I have seen both the extended mag catch and slide catch cause about as many problems as they resolve. Inadvertant release of a magazine is no laughing matter, and I have seen more than one or two Glocks with extended release buttons do this while holstered as well as while being fired.

The "problem" many shooters seem to have is their belief that they should be able to engage the release button with no shifting of the gun or the hand...something that is rarely any faster but definitely more prone to unintentional release of the magazine during any activity with the gun in hand other than static target shooting...at least for many shooters. Another issue here is that if you do not shift the position of the "strong" hand (for right-handed shooters) it is very possible that you will end up pushing against your own hand AND the release button since the catch body must extend out from the left side of the grip when activated. Before you go to an extended button, try shifting the hand a bit and hitting the button with the TIP of the right thumb, not the ball...I think you will see that this works perfectly for most shooters.

I have seen many, many premature slide lock problems, especially with the "baby" Glocks, when using the extended slide catches. These often happen only when the pistol is fired rapidly and, for lack of a better term, "accumulated recoil" causes the pistol to shift a bit and bumps the slide catch into the hand. The standard Glock catch is designed to be only that...a "catch"...not both a catch and a release. I once bought a very nice G27 cheap because the owner had installed an extended catch and thought the gun was unreliable. As soon as I removed the extended catch and replaced it with a standard one, the "problem" disappeared.

I realize that a few shooters do, in fact, need one or both of these parts, but I completely agree with clubsoda22...keep the Glock as stock as possible. JMO

"Do you lose a tactical advantage"?

My opinion is no, even if it takes you, say, 1/4 second longer to release the slide this way. My reasoning for this belief is that what tiny increment of time you may gain by using the thumb to release the Glock slide is more than offset by the consistency of the "slingshot" method, which can be used with any autopistol, and works for one-handed reloads with either hand. (ever try a left hand only reload with a Sig?) In addition, the slight amount of "overtravel" gained with this method makes it slightly more reliable when using a dirty or dry pistol, or when a FTF might get you killed.

While  the belief that if all other things are equal, the fastest shooter is the "best" has some amount of merit, the idea that speed is an end unto itself can be a dangerous one. I am not the first guy to say this, but there is a great deal of difference between "shooting" and "fighting with guns", and the guy who can shoot the tightest group or pull a trigger the fastest, or make a "golly-gee" reload may, or may not be the guy you want on your side when things get up-close, down and dirty, and it is no longer a game.

OTOH if you are shooting USPSA / IPSC matches, that 1/4 second can, indeed, be the difference between finishing in the money or not. Just remember that the habits you learn or allow yourself to pick up will be those you will default to under stress. Frankly, if you decide to shoot competition the way you would want to fight, you will often finish far down the list. The choice is yours.

The extended slide release is nothing more than the magazine release from a wide frame Glock ( 20,29,21,30). Typically when i install one i have to sand the edges off so it's comfortable. Being able to release your mag without altering your grip is a good thing. IMHO.


J