my beginner's guide blog

[wilder]

Nice work, sir. I've followed the same path on nearly the same timeline as yourself and it made for a good read. As a bass player I find my musician friends generally more openminded about the idea than my non-musician friends. I chalk it up to the tendency of many of them to be gearheads and guns are neat machines.

[CodeJockey]

Very well done. I really think your blog will be beneficial. Keep up the good work. I might offer one thing though. You mention in there a couple of times how you hit the slide release and let it snap back hard. I personally do not do this. I hold the slide and release it and then gently slide it back. I have been to a few gun stores that frown on letting it slide back on it's own. I do not know how much truth there is to this, but the reason I've been told is that when the chamber has a bullet in it, the extractor hits the brass which causes less wear and tear on it. That may or may not be true, but either way I have been to a few shops that frowned on racking the slide and releasing it hard. Just my $.02.

Thanks for the blog!

[mr.72]

A Kahr pistol will not chamber the round if you "ride the slide". You have to release it and let it return via the recoil spring.

I don't know of any gun that cannot take the impact of the slide releasing on an empty chamber but maybe there is one. Please let me know which one it is so I can amend my beginner's guide with advice to avoid buying that one :)

FWIW some pistols don't even have a slide stop and won't lock the slide open anyway IIRC.

[Dan20703]

I like it! Passed the link on to several friends.

[Charles L. Cotton]

A Kahr pistol will not chamber the round if you "ride the slide". You have to release it and let it return via the recoil spring.

I don't know of any gun that cannot take the impact of the slide releasing on an empty chamber but maybe there is one. Please let me know which one it is so I can amend my beginner's guide with advice to avoid buying that one :)

FWIW some pistols don't even have a slide stop and won't lock the slide open anyway IIRC.

Dropping the slide on a 1911 will damage the trigger job, especially if you have a very good and light trigger.

Chas.

[mr.72]

interesting. thx Chas.

[pbwalker]

Dropping the slide on a 1911 will damage the trigger job, especially if you have a very good and light trigger.

Chas.

I just got a 1911. No mods at all. Is it safe drop drop the slide or should I manually move it forward (assisted)?

[CodeJockey]

A Kahr pistol will not chamber the round if you "ride the slide". You have to release it and let it return via the recoil spring.

I don't know of any gun that cannot take the impact of the slide releasing on an empty chamber but maybe there is one. Please let me know which one it is so I can amend my beginner's guide with advice to avoid buying that one :)

FWIW some pistols don't even have a slide stop and won't lock the slide open anyway IIRC.

Also, the only warning I've ever heard to releasing the slide is on an empty weapon. If you're chambering a bullet, it's fine to let it release on it's own, as thats what it will do when you pull the trigger.

[waterpump1]

Really liked the blog.Nice work

[nils]

Great blog...pretty hilarious

[mr.72]

Great blog...pretty hilarious

Hilarious?

Hmm.

[Charles L. Cotton]

Dropping the slide on a 1911 will damage the trigger job, especially if you have a very good and light trigger.

Chas.

I just got a 1911. No mods at all. Is it safe drop drop the slide or should I manually move it forward (assisted)?

I recommend never "dropping" the slide on an empty chamber with a 1911. It's just too hard on the trigger/sear. A lighter trigger will exhibit problems sooner than a heavier trigger, but it's bad on any 1911. The first symptom is typically (but not always) the hammer following the slide down until it hits the half-cock position.

Chas.