Slide release with support hand thumb or strong hand thumb?

[maroonandwhite]

I have been experimenting with using either hand to drop the slide on a fresh mag and am just wondering what most of you guys do? I'm talking competition shooting here too so I am assuming that most don't rack the slide.

 

I find that going back and forth between an M&P and 1911 would lend itself better to support hand due to the fact that I cannot get a 1911 to drop with my strong hand without drastically changing my grip.

 

I do however have a faster reload with my M&P using my strong hand. I realize that can change with practice though.

 

Just wondering what everyone else is doing or trying.

[Sidecarist]

I almost always use my support hand thumb. It just seems to work better for me. Even on the sigs where the release is set back I still do it. Edited February 21, 2016 by Sidecarist

[peejman]

Don't use the release, pull the slide back with support hand and let it sling shot. Edited February 21, 2016 by peejman

[maroonandwhite]

Don't use the release, pull the slide back with support hand and let it sling shot.

i just don't see that being faster than using the release.


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[peejman]

i just don't see that being faster than using the release.


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I don't care if it's faster, I'm not making money shooting so I want what's most effective in returning the gun to battery. A few fractions of a second aren't relevant. And it's the same motion used when clearing a malfunction.

[dlmeadows]

Seat your mags hard enough to send the slide home

[CatsEye]

For competition using the slide release will be faster. I actually do it differently depending on the pistol being used. With my M&Ps I always used strong hand. When I started shooting CZ I switched to weak hand thumb because I couldn't reach the release.

[maroonandwhite]

Seat your mags hard enough to send the slide home

haha I actually tried that and have a few bruises. Didn't work.


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[maroonandwhite]

I don't care if it's faster, I'm not making money shooting so I want what's most effective in returning the gun to battery. A few fractions of a second aren't relevant. And it's the same motion used when clearing a malfunction.

i would agree but I'm looking for speed here. Competition training as mentioned in the first post.


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[dlmeadows]

haha I actually tried that and have a few bruises. Didn't work.


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Hmm it works about 95% of the time on my 1911 and every time on my tanfos and glock.

[maroonandwhite]

Hmm it works about 95% of the time on my 1911 and every time on my tanfos and glock.

i had a glock that would do that but not every time.


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[MacGyver]

Training scars being what they are, I'm going to rack the slide as opposed to using the release. It's simply one less thing for me to keep up with.

[DBTN]

Weak hand thumb for me.  

[BrasilNuts]

Strong hand, Glock.

[Wiljo05]

haha I actually tried that and have a few bruises. Didn't work.
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Are you running the factory recoil spring? I ask because most 18lb springs will be difficult to overcome if try to seat the mag and drive the slide forward...on my single stack a 13 lb spring allows the momentum of the mag to overcome the slide stop letting the slide go into battery on mag change. Also could potentially need more shooting to break in. My go to IDPA gun took about 3k rounds before it began to reliably go into battery on mag change.

[maroonandwhite]

Are you running the factory recoil spring? I ask because most 18lb springs will be difficult to overcome if try to seat the mag and drive the slide forward...on my single stack a 13 lb spring allows the momentum of the mag to overcome the slide stop letting the slide go into battery on mag change. Also could potentially need more shooting to break in. My go to IDPA gun took about 3k rounds before it began to reliably go into battery on mag change.

 

It is actually a factory spring but from what I have read Ruger uses an 18lb spring on these. I plan at some point to experiment with a factory 16lb but it has ran like a top lately so I figured why mess with it. It actually takes a fair amount of pressure to drop the slide using the release come to think of it. I may order another spring and experiement.

 

Once my M&P Pro comes in I'll try it on that as well. Like you said though it's probably gonna take some shooting to break them in.

[itchytriggerfinger]

For competition using the slide release will be faster. I actually do it differently depending on the pistol being used. With my M&Ps I always used strong hand. When I started shooting CZ I switched to weak hand thumb because I couldn't reach the release.

 

Interesting, all of my CZs send the slide forward when I seat the mags with a little umph.  But I agree, weak hand on the CZ and my 1911 to hit the slide release if necessary.

[gjohnsoniv]

Depends on the gun and the location of the release.  CZ's especially.  On those I use my weak hand because the release is just far enough away to be obnoxious.  Glock is strong hand.

[quietguy]

It is actually a factory spring but from what I have read Ruger uses an 18lb spring on these. I plan at some point to experiment with a factory 16lb but it has ran like a top lately so I figured why mess with it. It actually takes a fair amount of pressure to drop the slide using the release come to think of it. I may order another spring and experiement.

 

Once my M&P Pro comes in I'll try it on that as well. Like you said though it's probably gonna take some shooting to break them in.

Are you having trouble reaching the release on the 1911, or do you have to reposition your grip to get enough leverage? 

 

A slightly extended slide release, and tapering your grips can help a lot.  A little "fluff and buff" can help reduce friction.  

[maroonandwhite]

Are you having trouble reaching the release on the 1911, or do you have to reposition your grip to get enough leverage?

A slightly extended slide release, and tapering your grips can help a lot. A little "fluff and buff" can help reduce friction.

ive handled some with extended releases that I didn't care for. I may handle a few more now that I have some time behind a 1911. But no I can't really get to it without changing my grip a lot.


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[bulm540]

Slide release, it is faster. 

[quietguy]

ive handled some with extended releases that I didn't care for. I may handle a few more now that I have some time behind a 1911. But no I can't really get to it without changing my grip a lot.


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Check out the Ed Brown or Wilson Combat extended releases.  

 

I have large hands, and don't have the same issue, but my Wilson has their extended release and the top of the left side grip is tapered.  It really does give a very positive transition when releasing the slide.  

 

Also check out the Springfield Range Officer.  That is the best "out of the box" competition gun I have found for the money.  I am still trying get the sights right, but everything else is spot on.  I have a ton of money invested in custom guns that don't run as well as my RO.  

Edited February 22, 2016 by quietguy

[jumprun13k]

Support hand thumb is what I use on the rare occasions I am shooting IDPA and actually go to slidelock. 

[chances R]

Which ever you are comfortable with.  My fastest reload with a 1911 is with my support thumb.  The thumb is in the neighborhood after seating the mag and re-establishing the grip without having to manipulate my firing hand/grip.  On my M&P....the majority of the time the slide closes with seating the mag, and if it doesn't the above applies.

[Monkeybat]

Are you running the factory recoil spring? I ask because most 18lb springs will be difficult to overcome if try to seat the mag and drive the slide forward...on my single stack a 13 lb spring allows the momentum of the mag to overcome the slide stop letting the slide go into battery on mag change. Also could potentially need more shooting to break in. My go to IDPA gun took about 3k rounds before it began to reliably go into battery on mag change.

 

 

Mine is still iffy on this.  It's cool when it works though!  I've got about 1,000 rounds through the Shadow now.  Most of the time it will chamber, but I've got to smack it in pretty hard.  

 

My final team stage on the plate shoot when my plate fell .25 sec slower, it didn't work then!