Glock Slide release

[Iraqgunz]

Last time we had this debate I decided to do a completely unscientific test and see which was faster and easier. By far, for me I was much faster reloading and hitting the slide lock than I was grasping the slide. I never missed.

[markm]

Slide stop has definitely got to be quicker.

In one of these previous discussions, I posted that I had the concern with dropping the slide before the mag had been fully seated.

In other words, I've hit the slide stop so close to the time when I pushed the mag home I was wondering if a round got stripped off.

[ToddG]

In other words, I've hit the slide stop so close to the time when I pushed the mag home I was wondering if a round got stripped off.

If you pull the trigger too soon, you might hurt yourself. Might want to be careful the next time you're driving, too ... hitting the gas too soon at a red light could get you killed.

As a general rule, "If I do it wrong it won't be right" is a poor reason. Now on the other hand, if you're saying you question your physical and/or psychological ability to delay hitting the lever until after the magazine is inserted, that is a valid concern for you.

[danpass]

When I had my G19 I quickly learned to go with the slingshot method.

The slide lock was always difficult to use and I preferred not to go with an extended version.


I did go with a GLOCK extended mag release though, had to do it. I rounded off the corners a little bit to smooth it off.

[markm]

if you're saying you question your physical and/or psychological ability to delay hitting the lever until after the magazine is inserted, that is a valid concern for you.

The concern is in a hasty reload if the mag exchange is less than perfect and the mag doesn't insert smoothly with the thumb riding the slide stop, the slide could drop before the mag is seated.

Now I guess you could build muscle memory into not touching the slide stop until the mag is seated? I don't know if that is even addressed in training because we were instructed by the Phx PD instructors who had us using the slide grab method.

[ToddG]

The concern is in a hasty reload if the mag exchange is less than perfect and the mag doesn't insert smoothly with the thumb riding the slide stop, the slide could drop before the mag is seated.

Why are you retaining your empty magazine?

Now I guess you could build muscle memory into not touching the slide stop until the mag is seated? I don't know if that is even addressed in training because we were instructed by the Phx PD instructors who had us using the slide grab method.

I actually "pre-load" the slide release lever, putting my shooting hand thumb on top of it so I can depress it as soon as the magazine is locked in place. How fast & efficiently you can do it is, of course, going to depend on your skill level. The important thing is that no matter how you drop the slide, you don't start advancing the gun back to the target until you've acquired your complete, proper shooting grip with both hands.

But let's assume you do think you've dropped the slide too early. What do you do? You rack the slide ... so now your reload has taken exactly as long as it would have if you had chosen to rack form the beginning.

Possible gain: speed. Possible loss: negligible.

Don't misunderstand me. Yes, you can do it too fast and screw up. I'm certainly not suggesting that using the slide release comes with a written warranty from God. It's just that in my experience watching a fair number of shooters of various skill levels with a wide variety of guns, the people using the slide release are faster, mistakes & all, at achieving the goal: putting rounds on target asap.

[markm]

Why are you retaining your empty magazine?

Cuz they're expensive! Just kidding. I'm not... I just used the wrong terminology.

[CoryCop25]

Glock slide stops are not intended to be pushed down to bring the slide into battery unlike the ar/m-16 platforms. In the Glock armorer's course, they stress the use of the slingshot method. Although new studies show that use of your thumb to release the slide release is NOT a fine motor skill, Glock designed their pistols for the sling shot method. The extended slide stop levers were added later to appeal to the thumb flickers. So long story short Mhanna91, the release is hard cuz it is not the intended use. Other than that, that puppy should run smooth! ENJOY Glock perfection!

[ToddG]

Glock slide stops are not intended to be pushed down to bring the slide into battery unlike the ar/m-16 platforms.

Really? I know they say that. But are the serrations angled for pressing up or down? I just checked my 17/T which has a normal (not extended) slide stop and it's pretty clear to me which way it's primarily intended to be manipulated.

Although new studies show that use of your thumb to release the slide release is NOT a fine motor skill,

Can you provide some documentation or links there? I'd very much like to read such a study.

[CoryCop25]

When we transitioned over to the Glocks (G23) in 2000 my PD sent the instructor (at that time) to Glock in GA. He came back from the school and we had extensive transition training with the pistol and he pounded into our little minds that it was a SLIDE STOP not a slide release. He had to change our old training scars from the S&W 4006's we had because we all used to reach for that beefy slide release. I took a Glock armorer's course in May of this year and the instructor confirmed this. As I sit in my office typing this, I am looking at my issued G22 and the serrations are straight across the slide stop, not showing any specific direction. I teach my officers if it works well for them individually, then do it how it is comfortable. If they can manipulate the slide stop faster than they can slingshot and they do it consistently every time than use it. I have always used the slingshot method with every auto pistol I use so it became second nature for me.
As for the thumb not being a fine motor skill, I was told that in a tactical firearms instructor school that I attended last July and I will contact Mark Peters and or Walt Dunkling, who were the NRA LEAD instructors that week and ask them about it and I will get back to you on that one. If I didn't know them personally, I would not have repeated it with as much confidence as I did without having a reference to back up what I stated.