Releasing the slide on an empty chamber?

[TopDog]

Interesting thread. I have slammed the slide home on both military and civilian 1911's for many years and never had a problem. We used to take a pencil put in the barrel of a 1911 fire it and pull the slide back and release it and put the pencil back in the weapon and do this hundreds of times for practice and never had a problem. Of course that was with cheap military grade 1911's a $3,000.00 Kimber or other custom 1911 might not be able to handle that kind of abuse.

 

[ghitch75]

Of course that was with cheap military grade 1911's a $3,000.00 Kimber or other custom 1911 might not be able to handle that kind of abuse.

if my Wilson CQB wouldn't handle it it would go right back to Wilson.....i bet it would get fixed!!

 

[stack23]

So I'll ask. What's the purpose of slamming it shut on an empty chamber? Does it serve any purpose? I don't think so, and therefore I don't do it.

I'll answer, it closes the slide

 

[60Driver]

1. Lots of Very smart 1911 Smith's say not to do it, as it can jack up the sear nose. Can a well built gun take it....yes, does not mean it's a good idea.

2. No where, in any scenario, can I see the need to do it.

I take care of my tools...My tools take care of me.

 

[WebSnyper]

2. No where, in any scenario, can I see the need to do it.

I take care of my tools...My tools take care of me.

Definitely agreed... I just see no reason to do it.

Its like closing a door by slamming it as hard as I can all the time. There is just no reason to do it.

 

[edporch]

People are free to do what they want with THEIR guns.

I DON'T let an empty action slam closed on my guns.
WHY?
Because when fired, the action is decelerated by the sliding off the mag and loading of the next cartridge.
So it's not the same letting it slam closed with an empty action.

 

[NDguido]

A gun is just a chunk of steel and plastic, always look in the chamber to be sure, even then the chamber is never empty, treat all gun as if they are loaded.

Never really understood this. I understand the sentiment, but in reality if I am always to believe there is a round in the chamber, then how am I ever going to clean my XD? You have to pull the trigger to remove the slide.

 

[Bigshep]

I used to on the old Hi-point I had, but it was a Hi-point.....Never have on anything else though. I just see it as unnecessary wear and tear on the gun.

 

[mxxkffg]

If that were bad for my gun I would be buying a different one

 

[mxxkffg]

Never really understood this. I understand the sentiment, but in reality if I am always to believe there is a round in the chamber, then how am I ever going to clean my XD? You have to pull the trigger to remove the slide.

LOL im not the only one

 

[EPD1102]

At the Springfield 1911 armorer course, they said it was hard on the trigger and sear engagement or something if you let the slide slam home on an empty chamber. I don't know if it's true but I don't do it on my guns or on anyone else's gun.

 

[bwframe]

Function Check a 1911

====================================

Safety/Function Checking a 1911
By D. Kamm​

​

The following steps are necessary when evaluating any M1911-type pistol that you plan on purchasing, in order to verify that the pistol is in safe working condition. Even if you have no plans to ever shoot the pistol, by verifying the working condition of the gun you will get an idea as to its true condition, and also feel assured that you are buying a real working firearm and not just an expensive paperweight. If the pistol fails these safety checks and you plan on purchasing it anyway, you MUST either have it repaired by a competent pistolsmith or else make sure that live ammunition is never fired in the pistol. Either find a tasteful way to mark it as being "not safe to fire", or else disable the firing mechanism completely.​

It should also be understood that merely passing these safety checks does NOT guarantee that the pistol in question is safe to fire. Due to other factors such as improper headspace, metallurgical flaws, etc. it is still necessary to have a pistolsmith check the firearm over before firing live ammunition in it. These safety checks are merely for your use at the time of sale, in order to do a quick verification that there is nothing seriously wrong with the pistol. Once again, have a pistolsmith check over ANY used gun you buy before taking it to the range!​

SAFETY WARNING: Performing these checks involves actuating the pistol's firing mechanism. DO NOT attempt any of these checks if you are not completely familiar with the operation of a 1911-type handgun. These checks are also only applicable to U.S. military-issue M1911/M1911A1 pistols, NOT any other types or models of firearms even if they may appear similar in appearance or operation. DO NOT ATTEMPT THESE CHECKS UNTIL AFTER YOU HAVE MADE ABSOLUTELY CERTAIN THAT THE GUN IS UNLOADED. IF YOU ARE NOT SURE HOW PROPERLY UNLOAD THIS TYPE OF PISTOL YOU MUST FIRST SEEK THE ADVICE OF A QUALIFIED INDIVIDUAL. THE AUTHOR OF THIS WEBSITE HAS NO CONTROL OVER YOUR USE OF COMMON SENSE AND KNOWLEDGE OF FIREARMS, AND AS A RESULT NO LIABILITY IS EXPRESSED NOR IMPLIED. Safety involving the following procedures is SOLELY the responsibility of, and can be controlled only by the person actually handling the firearm.​

SAFETY FIRST: DO NOT attempt any of the following safety checks until you have made ABSOLUTELY certain that the gun is unloaded! Point the gun is a safe direction, then:1. FIRST completely remove the magazine.
2. Lock the slide back, engaging the slide stop.
3. LOOK into the chamber to ensure that no live round is present. Feel into the chamber with the tip of your little finger if you have to.
Even after verifying that you are holding an unloaded gun, always keep the pistol pointed in a safe direction while performing the following tests.

BASIC TEST: Slide forward, hammer cocked, thumb safety off, holding pistol normally with firing hand. Pull trigger- hammer should fall.

FUNCTIONING TEST: Still holding gun in the firing hand, leave trigger pressed and pull slide back.

Release slide, keeping trigger pressed. Hammer should now be fully cocked. Release trigger, then pull it again. Hammer should fall.

