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Dropping slide ?

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slide stop
6K views 37 replies 24 participants last post by  Jimhoag 
#1 ·
i was in shop today looking at a DW PMC. Owner came over when he saw I was going to drop slide ( on empty chamber of course) Asked for the gun , took magazine out and gently closed slide . Said " you can do that once it's your gun "
I've seen articles & videos on both sides of this issue I wasn't really put off by his comment although he could have used it as a teaching moment , and explained the why.

Any thoughts about this are welcome . How much damage would this do to internals ?
 
#2 ·
i was in shop today looking at a DW PMC. Owner came over when he saw I was going to drop slide ( on empty chamber of course) Asked for the gun , took magazine out and gently closed slide . Said " you can do that once it's your gun "
I've seen articles & videos on both sides of this issue I wasn't really put off by his comment although he could have used it as a teaching moment , and explained the why.

Any thoughts about this are welcome . How much damage would this do to internals ?
Supposedly doing it a lot will damage the quality of the trigger pull. I didn’t catch why... but that was the result.

So it matters less on a cheap 1911, and is a big deal on expensive ones.
 
#7 ·
One of the videos that bill Wilson has discussed this and they said the finer the gun the more it matters .
I get it and no complaints about the warning . Wondering why other shops have not mentioned this
I try to use all controls just to make sure of their feel . I'm actually glad he pointed this out

I know lots of shooters will drop slide on a reload but the chamfering if a round acts as a buffer
So it's totally different to wear and tear
 
#9 ·
One of the videos that bill Wilson has discussed this and they said the finer the gun the more it matters .
I get it and no complaints about the warning . Wondering why other shops have not mentioned this
I try to use all controls just to make sure of their feel . I'm actually glad he pointed this out

I know lots of shooters will drop slide on a reload but the chamfering if a round acts as a buffer
So it's totally different to wear and tear
Interesting. I always drop the slide when chambering a round
 
#8 ·
The WCR posted this years ago on TOOS

The only time damage can occur to the hammer/sear engagement is if the hammer actually falls to half cock on the sear nose. Even then it would typically have to happen several times to cause a problem.

I do not condone dropping the slide on an empty chamber. Doing it repeatedly over and over will certainly put undue wear and stress on your slide/barrel fit...but an occasional slide drop won't hurt your gun.


If it hurts your gun who really knows, just don't do it on a gun you don't own, period.
 
#17 ·
Unless I alter/change sear or hammer spring tensions, or mess with the sear and hammer geometry there is no need. Or at least I've never found a need.

Also, I'm pretty good at just testing the trigger by dry firing with a snap cap. I can usually tell if a trigger is on the 'ragged edge' of stability so to speak. I don't know how to explain it, but I can feel it.
 
#22 ·
Any thoughts about this are welcome . How much damage would this do to internals ?
This was discussed recently. Yes, it can damage the internal parts, and is a decided "No-no".
 
#24 ·
It's quite like slamming the door on a very nice car.
I remember you posting this in another thread. I've started using it all the time with customers. It's simple and easy to understand.

Sent from my SM-G973U1 using Tapatalk
 
#34 ·
Yup, I too don't drop slides on empty chambers, certainly not on my Les Baer, or even my Glock. Like my sister-in-law slamming the living daylights out of my car door for no reason :LOL:

I thought I've heard Rob at Alchemy and Bill Wilson at Wilson Combat both give reasoning why not to drop 1911 slides on empty chambers in some of their video's. I think Bill's was a video with Larry Vickers...
 
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