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Posted: 6/1/2003 7:23:45 PM EDT
[#1]
You won't hurt an HK or any other modern auto for that matter.
It's part of malfuntion clearing drills for certain malfuntions. The one thing that one of my instructors pointed out is that one of his students was in the habit of using the slide stop to release the slide. (rather than just grabbing the slide and going) Anyway, after years of doing this he rounded the notch in the slide to the point that it would no longer engage. |
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Posted: 6/1/2003 7:25:49 PM EDT
[#2]
The theory is that the slide is designed to have a round in it as it slides forward. W/o a round in it moves faster, I guess, or in some way it is more jarring to the gun. I remembering hearing this when I was very young. I think it's a load of pucky and don't worry about it with my guns. But I would not let a slide slam forward on someone else' gun that I did not know as they may not like it.
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Posted: 6/1/2003 7:29:42 PM EDT
[#3]
Semi Auto pistols are designed to strip a cartridge from the mag as the slide goes into battery. This stripping of the cartridge acts to slow the momentum of the slide and soften the
the impact of the slide locking into place. On 1911's letting a slide slam home empty may result is a cracked frame at the slide stop holes. I imagine that it's not good for any weapon. Neither is slamming or flipping shut the cylinder of a DA revolver. |
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Posted: 6/1/2003 7:34:32 PM EDT
[#4]
Im going to have to respectfully disagree SGB. Dropping a slide on an empty chamber on a 1911 will batter the sear engagement surfaces and ruin a trigger job. Ive yet to hear of it leading to frame cracks, especially considering there are pistols in use in some military units with 70,000+ rounds through them with no frame cracking.
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Posted: 6/1/2003 8:03:16 PM EDT
[#5]
As long as it's respectful
Respectfully Lumpy196 I have seen stress cracks at the slide stop hole on a 1911. The owner was fond of dropping the slide home empty. In all fairness I don't know for positive that this was the cause,(it was an essex frame with many thousands of rounds down spout) but it seems logical to believe it may well have contributed to the condition. |
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Posted: 6/1/2003 9:37:51 PM EDT
[#6]
I am in the habit of always grasping the slide and riding it down anyway whenever I am releasing it on an empty chamber. While I am not sure it's necessary to reduce wear and damage, I often do it in order to keep the gun quiet. Sometimes you don't want to alarm your company while cleaning the guns. There's nearly always someone around here anyway and many of my friends I want nowhere near my firearms! LOL.
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Posted: 6/2/2003 12:34:46 AM EDT
[#7]
It's a rare moment, go with it SGB. LOL. |
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Posted: 6/2/2003 2:36:08 AM EDT
[#8]
I didn't know that using the slide lock to drop the slide rounded anything off.
*makes mental note to stop doing that* Thanks! Speaking of slides slamming shut. If it's dark, you're told to stick your finger in the chamber to make sure that it's clear. Anyone ever had the slide accidently slam shut while doing this? With a pistol, I bet it would hurt. With an AR, I think that it might just tear a big hold in your flesh... |
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Posted: 6/2/2003 5:52:40 AM EDT
[#9]
The empty chamber thing is a known problem with the 1911, but not because it damages the gun. The only logic I heard to this effect was that it messes up a good trigger pull in the gun. (Ed Brown said this in an article I read)
I do not drop on an empty chamber on my Les Baer 1911, but I do it on my other guns. I don't do it several dozen times a day every day. Doing it that much can cause a problem. I mainly do it when I am practicing malf clearance and mag changes. I have experienced only a broken firing pin in my Beretta 92FS and that gun was bought (well) used and I dry fired the heck out of it. |
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Posted: 6/2/2003 7:01:06 AM EDT
[#10]
Dropping the slide on an empty chamber is one of those gray areas as far as I'm concerned.
Some say it won't hurt the gun, some say it will eventually. I think it depends on the gun (kind of like dry firing). My take on it: it's no more trouble to let the slide down easy, so why risk a problem? I've just cultivated the habit of easing the slide down on every auto I handle, especially when the gun in question belongs to someone else. Folks can get real touchy about what they see as someone abusing their gun. |
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Posted: 6/2/2003 7:43:48 AM EDT
[#11]
I just don't do it often, at best, metal slamming together over the long term can't be good for it.
I feel I would rather wear it out by firing than playing with it. That's my opinion and I'm stickin' to it! 
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Posted: 6/2/2003 4:23:15 PM EDT
[#12]
I would never do it to someone elses weapon, but I make sure I NEVER get in the habit of pussy footing my defense weapons. I try to maintain the habit of quick and decisive manipulation during practice so the same thing happens in a high stress situation.
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Posted: 6/2/2003 7:04:30 PM EDT
[#13]
Droping the slide on an empty 1911 makes quite a clash. When chambering a round, as it was designed to do, it opperates more quietly. What is all the unnecessary noise/energy tell you?
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Posted: 6/2/2003 7:08:47 PM EDT
[#14]
This is not a flame, but He's asking about an HK USP.
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Posted: 6/4/2003 10:02:41 AM EDT
[#15]
yea..i don't really have much experience with the 1911. and the usp doesn't sound as if it's undergoing any serious damage when i've dropped the slide. plus, it seemed as if firing a round would create far more force than anything i could do manually. (though it is directed differently.)
either way, from what you guys have written, it sounds as if i don't need to worry too much that i've damaged the gun. it's probably fine. but i do like the idea of riding down the slide on other people's guns. and will likely start doing it on my own jsut to get into the habit. it doesn't seem as if there would be any reason not to. |
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Posted: 6/4/2003 11:36:03 AM EDT
[#16]
In a preciscion tuned 1911A1 target pistol it MIGHT hurt something.