HALF-COCK TEST: Using thumb, pull hammer back until the first audible click. Hammer should be at half-cock notch. Grip gun normally, attempt to pull trigger. Hammer should NOT fall for any reason, unless the gun is a Series 80 commercial. These guns have a re-designed half-cock notch that engages near the at-rest position, thus the hammer cannot fall hard enough to strike the firing pin with force. MILITARY GUNS WILL ALWAYS USE THE OLDER HALF-COCK NOTCH, WHICH SHOULD NEVER ALLOW THE HAMMER TO FALL.

SEAR ENGAGEMENT TEST: Lock the slide back, grip gun normally, then release the slide stop, allowing slide to slam home with force. The hammer should NOT fall for any reason. If it does then the hammer/sear engagement is too weak. Repeat test once again to be sure.Note: The gun's current owner may not appreciate seeing the slide being slammed home on an empty chamber in this fashion, even though it is a critical safety check. Tell the owner what you intend to do beforehand and why, and limit it to one or two attempts.

THUMB SAFETY CHECK: Holding gun normally with firing hand, slide forward, hammer cocked, thumb safety ON. Attempt to pull trigger. The hammer should not fall, nor should you feel any perceptible movement of internal parts. If you squeezed the trigger and it didn't come to a quick, hard stop (i.e. the trigger felt mushy) then there may have been some sear movement.Release trigger, disengage thumb safety. Hammer still should not fall. If it does the thumb safety and/or sear is faulty.

GRIP SAFETY TEST: Hammer cocked, slide forward, thumb safety OFF. Hold the gun so as to not depress the grip safety. Attempt to pull trigger. Hammer should not fall. If it does the grip safety is worn or has been deactivated.

DISCONNECTOR TEST: Slide forward, hammer back, thumb safety OFF. Grip gun normally with firing hand, while pulling slide back 1/4" with support hand. Pull trigger. Hammer should not fall. Repeat test by pulling slide all the way back, then releasing it slowly, pulling trigger every 1/2" of slide movement. The hammer should NOT fall until the slide has returned to the full forward position. If it does then the disconnector is worn. DO NOT fire the pistol until it is repaired, or else it may possibly go into firing uncontrollable bursts or go completely "full-auto".​

Images by D. Kamm​

Copyright © 2001-2005
[www.CoolGunSite.com]
All rights reserved.
Revised: 08/09/08

 

[JettaKnight]

Never really understood this. I understand the sentiment, but in reality if I am always to believe there is a round in the chamber, then how am I ever going to clean my XD? You have to pull the trigger to remove the slide.

Sand bucket. Get one, use it.

There's lots of reports of people clearing the chamber then dropping the slide on a loaded magazine followed by a trigger pull to break down the gun.

 

[jeremy]

There's lots of reports of people clearing the chamber then dropping the slide on a loaded magazine followed by a trigger pull to break down the gun.

St. Darwin in action....

 

[TopDog]

Sand bucket. Get one, use it.

There's lots of reports of people clearing the chamber then dropping the slide on a loaded magazine followed by a trigger pull to break down the gun.

Thanks for reminding me of another instance where we used to let the slide slam shut on a empty chamber. When I was on barracks duty (back in the mid 70's) when coming back from patrol or off post we would have to clear our weapons. This was done by clearing the weapon, then letting the slide slam shut on a empty chamber and dry firing into a discharge tube to prove the weapon was indeed empty and "safe". Only God knows how many times daily those 1911's had this done to them and they worked just fine.

 

[jjohnson]

I don't see anything wrong with it. I have several handguns and it hasn't hurt one of them.

 

[NHT3]

It's not detrimental to all handguns, just 1911s that have the trigger "on the edge" so to speak..
I was just relaying info that was passed to me through several sources including the builders at Nighthawk that I talked with when I was there a couple of years ago. Your pistol is absolutely yours to do with as you will. If you do have a really good trigger and for what ever reason it goes south on you keep me in mind, I'll be happy to repair it for you.
[FONT=&quot]NRA Life member [/FONT][FONT=&quot]GSSF member[/FONT][FONT=&quot]
Gunsite graduate Certified Glock armorer[/FONT]

 

[Shroom]

i just baby my girls. : )

 

[IndyGunner]

If it damages the gun,then your mags better be perfect at pushing the slide stop every time and not fail to lock the slide on an empty mag.Right?

My ruger lcp doesnt lock back after the last round... guess its going to explode! LOL

 

[Drail]

To those who have claimed that dropping the slide imposes the same forces on the gun as when it is fired - when the gun is fired your finger is holding the trigger to the rear when it cycles. You are holding the sear off of the hammer hooks - until you release the trigger and the disconnector resets and reconnects the trigger to the sear. You cannot compare these two operations. Dropping a slide on empty WILL batter the locking lugs in a way that does not happen when the slide is picking up a fresh round from the mag. If the gun has had trigger work that reduces the hammer hook depth and uses much lighter spring forces on the sear and disconnector these surfaces can batter each other as well. This not a personal opinion or an internet theory - it is a fact. If the gun is fired and the slide does not lock open - you are still holding the trigger back when the slide goes forrward - you cannot remove your finger before the slide cycles, I don't care how fast you may think you are. Dropping on empty with a GI 1911 will probably do little damage (although it still batters the locking lugs) but to do it on a "tuned" 1911 - it is abusive. If you wish to treat YOUR gun that way - it's your gun. Do it to someone else's gun while claiming it is the same as when it fires is NOT true and is just like slamming the door on a new Ferrari as hard as you can and not understanding why the owner is upset. Learn how the gun operates before claiming "it won't hurt it". It is a finely tuned mechanism. Abuse it all you want but don't tell people who know better that "its the same thing as firing it". It ain't the same thing.