Slide lock back?

Benl · February 25, 2011

After shooting my new SVI for a while, I'm sending it in to have some changes made. One of the things I've noticed is that with some of the new SVI mags I picked up, the slide doesn't lock back. Before I have some adjustments made, is there a reason why I wouldn't have it tuned to lock back on the last round? I've read, a few places, that many people don't like a SLB on the last round. Why?

kampr · February 25, 2011

The idea is not to run the gun empty. Count your shots. You should plan your reload,...so be it if your dropped mag has a round or two in it.

Why I don't want to go to slide lock? For me it's a time killer.

Most of the time, I wouldn't recognize it right away;...bang, bang, nothing (no bang or click = pull trigger harder, still nothing), Damn!!,..look at the gun,...Damn!, slide lock!,.. drop mag,..insert mag, hit slide release, bang, bang.

With no slide lock it goes like this;...bang, bang, click,..Damn!,I'm empty!,...drop mag, insert mag, quick slide rack, bang, bang.

Think about it.

Practice it, ..it becomes automatic. (one less thing for my "pea brain" to digest while under the clock)

ymmv

Rob Tompkins · February 25, 2011

For Limited and Open where all your mags have 19-20 up to 30+ rnds reloads normally happen way before you get close to an empty mag. People eliminate slide lock function so as to not have an accidental slide lock.

For production and SS (or IDPA) where I may chose to shoot down to the last round, a slide lock reload will be faster then having to rack the slide.

Singlestack · February 25, 2011

For Limited and Open where all your mags have 19-20 up to 30+ rnds reloads normally happen way before you get close to an empty mag. People eliminate slide lock function so as to not have an accidental slide lock.

For production and SS (or IDPA) where I may chose to shoot down to the last round, a slide lock reload will be faster then having to rack the slide.

+1

mra8541 · February 25, 2011

Your trying to take a step or function out of the process. One less thing to do after the "BEEP"

Benl · February 25, 2011

OK, thanks guys. I think I'll keep it the way it is, and learn to plan my reloads better. (it only locked back with STI mags, which I'm ditching for all SVI's.)

Edited February 25, 2011 by Benl

yoshidaex · February 25, 2011

with the slide locked back, its possible to over insert your mag and knock the ejector off.

Duke Nukem · February 25, 2011

You can just change the follower on the sti mags instead of buying new SVI mags. Get a grams and cut the slide lock tab off.

(it only locked back with STI mags, which I'm ditching for all SVI's.)

Corey · February 25, 2011

A big reason a lot of limited and Open shooter have their guns not lock back is that some of them can prematurely lock the slide with a round or 2 left in the mag. If you eliminate the lock back, you eliminate the chance of locking up your gun with ammo still in it.

Benl · February 25, 2011

You can just change the follower on the sti mags instead of buying new SVI mags. Get a grams and cut the slide lock tab off.

(it only locked back with STI mags, which I'm ditching for all SVI's.)

One of the things I'm having done is converting the mag release to a left-handed mag release, which requires cuts in the mag that the STI's don't have.

Edited February 25, 2011 by Benl

facelessman · February 25, 2011

A big reason a lot of limited and Open shooter have their guns not lock back is that some of them can prematurely lock the slide with a round or 2 left in the mag. If you eliminate the lock back, you eliminate the chance of locking up your gun with ammo still in it.

This is the only reason I have my STI set up to not lock back. As typical with these guns, it would sometimes lock back with one or two rounds left in a magazine. It was much easier to eliminate the lock back. If I could get it to reliably lock back after the last round, I'd do it in a heartbeat (my G35 is still set up to lock back).

You can plan your reloads out perfectly with several rounds left, but we all know what sometimes happens when the buzzer goes off. An extra shot here, a missed piece of steel there, then *click*... reload, pull the trigger, nothing... oh crap, rack the slide... Pretty sure we've all done that. A slide lock reload is much easier and faster than wasting time with that empty *click*.

Single Stack, Production and Limited 10 shooters can rely on the slide locking back. Hell, I bet any revolver shooter wouldn't mind a *7th* shot warning, lol.

yoshidaex · February 25, 2011

One of the things I'm having done is converting the mag release to a left-handed mag release, which requires cuts in the mag that the STI's don't have.

Mitchell right hand side mag release.

A bit pricey for a mag release but you won't have to modify any mags.