dropping the slide on a 1911 dry

[MicroMonkey]

I didnt know how to word the title, but I hope it made sense. What is the general consensus on dropping the slide on a 1911 model gun without having a round or snap-cap in the chamber? And by dropping, I mean "releasing the slide into battery via the slide lock"

[fireblast713]

Probably not going to hurt it, but in general I try not to drop the slide on semi auto's w/o a round in the chamber, because the velocity of the slide will normally be slowed by stripping off a round. Is it likely to matter? Probably not unless you do it a bajillion times, is it something I can easily avoid doing - yes. Just my 2 cents

[Windthing Ray]

Springfield loaded manual says "Don't Do It!" Better off to get some snap caps ! If its a stock gun without mod's you may be ok but its not worth the chance...

[knight0334]

Unless it's some danty delicate tuned gun - it will absolutely NOT hurt the gun.

Using the slide lock to release it could wear the lock and the notch in the slide though. But the slide closing in of itself will not hurt the gun.

[reichebrown]

I try not to drop the slide unless a round is being fed into the chamber from the mag. When I unload and show clear at matches I always support the slide as it moves forward.

[Grumpa72]

According to the gurus over at the 1911 forums, both of them, it won't hurt if you do it very occasionally. The argument is not to do it as a matter of habit. I follow the latter advice. If you are doing it to practice buy or make snap caps.

[nfafan]

Probably not going to hurt it, but in general I try not to drop the slide on semi auto's w/o a round in the chamber, because the velocity of the slide will normally be slowed by stripping off a round. Is it likely to matter? Probably not unless you do it a bajillion times, is it something I can easily avoid doing - yes. Just my 2 cents

Yep. I have been avoiding that as well.

I do a hand-release of the slide - not riding it, but just not allowing it to slam-feed a round. You develop a feel for that on a 1911. I have nothing to prove otherwise.

I look at it as kinda like the hang-up on "drop-free mags"... It's good to know it can happen if needed, but still, why wastefully muck up the mags you buy with YOUR MONEY "just because you can".

[harold63]

Something I always try to remember and practice with guns is this: If you do not need to do it, don't.

Knight is correct about wear to the slide lock if you use it as a slide release. If you do it enough, you may have slide lock problems on the last round fired and will have to replace it. You sure don't want the notch in the slide to round off.

[mrnyman]

NO DO NOT DO IT, it will ruin your extractor, dont believe me? Just hop on over to THR and ask all the 1911 gunsmiths over there.

A 1911 is a real gun its not a toy , it were designed to quickly strip a round from the mag and quickly go into battery, its metal on metal and something got to give - namely the weakest part- the extractor.

[Gun]

Using the slide lock to release it could wear the lock and the notch in the slide though.

That is a given. The slide lock is meant to be used because when changing mags, the free hand inserting the mag then doesn’t have to go over the top of the slide, pulling the slide back, sending the slide into battery. The thumb of the gripping hand takes care of releasing the slide, via slide lock, while the free hand quickly take its position, either overlapping the gripping hand, or holding a flashlight.

Some pundits feel that when there is a FTF on the first rd, when using the slide lock to release the slide, it is because that the slide doesn’t travel that extra distance, thus not having generated enough momentum to slam a rd into battery. Hogwash. If that 1911 is set up properly, you should be able to hand cycle thru a mag of rds, even if the 1911 is held upside down*. Problem has always been accounting for the variances in bullet configurations that are available, which weren’t taken into consideration when the 1911 was developed.

BTW, if your thumb can not reach the slide lock tab, extended slide locks are available. I don’t release on an empty chamber, don’t make a habit of it, because the situation doesn’t warrant it, the fight is over.


* Important to NOTE! If you try this with your 1911, install a shorten firing pin.