty chamber. I know - in moderation - it won't do any damage to a modern well - made pistol, but I don't like doing it.

I've seen people in gun stores inspecting pistols do this over and over - lock the slide back, release it, lock the slide back, release it - again and again. What's the point? Just to make a cool noise? It serves no purpose.

I think the poster above made the perfect analogy with the car door. Do you slam your car door with full force every time you enter and exit it? Of course not - you use just enough force necessary to close it. Same with an empty auto pistol. When you are done shooting / cleaning / whatevering it, you just ride the slide home, using just enough force to acomplish the task - nothing more. It accomplishes the same goal without any undue battering of closely fitted parts.

When shooting / loading / training with live ammo / dummy rounds, you certainly want the slide to go forward with full force to ensure positive feeding, using the slide stop or slingshot or your method of choice. But in a relaxed environment when you just want to close the slide, I think it is pointless to just let it slam with full force.

 

[ARV]

I have never heard that letting the slide close on an empty chamber hurts anything. What does everyone do at the end of the day when they are done shooting, just go home with the slide locked back? I am cracking up at some of the stuff that comes out of here sometimes.

He means releasing it from a locked position to slam home, rather than guiding it closed with your hand slowly.


Really? How does it get closed if not by flipping it closed?

This would be "flipping" it closed by snapping your wrist to the side (or opening it that way for that matter) rather than closing it with your hand. It can "spring the crane", aka bend it. It could also probably damage the ejector rod.

Why is this?

Smashes the extractor into the case rim. Most are not profiled to slip over the rim of a chambered round, but have the round slide up under them in a controlled feed. Can break the extractor in some guns.

This stuff all sounds like some sort of gun lore or whatever. It is just a simple piece of metal, and does not care how you load it.

fin.

 

[That Guy]

RE: car door analogy

I'd say the difference is a car door isn't designed with a strength to withstand 20,000 explosions over the course of its life.