Slide stop (Support hand vs thumb of gun hand)

[Mike21STI]

When Performing a slide lock reload do you hit the slide stop with your support hand or the thumb of your gun hand? I'm curious to see how other people do this. I personally use my right thumb (right handed shooter) and feel it is faster (maybe because that's all I've practiced). thoughts or other opinions?

I haven't gotten into USPSA yet (I do plan to) but i know slide lock reloads are a no-no there so I guess I'm gearing this toward the IDPA competitors.

[a.roberts]

I use my support hand thumb.

I'd have to shift my grip to hit it with my strong thumb and after seating the mag, my weak thumb just ends up on the slide stop.

Requires very little movement to drop the slide for me.

[Odawgp]

When Performing a slide lock reload do you hit the slide stop with your support hand or the thumb of your gun hand? I'm curious to see how other people do this. I personally use my right thumb (right handed shooter) and feel it is faster (maybe because that's all I've practiced). thoughts or other opinions?

I haven't gotten into USPSA yet (I do plan to) but i know slide lock reloads are a no-no there so I guess I'm gearing this toward the IDPA competitors.

not really a no no, it'll just cost you a little time depending on were they happen. if you shoot to slide lock and then move to another array it is a mute point as you aren't shooting while moving anyway might as reload on your way there slide lock or not

[Gatekeeper]

My support hand thumb comes up to the slide stop/release when seating the fresh mag anyway, so I just pull down on the release and then roll my support hand forward to complete my grip.

USPSA Single Stack, I end up at slide lock a lot more than I should

Edited October 14, 2010 by Gatekeeper

[Bob DuBois]

Thumb, gun hand, right handed.

[G-ManBart]

Slide lock reloads aren't really a no-no, but they're not as fast, so we avoid them when possible. If you shoot Single Stack, Limited-10 or Production, you're going to do some slide lock reloads....and a fair number of them at that. That assumes your slide stop is functioning (some folks disable theirs).

I have to shift my grip to hit the mag release with my strong hand thumb, and that puts it to where I can also hit the slide stop with it, so it's not an extra motion. I will say that I've had one of those oddball reloads where I sort of fumbled it, but not quite, and hit the slide stop with my support hand. It's something I've practiced both ways, just in case. R,

[Mike21STI]

I considered switching at one point to using my support hand thumb to hit the slide stop because I found myself getting ahead of myself hitting the slide stop before the mag was seated in my quest for a .3 second reload (sarcasm) thereby causing a cluster@#$% and having to rack the slide anyways. I've since corrected that by making sure my mag is seated before hitting the slide stop thanks to a LOT of dry fire practice.

[2011BLDR]

For me there are interrelated issues

• How much do you have to shift your grip to hit the slide release with the strong hand thumb and dos that compromise your grip alignment?

• I use the left thumb (week Hand) as the hand recloses on the grip and the gun is being rolled back on to target after the mag is seated

Out.

2011BLDR

[Pro2AInPA]

I don't use the slide stop. I slingshot the slide.

[bikerburgess]

No right or wrong way to do it. it all depends on how your hands fit your gun and what is comfortable for you. on my single stack I use my strong hand thumb but I have long fingers so reaching is not hard for me on my production guns (tanfoglio and glock) the slides normally drop when i set the mag but if they don't still strong hand thumb

Mike

PS I tried L-10 without a slide stop once, ( Bang, Bang, Bang. how many extra shots did I take on that steel? how many extra rounds did I have before the next reload? CLICK OH C#&P Reload) turns out I can miss faster than I can count.

[mgood]

I use my support hand thumb on a 1911.

I don't believe there's a right or wrong way, just what's comfortable for you.

[2MoreChains]

I used to slingshot the slide with my support hand over the top, but was finally convinced to use the thumb of my support hand as I was re-establishing my two-hand grip because it was faster.

[ParaGunner]

Another vote for support hand thumb,it's faster. I can release the slide with my support thumb while re-establishing my grip after a reload.

[Steven Cline]

I use my support hand thumb.

[Corey]

(when i screw up or when the stage designer is an a$$, haha) i use my support thumb to release the slide. it seem faster to seat the new mag,hit the release with my support thumb then just rotate my wrist forward to reaquire my grip.

[astephenson]

I use the strong (right) hand thumb for the slide release on my Trojan. I have very large hands, though, and don't have to shift my grip at all to do it.

It's also easier to transition back and forth between my SS and my Glocks since I do it this way with both.

Edited October 20, 2010 by WellArmedSheep

[open17]

Short thumbs here. I whack it with my support hand thumb as I'm re-establishing

my grip after a reload. I really TRY to not shoot to slidelock--but in SS that's

not always an option.

[Duane Thomas]

The major problem with using the shooting hand thumb is that, especially when moving at max speed, there can be a tendency to screw up the sequence in which you do things. Thus "finish inserting the mag fully, hit the slip stop, bang!" turns into "hit the slide stop, finish inserting the mag fully, click!" But if you use the support hand thumb there's NO WAY you can reach the slide stop before the mag is fully inserted. (Assuming your technique is solid and you're not wimping the mag into the mag well, natch.) It's just a hugely less failure prone way to attack the problem.

[davehorn]

Another vote for support hand thumb,it's faster. I can release the slide with my support thumb while re-establishing my grip after a reload.

I also do it this way. My hands are too small for my strong hand thumb to reach the slide stop. And to paraphrase what Duane said, it's more idiot proof(good for me).

The slingshot/over the top method may be fine for "tactical" purposes, but not so much when the clock is ticking. I've never seen anyone do it and thought "that was fast".

[Mike21STI]

Duane, I know exactly what you mean, I had a short stint where I'd get ahead of myself and drop the slide before the mag was seated and "CLICK" then I said mother$*#$&@!!!!!!. Thankfully I got over that, and I do know that using the support hand would guarantee that the slide would not be dropped too soon but I guess I'm a glutton for punishment.

For me I do find it marginally faster to use my gun hand to drop the slide as it is one fluid motion when conducted correctly. It's a risk reward kind of thing, I guess.

I know there is no right or wrong way to do it, Different Strokes for different folks but I was just curious to see how others operate.

thanks all!!