Glock, slide stop, and thumb interference

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alpining

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Hi all - I tried a couple of Glocks the other day, and I found that my thumb was preventing the slide stop from engaging at the end of the magazine. Most of my pistol shooting has been done with a 1911, where I use a 'high thumb' position (thumb rests on top of the safety).

Any tips for making this transition? Aside from the thumb thing, I really liked shooting the Glocks. I'm considering getting one, but I don't really want to have to learn a whole new grip just to use them.

Thanks in advance...
 
Hmmm I found just the opposite when I first started shooting my G34. My thumb was engaging the slide stop a lot of the time and holding the slide open with rounds in the mag. I think maybe the slide stop on the G34 may be slightly extended tho. Now make a conscious effort to keep that thumb just slightly down. Its getting better all the time and i rarely have to think about it now.
I see in the dillon blue book catalog they sell a shortened slide stop to alleviate the problem you are describing. Cheap easy fix.
 
The same thing happens to me and I have seen it happen to many people.

One tip is to change the mag before the gun is empty. Count your rounds.

Also, for what it is worth, gun range rumour is that dropping the slide is hard on triggers.
 
i had the same problem with my gen 4 when i used no backstrap (slimmest grip). It was more comfortable that way but the slide not staying open on the last round is not great so i installed the medium backstrap and my thumb now doesnt prevent the slide stop from working
 
The only good solution is to train around it. Any time you switch guns, you need to adapt things a bit...try going to a DA/SA 226. Now THAT requires a lot of screwing around with your shooting.

Glocks and 1911s are, luckily, some of the easiest guns to go back and forth on, IMO.

The best slide release I have used on a Glock is the Vickers.
 
Use a different Slide Stop.

The 'Ghost' model put the little 'nub' forward of the standard position. So you 1911 guys with your 2 thumb grips will stop hitting it all the time :)
 
misanthropist said:
The only good solution is to train around it. Any time you switch guns, you need to adapt things a bit...try going to a DA/SA 226. Now THAT requires a lot of screwing around with your shooting.
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I just bought a Gen 3 Glock. After more than a year of almost exclusively shooting an HK SA/DA it will be interesting to see what it is like going back to a Glock. I'm expecting to really enjoy the trigger. I changed the way I grip the gun a lot this year and consistently activated the slide release on my HK. Had to grind down the lever to help with the problem. I never had that problem with the Glocks that I've owned but I wasn't as serious a shooter as I am now...
 
Thanks for the advice - I didn't know there was that much variation in replacement slide stops. I guess that's what I'll look in to.
 
Clobbersauras said:
I just bought a Gen 3 Glock. After more than a year of almost exclusively shooting an HK SA/DA it will be interesting to see what it is like going back to a Glock. I'm expecting to really enjoy the trigger. I changed the way I grip the gun a lot this year and consistently activated the slide release on my HK. Had to grind down the lever to help with the problem. I never had that problem with the Glocks that I've owned but I wasn't as serious a shooter as I am now...
Click to expand...

It's funny...you sometimes hear guys complain about Glock triggers, but IMO they are some of the easiest triggers to learn. I think you will find the Glock to be really, really easy to run after your P2000.
 
Why fix the problem mechanically when a cost free solution is literally at your finger tips. I have the same problem with my work gun, an HK p2000, and fixed it by lowering my tumb. Every work day at the loading box, I dry fire my pistol a few times and practice 2 or 3 draws ( Safariland level 3 holster). I shoot a CZ 75b with a Fobus holster in IPSC, so my solution to be proefficient is practice, practice, practice. Good luck and enjoy your HK.
 
misanthropist said:
I think you will find the Glock to be really, really easy to run after your P2000.
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I'm really, really hoping that will be the case.:D

Armored Metal said:
Why fix the problem mechanically when a cost free solution is literally at your finger tips. I have the same problem with my work gun, an HK p2000, and fixed it by lowering my tumb. Every work day at the loading box, I dry fire my pistol a few times and practice 2 or 3 draws ( Safariland level 3 holster). I shoot a CZ 75b with a Fobus holster in IPSC, so my solution to be proefficient is practice, practice, practice. Good luck and enjoy your HK.
Click to expand...

Since my P2000 isn't a work gun I was able to alter parts in order to keep the new grip I have been using. It was a $30 buck fix to allow me to get more control over the pistol while improving the frequency of malfunctions. Not a bad trade off IMO.
 
evolture said:
The same thing happens to me and I have seen it happen to many people.

One tip is to change the mag before the gun is empty. Count your rounds.

Also, for what it is worth, gun range rumour is that dropping the slide is hard on triggers.
Click to expand...

On 1911's thats true, but the Glock works on a different mechanism, I doubt you'd cause any trigger issues.
Fwiw when I had a Glock I had the same problem and I solved it by just removing the slide lock altogether and not worrying about it. To this day I run pinned slide locks on my 1911's.
 
PH Racing said:
On 1911's thats true, but the Glock works on a different mechanism, I doubt you'd cause any trigger issues.
Fwiw when I had a Glock I had the same problem and I solved it by just removing the slide lock altogether and not worrying about it. To this day I run pinned slide locks on my 1911's.
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Pinned slide lock? Interesting, I have never heard of that. Why did you decide on this with your 1911s? Maybe I should try it... Can you explain how to shoot efficiently when doing this? Thanks!
 
Had this issue for a while as well. Managed to train it out mostly by ensuring my one thumb was off the receiver/slide instead of riding it

(I have a very high grip on a glock and found my thumb was keeping the slide stop down)
 
On the Glock it just a piece of flat stamped steel so I just pulled it out and left it out. Pinning a slide lock is fairly standard on 1911, there is no spring directly connected to the slide lock like on a Glock, instead it works with a plunger mounted on the frame and 1911 can be notorious for going to slide lock early (not as much anymore with quality models) so you can either slightly dimple the face of te slide lock to give the plunger more purchase or a deeper dimple to prevent it from working altogether. I usually go a step further and short stroke the gun with shok buffs so that it doesn't cycle back far enough for the slide stop to engage the slide stop notch.
The only difference in operation is when the gun runs dry, instead of hitting the slide stop (a small button or lever to hit under stress) you grab the slide and cycle the action which is a much bigger part to find under stress. And before someone makes a comment about shok buffs or short stroking the gun, I have been running one of my Open guns for over 13 years like this and have had no malfunction issues because of it.
http:/ /www.panteaoproductions.com/protips/324
 
With the wussy little slide lock button found on Glocks if your thumb is preventing it from locking back on the last shot then clearly you're pressing in too much with your thumbs.

For shooting semi auto pistols the last part of our thumbs are simply useless appendages. The usual two thumbs forward grip style is just to find an out of the way parking spot for them. If you're pressing in to the the side hard enough to hold up the slide lock you're pressing too hard.
 
misanthropist said:
The only good solution is to train around it. Any time you switch guns, you need to adapt things a bit...try going to a DA/SA 226. Now THAT requires a lot of screwing around with your shooting.

Glocks and 1911s are, luckily, some of the easiest guns to go back and forth on, IMO.

The best slide release I have used on a Glock is the Vickers.
Click to expand...

Agreed... can't expect different kit to function the same with your mechanics. The vickers would be a great investment when purchasing your new pistol.
 
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