Pistol etiquette: empty chamber slam.

[8strings8rounds]

Just curious how you all feel about this.

So I showed my "new" S&W 1006 to my brother in law (fellow firearms enthusiast) the other night. I watched him go over the pistol carefully- feeling the trigger in both actions, mag release, etc. Then he pointed it at the wall in his kitchen and let the slide of my 26 year old baby slam forward on an empty chamber then comments on how powerful the spring is
I asked him not to do that again and that was that.
I don't know about you all, but I've always practiced letting the slide forward easily when there's no round to rack. It may not hurt anything too badly on a linkless gun, but it almost hurt me to see and hear it happen to one. Especially mine.
I guess I've always imagined it like dry-firing a compound bow- not good.

Opinions?

[sqlbullet]

I always go half-way down on an empty chamber.  I agree that on modern linkless  designs it probably isn't a big deal.

I have a good friend that is a huge 1911 guy, and I have watched him do that on his 1911's.  I told him it was bad for the link and his attitude was he would continue to do what he was taught in the Army.

I guess I see both sides.  And if I had to make a logical pick I would pick not riding the slide home, as it might become ingrained and lead to a malfuction on a reload under stress.

On the other hand, I still go half way and then let it go.

[The_Shadow]

Given that it was a S&W1006 it will not hurt anything, they are made to work under that condition.  The barrel will cam up into the slide as it rides the top of the slide stop pin where it engages fully into battery.

However you will want to avoid placing a round in the chamber and letting the slide go running home.  The extractor will usually pivot to jump over the casing's extraction rim but you risk the damage to the extractor. 

[sqlbullet]

However you will want to avoid placing a round in the chamber and letting the slide go running home.  The extractor will usually pivot to jump over the casing's extraction rim but you risk the damage to the extractor.

This was another thing my shooting buddy did with his 1911.  Once I explained controlled feed and broken extractors he discontinued this practice.

[blaster]

I let the springs push the slide home on all my pistols. even the 1911 s. I never heard that it could be harmful before. I did learn the hard way about dropping a live round in the chamber. ruined the extractor on my Colt 1911. now I always let the slide pick up the round from the magazine.

[The_Shadow]

Yes the extractor on the 1911 style pistols are actually adjusted by a bending jig or by eye by those who know what is needed.  They DO NOT pivot or flex like some other makes and designs.  But the pistol is designed to have the next round slip up the breech face and up behind the extractor.  The extractor's shape and tension on the case extraction rim, is where the pistols reliability for extraction is made.

The S&W's have a spring behind the extractor to push tension and it does have the ability to move enough to jump over the case rims but who wants to risk chipping or bending or extra wear on parts that are getting harder to come by.

[awp101]

I was taught releasing the slide on a 1911 with an empty chamber was a no-no because it could affect a trigger job.  I still don't quite understand how that could be but that's what I was taught and what I stick with even on non-1911s as much as possible.

I might not be as careful with my personal weapons but if it belongs to someone else it's gets handled with kid gloves until the owner tells me not to.  I don't even intentionally let the bolt slam home on someone else's empty AR...

[8strings8rounds]

I was taught releasing the slide on a 1911 with an empty chamber was a no-no because it could affect a trigger job.  I still don't quite understand how that could be but that's what I was taught and what I stick with even on non-1911s as much as possible.

I might not be as careful with my personal weapons but if it belongs to someone else it's gets handled with kid gloves until the owner tells me not to.  I don't even intentionally let the bolt slam home on someone else's empty AR...

Yea, I'm not entirely certain how that could affect the trigger job, either. Maybe it had been someone's personal experience? Either way, I won't let the slide drop on any of my 1911's .

Realistically, you'd probably have to do it hundreds of times before contact surfaces began to peen, if they were to, but it just doesn't feel good to me. That jarring CLANK just doesn't feel good to me.

[sqlbullet]

I was taught releasing the slide on a 1911 with an empty chamber was a no-no because it could affect a trigger job.  I still don't quite understand how that could be but that's what I was taught and what I stick with even on non-1911s as much as possible.

I might not be as careful with my personal weapons but if it belongs to someone else it's gets handled with kid gloves until the owner tells me not to.  I don't even intentionally let the bolt slam home on someone else's empty AR...

The trigger issue is only if you have a custom trigger job.  What happens is this jars the sear nose against the hammer hooks.  It is due in part to the lighter mainspring that is often present in such trigger jobs.

If you have a stock GI trigger, I would be less concerned, but I still think it is a bad habit.

[awp101]

Thanks sql, that makes sense and I can kind of picture it now.

[my_old_glock]

It is amazing how delicate a modern pistol is. It is a wonder they can even function as a self defense weapon.



.

[sqlbullet]

I would hardly consider a tricked out Bullseye 1911 a self defense pistol.  I would want a 4-5 lb trigger on a defensive 1911, and that pull weight won't be a problem if you start dropping slides.

[Bozz10mm]

I try to never let the slide slam home on an empty chamber.  A few times probably won't hurt, but who knows.  I cringed when my BIL did it to my almost brand new XDm.  Didn't hurt anything, but it sounded bad to my ears.

[Papajohn]

One of the big-name pistolsmiths (can't remember which one, but it might have been Ed Brown) wrote an article on this years ago, and stated that with a properly-fitted gun, it was not an issue.  The internals on my Springfield 1911 are all Rockwell 48-52, so I don't worry about that one, but I don't like doing it to any gun, it just seems abusive. 

[4949shooter]

It was pretty inconsiderate of the guy to do that with someone else's gun.