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android wrote:It appears that this is pistol specific. Glock owning friends tell me that Glock owner's manual calls the lever a "slide lock" and mfg docs advise to load a round by pulling and releasing the slide.

My P2000sk manual quite specifically calls the lever a "slide release" and advised to either press the lever or pull and release the slide. (In that order) My manual advised against riding the slide if you use the 2nd method.

The owners manual for my USP Compact .40 says (page 18):

Slide Release - This lever is located on the left side of the frame directly above the trigger. This lever is used to lock the slide open, to release the slide, and to disassemble the pistol.

Later, on page 24 under loading instructions, it says:

Chamber a cartridge - chamber a cartridge by depressing the slide release or by pulling the slide fully to the rear and releasing it. Do not ride the
slide forward!

I only quote this, because someone once told me that on H&K's, you NEVER use the lever as a slide release. So that, plus the above discussion, made me go look at the owners manuals for both my Kimber and my Springfield 1911s.

The Springfield manual says (page 18):

4. Point gun in a safe direction and keep finger off the trigger. Pull slide back and release slide smartly to allow slide to move forward and load a shell from the magazine into the chamber.

The Kimber owner's manual says almost the exact same thing, with the additional admonition not to ride the slide forward. Neither manual seems to make any reference to, or warning against, releasing the slide into battery by using the lever. They just don't mention it at all.

joe817 wrote:I always just used the slide release, as I'm left handed and was much easier to do it that way.

I'm left handed too, and I use my index finger to drop the slide release lever with. Either way is probably fine, but I just use the slide release. I have heard, but don't know if it is true or not, that if you release the slide by pulling back on it, there is some risk that the slide will not go 100% into battery. I've never personally had that problem when I've done it that way.