Releasing slide on M&P (I searched)

[1911user]

After a reload, will I cause excess wear/damage by releasing the slide on an M&P 9mm by pressing the slide lock/release button? I find it faster than using the slingshot technique, but don't want to cause damage. I split competition time with a 1911 single stack so I'm partial to pressing the slide lock/release down after reloading.

[HSMITH]

Slingshot is better for both guns. Charge it like you are mad at it when you LAMR, drop the slide like you are mad at it after a slide lock reload. That is the way the gun is designed to function.

[bierman]

I have to agree with HSMITH. Slingshot may take a fraction longer, but it is, for me at least, the most reliable. Less fumble factor for me.

[G-ManBart]

After a reload, will I cause excess wear/damage by releasing the slide on an M&P 9mm by pressing the slide lock/release button? I find it faster than using the slingshot technique, but don't want to cause damage. I split competition time with a 1911 single stack so I'm partial to pressing the slide lock/release down after reloading.

I won't argue that the slingshot technique isn't better for the gun...I'm sure it is, but I don't think you're going to cause yourself a problem by using the slide stop lever to release the slide. Sure, it might wear out in 5 or 10 years of heavy use, but it's not like you're going to break anything expensive or hard to replace.

While this is a Glock story I'm guessing it's similar to what would happen with an M&P....last qualification day one of our shooters had the slide stop lever on his G22 break....the part that engages the slide just broke right off. The gun continued to run just fine and he had to do slingshot reloads for the rest of the course, but it wasn't a big deal at all. If that's a worst-case scenario I wouldn't fret over it.

The big reason I don't do them is that I tend to rip the skin off my knuckles on the rear sight more than I care to when forced to do slingshot reloads (as in emergency action drils....tap, rack, ready stuff). I know that I'm going to be a bit distracted at a match when I'm dealing with bloody knuckles

Edit to add: that G22 was pretty old when the lever failed.

Edited January 23, 2008 by G-ManBart

[1911user]

Slingshot a 1911 at slidelock?? I thought it was definitely designed to use the slide release? I wasn't sure about the M&P.

[HSMITH]

It is a slide stop and not a slide release on a 1911. It works both ways, but the slingshot is as close as you will get to the way the gun was designed to run.

[revchuck]

It is a slide stop and not a slide release on a 1911. It works both ways, but the slingshot is as close as you will get to the way the gun was designed to run.

This is like the old argument that the levers on the slides of Beretta 92s and S&W 39 family autos are hammer drops, not safeties.

While the slingshot mimics the way the gun operates while firing, and gives the slide that much more momentum to chamber a round, the 1911 was designed as a one-handed gun for cavalrymen. I'd bet that JMB never loaded using the slingshot method.

I'm not arguing that one is better than the other. I freely interchange between them, using the slingshot method at LAMR and the slide stop/release for reloads. (ETA: This includes my two M&Ps as well as my CZs and Beretta.)

IME, slingshot-only advocates are usually either LE trainers who train others on various handguns and want to be able to teach one method that works across weapon systems, or competitors who have either removed the lock-open ability from their guns or installed so many shock buffs that their guns CAN'T lock open.

This is almost like the old 9x19 vs. .45 debate.

Edited January 23, 2008 by revchuck