slide question

[hogan]

I was at a gun shop the other day. (picking up my sr40) While at the gun shop I observed a customer looking at a 1911. While looking at the gun he pulled the slide back to the lock position, after which he just released it slamming the slide into fire position. This was an unloaded weapon and it always seems to me that this is putting a lot of pounding on a gun.

My thought is that when you have a loaded magazine in the gun, the force of pushing the next round into the chamber softens the impact on the slide.

My question being, does it do any harm to the gun to let the slide fly???

 

[Cheesewhiz]

You'll get many different opinions on possible damage or such but I look at it as just a dumb thing to do in a gun store. Ettiquette in a gun store or with someone else's pistol is the military over hand slide release and ease to battery.

 

[jhearne]

You'll get many different opinions on possible damage or such but I look at it as just a dumb thing to do in a gun store. Ettiquette in a gun store or with someone else's pistol is the military over hand slide release and ease to battery.

This^^

If it ain't your gun, be gentle with it, just ease it back to battery. Because some people don't know any better, or just don't care, is why we see guns with premature wear from poor handling if the gun is ever out of it's shipping case prior to sale (i.e. on display).

Josh

 

[Flash]

Anytime you let the slide go like that without a cartridge being carried forward, you take a chance of breaking the extractor. What you witnessed was just an example of someone not caring about what they did to someone else's gun.

 

[batmann]

This action is the same as someone flipping the cyl in a revolver. Not only in bad taste and shows your ignorance in gun handling, but a good example of what NOT to do.

 

[9x19]

If that is all it takes to damage the gun, I would pass on owning it.

With 1911s that have been "tuned" for extremely light trigger pulls, dropping the slide on an empty chamber can cause the sear to bounce and the hammer to trip. If the hammer has a half-cock notch, since the trigger is not held back keeping the sear clear of the falling hammer, that half-cock notch can (not will, but can) hit the sear nose and cause damage.

It should not be an issue with an out of the box gun, but it has become part of the gun-lore often shared as proof of expertise.

 

[Cheesewhiz]

So what's the answer 9x19, letting a slide fly on a gun you don't own is fine with you or what?

BTW, sears don't bounce, crappy trigger jobs fail.

 

[GhosT]

Finally a good answer...not surprised was from 9x19.

Owned a few 1911 design guns before....
As a SOUTHPAW/LEFT HANDER....traded them away.

"While looking at the gun he pulled the slide back to the lock position, after which he just released it slamming the slide into fire position. "

HOGAN,
The 1911 ...an extremely well built design...
Letting the slide "HAMMER BACK" to the fire position....is a standard move for this gun. ZERO STRESS on it!

 

[Yawn]

You'll get many different opinions on possible damage or such but I look at it as just a dumb thing to do in a gun store. Ettiquette in a gun store or with someone else's pistol is the military over hand slide release and ease to battery.

This^^

If it ain't your gun, be gentle with it, just ease it back to battery. Because some people don't know any better, or just don't care, is why we see guns with premature wear from poor handling if the gun is ever out of it's shipping case prior to sale (i.e. on display).

Josh

Man, I gotta say, after only a few trips to gun shops and seeing how people handle the guns, I make sure my purchases are very NIB and never been a display model!

But I as well have heard many conflicting things. The number one smith in town here chuckled at a similar story and said it won't hurt the gun, for what that is worth. Hey, maybe he was just trying to drum up more business. ha ha, nah, he is a good guy.

 

[9x19]

So what's the answer 9x19, letting a slide fly on a gun you don't own is fine with you or what?

That is a different question than the OP asked, but... I think common courtesy dictates you handle other people's guns with a bit more restraint than you would your own.

 

[Cheesewhiz]

My answer to any possible damage would be it won't hurt a pistol to let the slide go on an empty chamber and that goes for just about any pistol. The firing cycle is going to be as stressful on the slide or any associated parts and pistols are built to be fired last I heard. I don't baby my pistols at all but I always baby someone elses.

 

[Yawn]

My answer to any possible damage would be it won't hurt a pistol to let the slide go on an empty chamber and that goes for just about any pistol. The firing cycle is going to be as stressful on the slide or any associated parts and pistols are built to be fired last I heard. I don't baby my pistols at all but I always baby someone elses.

Exactly!!!! Well said...

When I was first looking at the SR9 and SR9c, the guy in the gun shop field stripped the SR9 by dry firing it to show me how easy it was, and how just like the Glock it was! This was before I knew the SR series dry fire rules! I can't imagine how many times he had done this each day, and he worked at the shop! And some poor sap would probably eventually purchase that pistol... I am waiting to see the complaint come here to RF... one dry fire and the gun broke!

 

[dacaur]

Anytime you let the slide go like that without a cartridge being carried forward, you take a chance of breaking the extractor.

This is only if you have a cartridge in the bbl. like if open the slide and hand load one in the chamber. most extractors arent made to slide over the rim of a cartridge, the are made for the cartridge rim to slide up under it from below. If dropping the slide on an empty chamber could break the extractor, then doing it with a case held under the extractor could too, there isn't much difference.

The difference in speed between dropping on an empty chamber and with stripping a round from the mag on the way back into battery after firing is actualy in favor of the fired cartridge, not the hand drop (its moving faster after being fired). The cartridge doesn't slow it down an appreciable amount. You have low friction metal on metal sliding, its meant to go in as easy as possible. Firing your gun puts WAY more stress on it than just dropping the slide. When you fire it, the slide moving back into battery FASTER than if you just drop the slide, because it has not only the spring pressure, but also some energy left over from firing from rebounding off the stop as it goes back... its going back at high speed, and the spring slows it down but isn't what stops its backward motion. throw a metal bearing against a wall and what happens? does it stop dead losing its energy and fall to the ground, or does it rebound back some?

 

[9isFine]

My Personal Gun Store Etiquette.

1. Is it unloaded?
2. Is it unloaded?
3. Dont let slides go forward on a gun un assisted.
4. Dont dry fire without asking if its OK.
5. Dont disassemble a weapon, ask the clerk to do it..even if you own 5 of them.
6. Dont point it at anyone...Ive seen this, the guy was asked to leave( he was laughing too)
7. Dont "palm hammer" a magazine into the gun.

Will any of the above hurt the said gun? I dont know. but they dont belong to me yet. When you get it home feel free to disregard the above..Heck, drop it in a puddle of muddy water and fire it without even checking the chamber if you want

 

[Cheesewhiz]

When you get it home feel free to disregard the above..Heck, drop it in a puddle of muddy water and fire it without even checking the chamber if you want

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[chopprs]

NEWSFLASH!!!

Colt DOES NOT recommend letting the slide slam home on an unloaded gun!

Any more questions?

 

[9x19]

Colt?

Are they still in business?