Extended Slide Stop On Your 1911?

[Rob377]

This^... because also ... using the slide STOP as a "release" is also rubbing metal on metal in that notch, literally polishing the edge off. At some point, if enough material is taken off, your slide will fail to lock open on the last shot fired.

The only time you should use that slide stop as a release is after a reassembly for a function check or when buying a used one to safety function test. What you are watching for when you do that is "hammer follow". If you thumb the slide stop and release the slide, and the hammer ALSO goes forward, that's bad mojo. If your hammer follows the slide, you have a sear to hammer hooks problem.

That's just silly. You'd have to do eleventy brazillion slide lock reloads to even take .001" off.

 

[JetGirl]

That's just silly. You'd have to do eleventy brazillion slide lock reloads to even take .001" off.

Feel free to treat your stuff however you like. You paid for it.
I, however, intend to take care of my investments in the manner taught to me and reinforced by smiths and machinists I trust.
My two cents is worth exactly what you paid for it.

 

[Rob377]

Feel free to treat your stuff however you like. You paid for it.
I, however, intend to take care of my investments in the manner taught to me and reinforced by smiths and machinists I trust.
My two cents is worth exactly what you paid for it.

If what they told you is true, your slide stop pins would be worn to a nub from the barrel lugs riding over it EVERY SHOT, your frame rails would be paper thin from the slide rubbing against it taking off metal every shot, and the barrel bushing fit would be like the proverbial hot dog in a hallway, because it takes off so much material every shot. (as opposed to every 8 shots)

 

[JetGirl]

As I said, feel free to treat your property however you wish.
And I'll continue to do what I feel is in the best interest of mine.

 

[Rob377]

Sure, go right ahead. I'm just pointing at that the premise is incorrect. Same thing goes for the "you'll be too clumsy to hit the slide release, but not too clumsy to exercise proper trigger control or hit the mag release button" premise as well.

 

[revance]

That's just silly. You'd have to do eleventy brazillion slide lock reloads to even take .001" off.

You've never had an extractor wear out? Doesn't take THAT many rounds to do.


It isn't good practice for many reasons.

- In a stressful situation, your thumb isn't going to find that little thing. You will always be able to grab the slide and slingshot it, you don't even need all your fingers.

- Releasing the slide with one hand and inserting the mag with another means there is a good chance (especially under stress) you are going to release it before the mag is all the way seated because you were trying to hurry. If you rack the slide, the only way that happens is if you just didn't seat the mag.

- Most people have to readjust their grip to do it, also bad while defending yourself.

- You have a higher risk of the slide not getting seated fully because it didn't have the full force of the spring as it was designed to have.

- It wears the slide in a place it wasn't designed to be rubbed.

- All malfunction clearing involves quickly racking the slide. Its a good thing to have lots of practice doing.


You all can do whatever you want, but I'll stick to what every professional I have ever trained with has insisted on.

 

[revance]

If what they told you is true, your slide stop pins would be worn to a nub from the barrel lugs riding over it EVERY SHOT, your frame rails would be paper thin from the slide rubbing against it taking off metal every shot, and the barrel bushing fit would be like the proverbial hot dog in a hallway, because it takes off so much material every shot. (as opposed to every 8 shots)

Flat surface to flat surface isn't a fair comparison. We are talking about a sharp corner having another piece of metal with a lot of force against it roll over it. Much like an extractor, which DOES wear out frequently. I have had some wear out after only a few thousand rounds, and they are shaped so you don't have metal rolling over the edge.

 

[revance]

Also, I HAVE fumbled with my mag release during drills. If there was a reliable alternative to buttons for mag releases, I'd be interested. But sadly it is something we are stuck with. Not so for releasing your slide.

 

[churchmouse]

I do it both ways depending on the situation. If you keep the gun properly oiled it is easier on the pieces. My P-12 Para has logged in excess of 11,000 rds with normal failures as in the extractor, the spring plug (normal for that gun) and the trigger got sloppy at around 10,500. Slide lock is A-OK. I know my son (he has acquired that gun) uses the lock to drop the slid on a fresh mag. His gun now.

 

[bwframe]

I do it both ways depending on the situation...

