Slide Stop vs Slide Release

Redbearded1 said:
To me the size matters of the device. My norinco has an extended slide stop/release device that is easily manipulated with the strong hand thumb, therefore I use it and refer to it as a slide release. BUT, on my S&W E-series it is smaller and only comfortably operated with the support hand, since it is smaller. So I use and refer to it as a slide stop.

Personally I think the sling shot method is lame and slower. The argument of "gross vs fine motor skill"is pointless because pulling the trigger is a "fine motor skill" and if you can handle that, you can handle operating a slide release under pressure. That being said, I instinctively use the silly slingshot method on my S&W since the slide release is not functional for me.
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So what you're saying is size really does matter.
 
NaOH said:
My pistols and i have an understanding. The pistol uses it as a slide stop, I use it as a slide release. We've managed to maintain our friendship despite our differences.
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makes sense to me.

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Some of the Rugers like the MKII/III & SR9 are more of a slide lock as they are not really designed to be pressed down to release the slde. The manual even states to pull back the slide and not depress the slide stop.
 
I generally only use it as a slide stop, and power stroke on reloads. I figure that's what most people are getting after with the whole slide stop vs slide release thing. In terms of training, the power stroke or slingshot are much more advantageous as the will work on nearly any model of pistol, reduce wear on the slide stop and can prevent a number of problems that may be specific to a particular model.

Redbearded1 said:
Personally I think the sling shot method is lame and slower. The argument of "gross vs fine motor skill"is pointless because pulling the trigger is a "fine motor skill" and if you can handle that, you can handle operating a slide release under pressure. That being said, I instinctively use the silly slingshot method on my S&W since the slide release is not functional for me.
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If a power stroke is really that much slower for you you're doing something wrong. Also, you're missing the point for the whole motor skills argument. Every operation should be as simple as possible to eliminate potential screw-ups, Murphy's law works overtime in a competition/fight. Furthermore, power stroking on the reload simplifies issues of dealing with malfunctions, etc. The gun stops going bang, drop the mag, insert new mag, rack the slide. If you have to stop and think about why the gun isn't going bang anymore you've already lost any time you might make up by hitting the slide release.
 
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I kind of get the motor skills thing, but part of me insists that if I can't use my left thumb to push down on the slide lock, how am I ever going to use my right thumb to push down on the thumb safety? So I guess I'm doomed to never be able to fire the gun in the first place, since apparently I can't disengage the safety! ;-)
 
jeffcarr88 said:
I never use the slide stop/release...I just slam a new mag home and it closes the slide for me!!!
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Except that generally only works with polymer frame pistols (steel frames don't flex enough) and isn't the most reliable method, if your angle of insertion is off, or you hold the mag wrong it won't work. Furthermore, you're beating against the over-insertion stop which may lead to future problems.
 
Lodi said:
Without being gun specific, it is more about how the part is used.

In a lot of firearms training, the part is used only to prevent the slide from going forward, thus it is a slide stop.

~ Loading the gun is done by pulling the slide to the rear.
~ Removing ammo is done by pulling the slide to the rear.
~ A malfunction is cleared by pulling the slide to the rear.
~ All Immediate Action Drills (IAD) are done by pulling the slide to the rear.

So in training, gross motor skills, there is no need to learn and practice to push down on the itty-bitty lever just to close the slide. To make the slide go forward, the slide is pulled to the rear and released. A slide release serves no other purpose, eliminating training for that one function condenses the IAD's.

This method works for most of the auto-loaders without the need to use different motions for different models. Some auto's do not have an external slide stop/release, so practicing to push one down is useless.
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This is exactly how I see it and reason it out, the only time you engage it is clearing a double feed otherwise its just rack it and shoot.
 