But since 1911, every military watch stander armed with this pistol used the slide release to drop the slide on an empty chamber at the change of the guard. Even the "Manual of Arms" for the 1911A1 calls for the slide release to be used to drop the slide after "Inspection Arms". I would think that in that pistol's long history, there would have been an advisory notice if that had been a problem. If we had a nickle for every slide dropped on an empty 1911 chambers, we would all be millionaires. If it caused any damage, Colt would still be prosperous. Metallurgy has come a long way since 1911. My .45 ACP Colts, USP, Sig and P9S have no caveats on dropping the slide on an empty chamber in the instruction manuals. The unusual and dangerous ritual of pulling the 1911 trigger to unload the sear while releasing the slide is another strange custom waiting for an AD and a DA soon afterwards. |
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Posted: 6/4/2003 2:44:35 PM EDT
[#17]
I know on stock 1911's and other pistols it doesn't hurt them because my friends do it all the time but it is impossible for me too drop the slide on a empty chamber I just cannot do it and when someone else does it I cringe.
Yeah I am weird, thats what happens when something is drilled into your brain. |
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Posted: 6/5/2003 9:28:08 AM EDT
[#18]
I sure don't know most of you guys are getting your info but, only a qualified pistol smith should close a slide on an empty chamber . Doing so routinely will lead to sear and hammer problems. If you do it on a regular basis you are looking for trouble. Pretty soon your hammer will start following your slide and not stay in the cocked position. Have fun and play Don Johnson if you want but please not with my guns OK.
All kidding aside it will cause hammer follow and that will not only be costly but very unsafe. Gary |
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Posted: 6/5/2003 10:02:52 AM EDT
[#19]
I have always gently closed my 1911 slides on an empty chamber after a gunshop owner winced and gently corrected me. His take on the subject also leaned towards possible sear/trigger damage.
My father-in-law is a Korean war vet. He has been there/done that, and credits having a 1911 close at hand to saving his life on at least 2 occasions. He shot competitively with the .45 while a marine and after. He was sending 230 gr ball down range long before I was born. He continued to drop the slide on my empty .45s until I finally decided to mention that doing so "may" cause damage. Sounded reasonable to him. Heh, kinda hard to tell if the trigger job was ruined on my 80 series Colts 
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Posted: 6/7/2003 5:14:11 PM EDT
[#20]
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Posted: 6/7/2003 6:23:25 PM EDT
[#21]
Sounds like bullsh-t. I have never seen evidence; statistical or anecdotal that would indicate a problem. It would seem that an extra strong recoil spring would have the same effect on a loaded gun as a normal spring on an unloaded gun.
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Posted: 6/8/2003 9:03:44 AM EDT
[#22]
Off topic a bit...I have seen some at the range baby the slide home to chamber a round...that's when you should let it fly.
Then they think they had a misfeed! 
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Posted: 6/9/2003 7:12:03 AM EDT
[#23]
I LOVE the sound it makes
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Posted: 6/9/2003 7:40:16 AM EDT
[#24]
If you put the Enbloc clip in a garand, and you arnet quick about it: M1 THUMB! Now,That hurts! |
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Posted: 6/9/2003 7:43:00 AM EDT
[#25]
The owners manual for my Kimber says, Never drop the slde on an empty chamber, it loosens the frame to slide fit.
They also say dont "thumb" the hammer down, it can hurt the sear. (Maybe it can, but I really think they tell you this, so they dont get sued for your ND.) |
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Posted: 6/9/2003 11:00:07 PM EDT
[#26]
Regardless of your take on the issue as to whether it causes any particular damage or not; I have always thought of it as bad etiquette to drop the slide on empty with someone elses weapon.
Other views? |
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Posted: 6/10/2003 1:41:46 PM EDT
[#27]
I agree! I bought a Colt Cowboy and I was showing it to my brother. He looked at it and said, "Hey watch this" and started to try to fan it. I got it from him before he could start fanning it. I am still amazed he tried to do it. |
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Posted: 6/10/2003 1:55:09 PM EDT
[#28]
Messed up both my triggers on my Spingfield 1911's.
Competent gunsmith could only figure it came from my dry firing practices and my bad habit of releasing the slide onto empty chambers constantly. If you do anything too much it may hurt your gun. |
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Posted: 6/11/2003 2:15:49 PM EDT
[#29]
maybe this is off topic, but the thing that I heard was bad was loading a round in the chamber through the top and releasing the slide. I heard this will mess up your extractor because it was designed to slide in through the bottom and not slam over the rim of the cartridge. Is it possible they got the idea from this. Don't do it on other peoples guns and they shouldn't do it to yours. I for one do it all the time to practice tactical reloads.
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Posted: 6/11/2003 2:26:41 PM EDT
[#30]
I have heard that also. |
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Posted: 6/11/2003 8:15:00 PM EDT
[#31]
I cannot STAND it when people do that! |
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Posted: 6/11/2003 9:13:43 PM EDT
[#32]
Dropping the slide on an empty semi auto, especially one with a polymer frame or alloy frame, does seem like it would cause damage at some point. It's really amazing what a pistol goes through when fired with live ammunition though too. It always seems like there is a lot of stress on the slide stop pin (can't think of another name for it right now)on most pistols. I realize the engineers design things to work right, but it's neat how things work and how long some pistols can last with all the wear and tear involved.
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