This man has it right. You may not have another hand available, nor a place to readily rack the slide. Better to not close any doors and wind up dead trying to find the method you never use, (or trying to use it wrong handed.)

Do we actually know anyone you has wore out their stop or slide from using it? Folks that can actually confirm this?
Jarrett's a hard guy to argue with, don't you think?

 

[Rob377]

You've never had an extractor wear out? Doesn't take THAT many rounds to do.


It isn't good practice for many reasons.

- In a stressful situation, your thumb isn't going to find that little thing. You will always be able to grab the slide and slingshot it, you don't even need all your fingers.

nonsense. If it couldn't, it also wouldn't have found that tiny little mag button either.

- Releasing the slide with one hand and inserting the mag with another means there is a good chance (especially under stress) you are going to release it before the mag is all the way seated because you were trying to hurry. If you rack the slide, the only way that happens is if you just didn't seat the mag.

Never had that problem, and I reload in a hurry ALOT

- Most people have to readjust their grip to do it, also bad while defending yourself.

Which is why the OP is asking about an extended one. And why is it bad?

- You have a higher risk of the slide not getting seated fully because it didn't have the full force of the spring as it was designed to have.

Horse-pucky. The slide was designed to seat fully from the slide position. The extra .25" of movement doesn't mean a thing. See below.

- It wears the slide in a place it wasn't designed to be rubbed.

no, it doesn't. Take a look at the Army Ordnance Manual circa 1912. Pgs 15-16 specifically. I think the folks who wrote that have a little bit better idea of what the designer intended.

- All malfunction clearing involves quickly racking the slide. Its a good thing to have lots of practice doing.

Practice clearing malfunctions while you do malfunction practice. When your gun has run dry, you have better things to do than get an extra rep of slide rack practice in. And why practice anyway? It's supposed to be so much easier!

You all can do whatever you want, but I'll stick to what every professional I have ever trained with has insisted on.

Flat surface to flat surface isn't a fair comparison. We are talking about a sharp corner having another piece of metal with a lot of force against it roll over it. Much like an extractor, which DOES wear out frequently. I have had some wear out after only a few thousand rounds, and they are shaped so you don't have metal rolling over the edge.

I've yet to wear out an extractor in few thousand rounds. There's also a difference between a part that is acting under spring tension and one that isn't.

Looking at my 1911 in front of me, there's about .090" of flat surface engagement between the slide release and the slide. Compare this to the sear-hammer engagement of only .012-.015 on a mildly tuned gun, or maybe .025-.030 for the most horrendous trigger 1911 straight from Llama. Those parts rub every single shot. If the wear theory were to be believed, your sear/or hammer hooks would be useless nubs within a range session or 2.

 

[Rob377]

Some more interesting tidbits about what the 1911's various parts "were designed for"

Patent US708794 - AUTOMATIC FIREARM - Google Patents

The breech remainingthus wide open serves as an unmistakable
indication that the magazine is empty and for
continued firing must be replaced by a loaded 125
one. This is now readily and safely accomplished
by withdrawing the empty magazine
from the grip and introducing a loaded one
while the breech remains open. · Then releasing
the breech-slide by pressing upon the 130
thumb-piece p' of the latch-slide the breech
will be automatically closed by the reactionspring
e, and the pistol will be ready again
for firing.

Then, his later Patent 984519 on the 1911
Patent US984519 - MREARM - Google Patents

In order to adaP.t the handle to be readily moved upward and downward by the thumb of the hand grasping-the grip,the rear end of the handle j carries a projecting thumb piece j1

...

The inner lug j1 doe not interfer with the passage'of the cartridges from the magazine to the chamber in the barrel,
‘ but when the last cartridge has been fed
from the magazine, the lug j2 stands in ‘the
path of the spring-follower of the magazine,
‘and when the breech-slide is moved to the
rear above the empty magazine, the follower"
' v will raise the ln j2 and the handle 2 and
.' cause the projection Z to enter the recess m


the breech-slide, thereby locking the‘ same
- in the open rear position. and serving as an‘
indicator to show that the empty magazine
must be replaced by a charged one before the
?ring can be continued. After placing the
magazine in the grip. the breech-slide is re
leased by depressing the handle j.

Check it out, it's pretty interesting stuff - a window into the mind of a genius.