Paladin308 said:
Except that generally only works with polymer frame pistols (steel frames don't flex enough) and isn't the most reliable method, if your angle of insertion is off, or you hold the mag wrong it won't work. Furthermore, you're beating against the over-insertion stop which may lead to future problems.
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Nope - an M9 will drop the slide like that all day, it has more to do with the cut angle and the grip angle than it does with flex, or the lack of it. Just out of curiosity, how do you guys release the slide doing weak hand only manipulation drills? If you can't use the slide stop/release under stress, your tool kit is missing a tool that you may someday need.
 
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TheWharGoul said:
the only time you engage it is clearing a double feed otherwise its just rack it and shoot.
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You have time for that?
-Dump the mag, rack it and smack a new mag in it and rack it again.

As for a slide stop- I got mine ground off. A well planned walk through will keep it from going click...
 
enefgee said:
Nope - an M9 will drop the slide like that all day, it has more to do with the cut angle and the grip angle than it does with flex, or the lack of it. Just out of curiosity, how do you guys release the slide doing weak hand only manipulation drills? If you can't use the slide stop/release under stress, your tool kit is missing a tool that you may someday need.
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Train for the most likely scenarios first. Furthermore, when manipulating weak hand only racking the slide is hardly going to be your only problem.

As always situation dictates tactics. The purpose of training and practice is to prepare for likely situations so as to maintain function in high stress situations. The debate can go on and on about this or that unlikely-but-possible scenario but none of that adds up to effective preparation.

If I were in a situation where weak hand only manipulation was necessary my first priority would be to extract myself as I would be at a rather severe disadvantage regardless of training. Barring that I would either use the rear sight as a hook against a belt or the like, or I would use the slide stop. There's no religious prohibition against using the slide stop, I just recognize that it is not optimal in most situations, particularly when speaking from a training standpoint.
 
enefgee said:
So, no weak hand slide lock reloads?
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Did you read the comment? Situation dictates tactics. If necessary I will use the slide lock. I will not train to do so however, as the likelihood of having to do so is so low. There are other more important skills to spend my training and practice time on, and I don't want to confuse myself with my manipulations. Consistency is important.
 
We had it drilled into our heads that "it's a slide stop, not a slide go" so now it's just muscle memory. I don't require it to rack a slide weak handed etc as If I'm using my weak hand my other hand is probably inoperable, in which point I'm trained to rack one handed using my boot, holster etc to rack like Paladin
 
Technically it is a "slide stop lever"... or a "slide go forward thingery"... or a "little bit that makes the big slidey thing go back to where it was before"... The ONLY time you would really need to know the "technical name" is when you have to order a new one because it broke. If not, I believe pet names and charades will suffice when talking to other Gunnutz.

At the end of the day, you can rack your slide forward, depress the slide stop lever, rack an empty chamber, dry fire all day long or find a thousand ways to beat the crap out of your precious. If your chunk breaks without you REALLY trying... well, time to re-evaluate your choice.
 
So, my conclusions:

1) Technically the gun part is named a slide stop, at least in most manuals that I've seen, so it is more accurate to call it that.
2) Functionally it operates as both a slide stop/slide lock and a slide release. If it was not intended to function as a slide release, it wouldn't have the checkered tab along the top that is specifically engineered to release the slide when depressed. I expect this part of the slide stop is called the slide release, in fact. Some guns do in fact only have a slide stop. I own one.
3) People who are combat trained are usually vigorously trained not to use the slide release function of the slide stop, and become adamant that it should never, ever, ever be used for that purpose by anyone as a result, and that it can't even be called that by anyone else.
 
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The best reason I've heard against not using the slide stop to do an emergency reload besides the fine/gross motor skill thing is....if your in a gun fight and have to operate someone else's pistol for whatever reason you won't be trying to search for the slide stop which varies among brands. The power stroke will work on most pistols.

After working in a car lot for many years, driving just about every car ever made I realized there are only three things in an emergency you can be sure of gas pedal, brake pedal and steering wheel- everything else has to be figured out!!! I really see how this transfers over to guns.
 
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