Shooting a 1911 to slidelock

[dogdollar]

This seems to be a very controversial subject - so much so that it may have already been addressed here ad nauseum and I just missed it.

I have heard opposing opinions from many learned folks on the subject.

But, here it is - is shooting a 1911 to slidelock, on a regular, every day basis, detrimental to the pistol in ANY way, shape, or form ?

Thanks,
T.

[wichaka]

Other than a tactical no no, have never heard of any damage caused by it.

[irq23]

I have never heard that you would damage the pistol by doing this. It seems illogical that JMB would design a pistol in which the slide locked back when it was empty if it was detrimental in any way to the gun. I have always shot all of my automatics to slidelock every time I am out shooting them. How many people do you know that leave a bullet in the gun when they change magazines at the range (unless they are practicing tactical reloads of course)?

[Frank]

Other than a tactical no no, have never heard of any damage caused by it.
I wonder if this is where the controversy comes from. I've had instructors who pointed out that if you need to keep shooting, you shoot to slide lock and speed reload. Tactical reloads -- saving some of the rounds in the magazine -- are desirable and fine but only if there's a lull in the activity or if you have a partner providing covering fire. Otherwise, you have no choice but to keep shooting; and if you keep shooting the slide will eventually lock back.

So I wouldn't be too surprised if the tactical doctrine that, if the circumstances permit, you perform a tactical reload so that whenever possible you have a full magazine in your weapon and thus can try to avoid running dry, somehow got translated to -- "never shoot to slide lock."

DVC

[pa_guns]

Hi

Shooting to slide lock will put a *little* more wear on the lock it's self. The amount of wear is insignificant.

Bob

[wichaka]

If you can help it, don't shoot to lock back.........as there's one more thing to do when reloading.

I'm not a stickler either way, I just know it's easier to relaod and go without having to mess with the slide stop.

[John]

Two areas suffer from slide lock. Slide release corner and slide lock notch in the slide. With good parts (slide properly hardened and slide stop strong enough to withstand the battering) you shouldn't have any issue in a couple of lifetimes.

Tactically-speaking. I would shoot to slide lock if I have to, if not I'll reload as soon as the situation allows me.

[ybrik]

how about the feed ramp being hit by the magazine follower during the last round? Is this more likely to occur or not?

[Pappy]

I personally would not be concerned. All mechanical things wear with time. A well made 1911 should, as already pointed out, take several lifetimes to fail.
Then Mr. dogdollar, you can buy a new one!!!!

[John]

how about the feed ramp being hit by the magazine follower during the last round? Is this more likely to occur or not?
The ramp is never hit by the follower, as the slide goes back. The ramp can be hit by the follower when the last round is loading, if the follower is of bad design. And when this happens, if your pistol does not have an aluminum frame, it's not an issue.

[Lazarus]

Dog, no doubt you HAVE read lots of commentary on this subject in many fora. But specifically to focus on whether your pistola is being worn or harmed by S.T.S. is seems pointless. We may as well consider whether the magazine catch should be depressed before inserting the magazine - this, in order to save wear on the magazine tube and the catch. Or yet another example would be to wonder how many times we might flick the thumb safety on before the sear leg wears out.

I agree with Wichaka that the subject has value as a tactical consideration. But even then, I think we are talking about experienced L.E. professionals.

Even those of us with lots of class experience won't know what will work until we count fingers after a gunfight. Simple observation confirms that many regular range shooters often stare at a locked-back slide and continue to pull the trigger, wondering why the gun won't fire. And, presumably, they are in an unstressed situation.

A final comment on mechanical wear: more wear (rounding of corners) is likely to happen when the shooter uses the slide stop to release the slide than using it to lock the slide open. Those folks refer to the part as a slide release, not a slide stop, and use it accordingly.

-Lazarus